My nicely-paced day suddenly turned into a hectic one right after lunch, so today’s post is a bit abbreviated (but motivating). Enjoy!
DR. WHAW? – May 25, 2010
7 Must Read Life Lessons from Abraham Lincoln by Mr. Self Development – I didn’t know much about Lincoln before this post and I still don’t know much about him now; however, I do know he was smart and very insightful. I found this post to be thought-provoking, affirming and inspirational. I hope you do, too.
Small Bursts, Big Gains by Glen – This post isn’t full of content, though it does suggest a couple of productivity tools. What I liked about it was the message, and it needs no explanation: You don’t need to carve out a chunk of time to work on a big project. If you do a little at a time, even if it’s just for 10 minutes while you’re waiting for something else (laundry to dry, food to cook) then a lot will get done.
What to Do When You’re Lost – 6 Ways to Conquer Uncertainty by Jeffrey Tang – The titled says it all. We all get lost sometimes. One of the nuggets of advice from Jeffrey that I always struggled with is “Stop comparing.” I compare writing styles, accomplishments at work, accolades, belongings… it doesn’t really end. And aren’t many of us guilty of that? It’s not doing us any favors, that’s for sure.
4 ways to beat the social media clock by Arik Hanson – If you are overwhelmed by the time commitment you think social media account management and activity will take, these tips are excellent and should be put to use.
This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor Danny Prager.
It was a beautiful sunny day in Chicago and I spent it on the internet. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, go ahead and judge me. The good news? I found some interesting articles for you all to read!
A HTML5 video solution is coming to firefox, and is supported by all Youtube videos. With the support of Google and other partners, an HTML5 standard for video is becoming a reality. For more on the project, check it out here . While I’m not a developer, understanding the HTML5 versus flash debate and the open web seems really important in terms of the future of digital marketing. Have any articles/posts that you think are relevant to communications professionals, in terms of understanding flash versus html5 and the large concept of the open or semantic web? Leave them in the comments!
In all the hubub about new tools and strategies in the digital world, traditional marketing principals are still relevant. Mitch Joel brings up a great point — Marketers need to respond to potential customers at their point of need. The technology for this type of response exists, especially with the mass adoption of location based tools like Foursquare.
What Mitch doesn’t touch on, is that using these location based services to reach customers at their point of need can come across as creepy and challenges social norms of privacy. How do marketers reach customers at their point of need without coming across as stalkers, or creeping out customers? And before you say that this kind of activity isn’t creepy, remember to think like an average user and not the digital media professional that you are.
The larger debate? How do cultivate a community built on “un-marketing” while still offering value to potential customers at their point of need? Can you have both flings and relationships in your online community? Here is a great post, and insightful comments, from BBH labs on the topic.
3) Youtube and the new creative class — Kevin Yen, the director of strategic partnerships for Youtube, talks about the rise of the online video site at its half decade mark. It’s a great read about kids you may have never heard of that get more views on their Youtube channels than syndicated network TV shows. But more than personalities filming themselves in their basement, these Youtube personalities are employing art directors, camera men, make up folks and building both creative empires and the economy.
On the flip side, Noah Brier highlights thoughts from I, Cringely that puts Youtube in perspective:
YouTube made two fascinating announcements recently: 1) viewers are now downloading an average of two billion videos per day on the service, and; 2) YouTube is almostshowing a profit for Google, its owner. Think about the glorious inefficiency embodied in that latter statement: two billion downloads per day just to break even. And this is supposed to be the future of television? Hardly.
So. These are some pretty large thoughts/problems for today. Love to hear your two cents!
This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor Melissa Cafiero.
I’m looking for new resources. Are there sites with content you can’t live without? I’m also looking for sites which talk about crisis communications specifically (both for personal reasons and so I can find new posts to share with you) so if you have any suggestions, please let me know!
DR. WHAW? – May 18, 2010
A Twitter success story: Search leads to new market discovery by Fara Hain – In this post, Fara describes her less than enthusiastic initial perception of Twitter; however, she gave it a shot (simply by setting up keyword alerts for her brand and listening to the chatter) and discovered a new customer segment, and use, for her company’s product. It’s a really interesting post and a little inspirational, too.
Digital PR Perspectives: The BP Oil Spill by Arik Hanson (with Danny Brown, Gini Dietrich and Heather Whaling) – I haven’t really investigated how BP is responding to this issue (partially because I don’t have time and partially because I can’t deal with the emotional pull at the moment) so this “roundtable”-type discussion was really nice. It’s pretty lengthy, though, so you’ll want to set aside some time.
The APR Process — Why It’s Worth It by Stephanie Q. Fitzsimmons – I’m not going to argue about APR vs no APR, but I thought this quick post was insightful and helped with the curiosity I had about the process.
Why It’s Helpful To Send Back a Positive Reflection of a Person’s Actions by Gretchen Rubin – I know that something like 95% of my DR WHAW posts include a Gretchen Rubin/Happiness Project mention, but I just always find something useful from her. This post talks about “pro-social behavior,” and she goes on to say, “When we’re reminded of what we’re doing right, and when we realize that right action is noticed and appreciated (because practically all of us want those gold stars!), we’re encouraged to keep it up.”
33 Pictures Caught at Exactly the Right Moment by Gerri Elder – Some of these are quite funny and some make you scratch your head. Warning: Photo #3 is really graphic. It caught me by surprise and made me a bit nauseous. Ick.
This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor Clay Schossow.
The Smartest Books We Know — Absolutely awesome list from Fortune of 75 books that people should read. They range from high brow economic theory to lessons in survival to biographies of America’s greatest corporate titans. It was fun just reading through this list, I can’t wait to actually check out some of the books.
Brand Journalism and the Boeing Site — I’ve notice a lot of high tech companies, such as Intel and HP, who have been trying to put a face to their brand in recent commercials. They’re trying to personify large, confusing technology companies. David Meerman Scott does a great job of explaining how Boeing has done the same thing with their new website and how it is working well for the company. A good, quick read.
This is How Apple Rolls — Nice read from the talented John Gruber. He looks at the evolution of different Apple products over the years and their relentless strive to perfection. They usually don’t launch as the ideal device, but the company keeps testing, listening, and refining to get the iconic products that we all associate with the brand.
So You Need a Typeface — Pretty awesome infographic that helps you determine the best font for what you’re trying to do. As someone who always struggles with choosing the right type, I thought this chart was quite helpful.
Diaspora’s Curse — No doubt, you’ve likely heard the buzz about the grassroots start-up Diaspora over the past week. Jason Fried does a great job of breaking down why all the attention and funding may be a bad thing for the company. While I think Fried typically exaggerates arguments to the point of annoyance, I think he’s spot on in this case. As someone who bootstrapped a startup while in college, I agree that we wouldn’t have been able to be nearly as successful if we had the comfort level of funding and attention that the Diaspora guys have already experienced.
I think today was one of the best reading days I’ve had in awhile, so I hope you enjoy the articles and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
I posted the below blog post about four months ago, and I thought I would give y’all an update since I am officially two years away from being 25. I also have a post in the works about what it means to me to be 23 and why it’s not quite as scary as I thought it would be.
A little while ago, I asked y’all how you measure personal success, and your responses were overwhelmingly helpful! So I decided to take a moment and share my goals with you. I’ve come up with my top 25 goals that I’d like to achieve before I’m 25 years old. Because I’m such an organization freak, they’re broken down into categories.
Personal Goals:
Adopt a dog to be the start of my new, grown-up family.
Run a second triathlon, this time with my dad, and walk/run a half-marathon with my two best friends (who I did the first triathlon with).
3. Make my old friendships a priority by setting up phone and Skype dates with my friends and family who I can’t see on a regular basis. – Not to say that this goal is completed, but I have made several weekly dates with friends, and I feel a lot better about keeping in touch.
4. Nurture new Chicago friendships and have a Chicago friend family that can be relied on much like my oldest and dearest friends. – Done. And I couldn’t feel better about my new Chicago family.
Volunteer at PAWS Chicago at least once each week and find a way to give back to UNC, too.
Professional Goals:
Improve my understanding of social media channels and how Edelman is using them.
Ask questions early and often, and be willing to turn in a project late if it means doing it right the first time around.
8. Seek out new and different projects where I can help out and learn more about measurement and social media. – While this goal will be one I continue to strive toward, I have recently jumped onto several awesome projects which are already expanding my horizons!
Read and absorb anything and everything about social media measurement in order to broaden my skills and to better help clients.
Become the go-to measurement guru in the Edelman Digital Chicago office.
Blog Goals:
11. Claim my own domain name and begin learning (and using!) HTML coding. – Done.
Write blog posts each week about something that I love or am passionate about.
13. Become a regular contributor or guest post-er on a group blog or on social media nuts’ blogs. – If you haven’t yet, check out my posts over at PRBreakfastClub.com!
14. Find a way to keep DR. WHAW? a regular feature without committing to posting it every single day (with my schedule, I can’t seem to make this work every day). – All thanks to my awesome contributors!
Increase reader engagement as marked by number of comments, return readers and Tweets.
Chicago Goals:
Move to an apartment in Lakeview.
Attend Lollapalooza in the summer.
Try a Chicago-style hot dog and a sandwich from Lucky’s.
Take the architectural boat tour.
See the Boston Red Sox play at Wrigley Field (I know this may not even be possible but definitely worth a shot).
Travel Goals:
Visit Washington, D.C., for the first time and do all of the typical touristy things. – So I got to go to D.C. for a conference, but I didn’t get to do ANYTHING touristy. Half-done.
Visit my older sister in Amherst, Massachusetts, and my younger sister at the University of Minnesota.
Visit Austin, Texas, to attend the SXSW conference in 2011 and visit friends.
Visit my mom’s parents in Kentucky and see my cousin wrestle in a state tournament (it will happen, Sean!).
Travel to the ACC or NCAA tournament to watch the Tar Heels play their way into history again.
So there you have it. I know that some of these are lame and some may be quite difficult to achieve before I’m 25. Still, I believe these are all quite reasonable (and measurable!) goals for me. Just having written this list has made me happier, and really, isn’t that the real goal?
This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor Rachel Boyman.
Hello out there! It’s been a long day (and still going!) so I’m going to keep it short and sweet tonight. Plus, I spent a bit of the day reading the posts of my fellow DR. WHAW contributors — I love seeing their picks! Here we go…
Compliments to TechCrunch on this headline — and though I think Facebook and Twitter are still providing slightly different functions for different types of users, the internet is a fast-paced place, and if I start spending more time on Twitter than I do on Facebook, it’s only a matter of time before I’m going to want to incorporate the features I like from both sites onto the one I’m spending more time on. The analogies Siegler uses are a bit awkward, but you get the point.
I’m not sure if this was in last week’s NYTimes magazine or in the one coming up (again, the subscription dilemma) but just a really interesting look at the ways online news organizations are exploring different pay-for-content models. Users love free content, content-providers can’t afford to give it away, and a simple profit-sharing system with writers doesn’t seem to work either. Depressing.
Oh Facebook. We love you truly madly deeply, but Scoble is right — between the privacy changes + criticism from trusted leaders on the Web — you’ve broken our trust. And as everyone who’s ever lost trust in another knows, once you break it, it’s tough to get it back without making real concessions to change.
4. America’s Tweethearts by Vanessa Grigoriadis
I’m not sure how I missed this Vanity Fair piece (its times like this that I consider purchasing or subscribing so I see the real hard copy of my favorite magazines) but I stumbled upon it when looking at Julia Roy’s website. I think the tone of the article is a bit mocking, but I think it’s kind of cool that one’s twilebrity factor is, in this case, in direct proportion to usage and engagement.
I’m afraid that’s all for me tonight — it’s been a long day, my brain is fried and I’m just seeing on Twitter that a suspicious vehicle in Union Square has led to NYPD to investigate. Ah, the perks of living in downtown NYC. On that note, g’night kids. Stay safe.
This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor Danny Prager.
There was an absurd amount of great content passed around the interwebs today (as per usual), and now I’m going to share some highlights. Without futher ado —
DR. WHAW? – May 12, 2010
Let’s do a little point counterpoint/ roundup of the Facebook backlash:
Simon makes the interesting, and complex argument, that it is Facebook’s job to push the envelope of socially defined notions of privacy as that is necessary for innovation. That semantic and open web all those big time analysts, futurists, and thinkers are talking about ? It may be in direct opposition to our socially defined norms of privacy. Who will win?
“Facebook has confused sharing with publishing”. I think Jeff has hit the nail right on the head here. Social sharing has become ubiquitous. However, sharing is not the same as broadcasting or publishing. Sharing a hilarious video of kittens going down slides with your friends, is a different behavior, with different motivations, than creating that same video and publishing it.
What’s more? You may not want brands to assume that you have kittens and want discounts on cat food based on the fact that you shared that video.
What does all of this mean? Which side are you on? Has Facebook overstepped its bounds? Is it challenging societal norms of privacy too aggressively?
Personally, I love the idea of fighting for an open web, and viewing Facebook as pioneers in the struggle to redefine social norms of privacy. On the other hand, I realize that I am probably in the minority in that respect, and once the average Facebook user understands the privacy implications of these Facebook changes there will surely be serious backlash– Not just from early adopters, but from the Gen Xers and above who have recently joined the network in droves.
I want a personalized web experience where I am consistently given relevant content, even if it is in the form of advertisements and special offers from brands, but this thinking may not be true for everyone.
Enough about that, here are a couple of interesting articles, that are not focused on Facebook:
Good overview of why social shopping is on the rise, and how it could pose a challenge traditional ecommerce sites.
Look past the fact that the guy who wrote the article is a “social media optimization” specialist, instead focus on the video and think about the possibilites of social commerce.
In all of our focus on the next big thing and social media, we sometimes forget that we can innovate channels that already exist. Check out what Converse did with PPC ads to target teenagers. Talk about engagement:
When I saw this chart, and this post, I immediately thought of Rebecca and her work at Edelman. Good overview of how paid, earned, shared, and owned media work together on digital channels.
This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor Melissa Cafiero.
I’m back! After a two-week hiatus, a plane ride with a cat, a move from Dallas to Washington, a new job and new friends (along with my old friends!), I’m ready to share with you what I Didn’t Read While Hard At Work!
Side note: Because I was behind on my RSS feeds, please pardon any “old” content. Also, forgive me for jumping around different topics… moving/organization tips, zen, productivity, Facebook pages, PR internships, social media and lay-offs/overworked employees. My attention span was horrible today!
DR. WHAW? – May 11, 2010
1. Ask Unclutterer: A successful move by Erin Doland – I know this post may not be relevant to many of you, but because my husband and I just made a huge move halfway across the country, I wish I read this prior to packing (though we’re still in the process of unpacking so there’s hope). Hopefully at least one person will find this useful. First, don’t throw out unopened boxes just because you haven’t needed anything in them since 2005. Erin also recommends going through your things twice. Yikes!
2. Letting Go of Attachment, from A to Zen by Lori Deschene – While the advice from Zen Habits can sometimes be a little far-fetched for me (just a personal preference), occasionally I’ll find a post that inspires me. This is that post. I can’t really begin to sum it up nicely, so I’ll simply quote it:
“When you stop trying to grasp, own, and control the world around you, you give it the freedom to fulfill you without the power to destroy you. That’s why letting go is so important: letting go is letting happiness in.
It’s no simple undertaking to let go of attachment—not a one-time decision, like pulling off a band-aid. Instead, it’s a day-to-day, moment-to-moment commitment that involves changing the way you experience and interact with everything you instinctively want to grasp.
The best approach is to start simple, at the beginning, and work your way to Zen.”
3. Beware of Fake-Work and Make-Work by Gretchen Rubin – Gretchen calls out some of the things we do to procrastinate (surf the Web) or cope when we can’t concentrate and provides some perspective as well:
“Of course, one of my Secrets of Adulthood is that the opposite of a great truth is also true, and I have several resolutions aimed at helping me not to worry constantly about being efficient, but instead, to Force myself to wander and Schedule time for play. Sometimes, I work best by doing things that don’t look like ‘work.’”
4. Why Facebook’s Community Pages Could Give Brands Headaches by Dave Fleet and Will Facebook community pages upset the brand apple cart? By Arik Hanson – Say you developed a Facebook page, engaged with Fans (now Likers?) and created an area where customers could connect with you. Facebook then introduces the Community Pages and suddenly there’s another outlet where Fans/Likers can connect… to no one, because you don’t have access to control the content on the page. Or, what if you’re a consumer and engaged on the original page and now are confused about the numerous pages that pop up when you type in your favorite company’s name? Interesting thoughts for sure. (Client Disclosure: Dave Fleet includes a Microsoft example.)
5. Do You Need An Internship to Get a Job in PR? By Jeremy Porter – I like that Jeremy offers views from both the Yes and No angles. I found that I couldn’t get an entry-level job in PR without two internships. Whether you can get a job in PR with an internship or not, I think those who complete an internship (or two) are much better equipped to enter the workforce. They are familiar with the expectations and day-to-day responsibilities rather than an abstract idea of what PR really is. Four years in a classroom isn’t the same as a week at a PR firm, and certainly not as helpful.
6. Making Time For Evolution by Amber Naslund – This was a post I didn’t want to read. I haven’t updated my blog in months and my Twitter activity over the past six to eight weeks has plummeted. She makes excellent points, of course, and I think I was most annoyed because it’s true. I want the success of some of the bloggers I see as role models, but don’t want to put the effort into it. I would much rather spend time with family or engage in other activities I find fulfilling rather than spend a couple of hours online each day focusing on my blog. It just doesn’t fit into my priorities right now. I’m sorry, but that’s just me.
7. 80% of workers report heavier layoff-induced load by Sandra M. Jones – I know many people who would agree with this, along with myself, and have even included similar articles in previous DR WHAW posts. Employees are no longer satisfied with simply having a job, and other opportunities are out there. So if you’re a boss overworking your employees, you better be prepared to reward them and show your appreciation.
So I’m sure y’all have noticed that my blog hasn’t been exactly active lately. This little lady could spout off literally hundreds of excuses as to why my writing has taken a backseat lately, but it all boils down to the same thing: I needed to focus on my offline wellness.
If you live in Chicago or follow lots of folks from the Windy City, you probably know by now that I tend to make an appearance at a lot of events. I mean A LOT of events. I’m one of those people that likes to be a social butterfly, I always have. One of my biggest weaknesses, though, is that I care too much about what other people think and I try to be all things to all people sometimes. Both of these things are absolutely foolish, and I know this.
Social media and Twitter in particular allow me to indulge this bad habit pretty easily. Way too easily actually. Add this nasty habit to a couple of losses and struggles in my personal life, and it was time for a full social media disconnection.
I won’t bore you with all of the details, but disconnecting completely for about a week really did me good. It helped me to really think about what’s important to me (cliche, I know) and how I want to live my life. I’m continuing some personal introspection in my offline life, and I’ve decided to give myself at least a few hours each day to be disconnected.
With that being said, I’m back. I have a few posts in the works, and I’m hoping to be finally bringing you some regular content again. So get pumped, y’all! Also, please let me know what you’ve been missing the most. Tell me if you want me to write about something. Ask my friends Danny and John, if you ask for my thoughts on something, I’m likely to write about it.
So, there’s one thing I forgot to tell everyone when I started DR WHAW. My middle name is “Worthless” — as in, I’ve missed my last few weeks of posts. Sorry for sucking, everyone! Between family visiting, a trip to Jazz Fest, and some business travel, DR WHAW had to take a backseat. However, I’m here to assure you that I’m back with a vengeance (I’ve always wanted to say that, ha). Here’s this week’s things I Didn’t Read While Hard At Work (but wanted to!):
DR. WHAW? – May 10, 2010
T-Squared Six Month Stats — I wasn’t familiar with the Texas Tribune, but was introduced today (h/t Steve Rubel) via this blog post. Their experiment in New Media Journalism is going very well, and this post provides some insight into what has been contributing to success. Maybe the most interesting thing is the importance of data in their posts.
The Right Way to Make Your Social-Media Mea Culpa — While much of this post is just your typical “When you screw up on social media, apologize and engage,” I liked the post because it provides a really great overview of the current dilemma with Boeing and that big brand’s efforts to fix it.
Introduction to Online Payments — It seems like online payment processing is a consistent snags that our projects seek out. Clients want to sell things online but are weary of all the lingo, security risks, and transaction fees. For years, I’ve been trying to break it down and help my clients understand the process, but this quite thorough post does a significantly better job than I ever could. Check it out and keep it handy to forward on to your clients.
Web Design Trends in 2010 — Usually I avoid Smashing Magazine and would definitely resist putting it on this list, but I think this post is definitely worth skimming over for everyone in the web industry. It’s a great, visual read on what’s going on in the space, and it will help you be a better judge of work, client for web design firms, and more complete online marketer.
Facebook, zinga, and buyer-supplier framework — Nice, short post from Chris Dixon on the economics and theory behind the Facebook-Zinga relationship. I thought this post was worth sharing, because this theory is applicable to many other web startups around right now, especially those sprouting up around Twitter.
Well, there we go folks. First post in several weeks and I hope it was worth the wait.
