I know, we’ve been talking about it for a while but it’s finally done. After hours of editing and countless video clips, Collective Bias, GNO, and One to One Network bring you the 2009 Bowlher video.
For those that missed it, enjoy the video and make plans to attend Blogher in New York next year. Who knows, you might just get your shot at all the fun. For those that made the show, keep a keen eye. You’re in there somewhere.
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Tags: Collective Bias, funny, life, marketing, social media, social media 
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In light of all of the hubbub around my new twitter image, I ask this question. Is your icon you or vice-versa? I like to see my image as an extension of myself. I think it’s important to show face on twitter to prove you’re real. I think it was Yale that discovered that those with professional/airbrushed images were considered pompous or not trustworthy to a sample-representative group and those without actual pictures tend to make people feel like they’re talking to the man. Not like “hey, you’re the man” but more like “the man is keeping us down.”
So back to my picture, what is your perception of the photoshoped creative icon? Mine shows my actual face, the logo of my company, and even a little of that style… and FMT says it’s creepy… like Harry Potter creepy. You know, the guy with the weird eye? No? Google, it… no here, let me – http://tinyurl.com/mogjue
Let’s start with that statement. What do you mean by “doing” social media. Are you looking to engage with potential customers on a daily basis and build trust through conversation and lifestyle or do you just want to set up a facebook page for people to find? Have you searched for your customers through the various social media outlets? Do you even know the options available out there? The questions can tear apart the best of intentions… even to the greatest among us.
Let’s start from the top. What are you trying to achieve? …and don’t say more business. Do you want to find new business through twitter conversations or inform and generate buzz though YouTube videos? Maybe you’d prefer to show alternate product views on twitter and field comments. The options are endless but you have to start by deciding what level of engagement you want from your customers as well as what you’re willing to provide. Remember that social media is a two way street… hence the “social” aspect.
In a nutshell, I think your best bet is to decide whom you want to reach… write that down, no really. I’ll wait. Got it? Good. Next step, figure out where they hang out and how involved they are in their particular communities. Use tools like twitter search to search your brand or product then view conversations that include that brand or product. Try to match that level of engagement on that platform. Step three, engage in conversation. Do not spam. I repeat, DO NOT SPAM. If you want to mention a special you’ve got, make sure the people you’re talking to want to hear about it.
Finally, like a good golf swing, it’s all in the follow through. Follow up with those people you’ve built a relationship with. Nothing says thanks like a facebook/twitter shout out and thank you. Everyone on twitter loves to see their name in the “mentions” column on TweetDeck. Make it a habbit.
So there you have it. A quick run through on getting started. Needless to say, this is only one man’s opinion and it’s very high level. I accept no responsibility for your results… unless they’re good of course. Got any pointers you’d like to add? Post them below! Comments are cooler than mentions in my book.
Give it up to Kenmore for one of the coolest, short-and-sweet tv spots I’ve seen in a while!
Don’t you wish your laundry room looked like that? Give me some feedback here. Who thinks this one is good/bad and why?
For those that don’t already know, I’m leaving J.B. Hunt. Collective Bias has asked me to be their creative director and you know I can’t pass that one up. I’ve already begun on some levels and am getting more involved in the start up process every day. Luckily the guys running the show are giving me all the connections I need to get the resources flowing early so that I can hit the ground at full speed on the 27th of this month.
They’re also including me in this year’s BlogHer after-party called BowlHer. Look for me with the rest of the Collective Bias group. I’ll be the loud one. I preparation, I’ve done some reading:
http://hormonecoloreddays.blogspot.com/2009/07/10-commandments-of-blogher-success.html
Enjoy and please post any additional suggestions on surviving an event with 300-400 mom/bloggers for an evening.
No, this isn’t a motorsports post; I’m actually referring to the Titanium and Integrated Lions the Obama campaign won at Cannes this year. Talk about a change. This puts the Obama campaign at such high regards as those campaigns by Crispin Porter & Bogusky, NYC & Co. and Warner Brothers. Wow. They won the awards for success in community building and willingness to allow the Obama brand to be created by consumers rather than top-down communications mandates (Creativity-Online).
I think my favorite part of all of this is that they won a Lion for the work the general masses did to build the brand. Genius, effective communication by letting the public do the communicating… and we wonder why he won by a landslide.
Cnet has posted that Microsoft is considering a USB drive option for the release of Windows 7 so that those of you with netbooks can easily load the new OS. A slick idea in my opinion if only for the uniqueness in the market place but this poses a question of media change.
Is the market ready for the disappearance of the disc? CD’s are gradually being replaced in the music world by the MP3 and its player of choice, the iPod. In the data world you’re seeing a gradual move to the DVD due to higher storage capacity but still a disc, nonetheless.
Microsoft moving what was once on 25 floppy discs, turned 3 CD’s, turned 1 DVD to a USB drive might, in fact, shift the market… or it could blow up in their faces ala Betamax. Early adopters will be all over this without a doubt but the salty old creatures of habit? I’ll let Microsoft and their marketers make this call.
In effort not to be the nay-sayer, I offer an alternative. Make this an upgrade available online. Automate the update process and let it run from there in a one-click user interface. Enter your credit card info, click upgrade, and let her cook. Finding a way to make that work well would save millions in product cost.
Thoughts?
I admit, I just titled it that way because I like the song. Beatles… they’re like a warm hug from a long lost family member. Moving on…
For those who’ve been wondering about my lack of posts, fear not, I have been writing, just for other people. The first of these guest appearances will be at UpYourSocial.com on or around Thursday, June 18th. Kyle Judkins of Lost In Technology was kind enough to allow me a submission on his new social media blog. Want to know more? You’ll just have to go visit. I would suggest visiting now and acclimating to the site and subject matter. It’s good stuff.
Another place you’ll find me regularly is on the Organizational Champions Forum. They’ve recently updated their site to include several interactive features and I highly recommend taking a look, setting up a profile, and getting involved in the movement. There are a lot of smart people hanging around that forum and they will make you think. Tell them Jay sent you.
With nothing more for the moment, I leave you with a joke…
A young executive was leaving the office late one evening, when he finds the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand. “Listen,” said the CEO, “this is a very sensitive and important document here, and my secretary has gone for the night. Can you make this thing work for me?” “Certainly,” the young executive says. He turns the machine on, inserts the paper, and presses the start button. “Excellent, excellent!” says the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine. “I just need one copy.
Have a great day and don’t take life too seriously.
I read an article tonight on social networking and its influence on modern business and started considering the rolls of various networks and how they’ve changed in recent months. Twitter started out as a glorified text messaging tool that now hosts most of the big players in the corporate world. Facebook has made the jump from college MySpace to corporate connector as much, if not more than LinkedIn. All this said, I offer my second poll:
Here are a few resources I like when I’m stuck. These people/places get my mind spinning again when I start to slow down. take a look.
ProBlogger – if I’m a Luke Skywalker, this guy is Yoda
http://www.problogger.com
In fact, the close observer might notice the not-so-subtle cues from his 31 Days series. I’m learning all about the neat little additions one might add to increase shareability and peak interests as well as general instruction on becoming a better blogger. Ultimately though, you will decide what I take from the series and the blog as a whole.
NWASocial – my local people resource
http://socialmediaclubnwa.ning.com/
A spin off of the national Social Media Club, I’m just starting with the local chapter and believe me, this is proving to be quite a resource. I spent my first meeting getting to know the group and listening to their experiences, good and bad, in bringing social media to their industries and brands.
Organizational champions – inspiration to be inspiring
http://www.organizationalchampions.com/
Mike Thompson has written a book Titled Organizational Champions and this is the blog leading to that release. I’m really looking forward to reading the book but until then, at least I’ve got the webcasts and blog entries to tide me over. Mike, one of the founding fathers of Thompson Murray turned Saatchi & Saatchi X has a pretty good dial on the business world and really gets me fired up to get out and affect change.
Twitter – a link to links
http://www.twitter.com
I’ve made at least a marginal effort to follow those tweeple that share common interests and in many cases are in my industry. Many of my follows post interesting marketing and advertising links as well as links to the constant wave of twitter analysis throughout the web. I sift through links and find little nuggets of insight and marketing gold.
Experimentation – if it hasn’t ever broken you’re not trying hard enough
I believe that experimentation is at the heart of learning. I’ve always been the type that learns something by trying, and masters something by making mistakes. So that’s where we are today… experimentation.
This is my “toolbelt” in as much as these are the resources that I keep close while working. I’m always looking for new additions. What research materials to you use in the day to day?
