Archive for March, 2008
Pitching Bloggers: PR Malpractice v. PR Best Practice
Note to PR firms: Let’s say you’re being paid to garner niched blog publicity for your client.
Here’s something you should know about bloggers:
We’re not robots. We’re real human beings!
Let me share something personal with you:
Sometimes, I step away from the computer. I wander about in nature, unfettered by email, IM, and cell phone.
Take this weekend, […]
Befriending your Parents on FaceBook
To this very day, one rule from teenager-hood remains true:
Anything I do that I don’t want my parents to know about — that “thing” brings trouble.
Every single time!
Today, before I do anything even mildly rash, I ask myself,
How would I feel if my mom found about about this?
It’s kind of an ethical gut check. If […]
Too Much Red : Why I Can’t Shop at Target
I cannot shop at Target stores.
The store design has too much red. Red walls. Red logo. Red shopping carts.
photo credit: Stoichiometry
So much red makes me feel edgy and upset.
Don’t get me wrong: I like red. Used in moderation, red can be a terrific accent color.
I know I’m not alone in this feeling: but I am a minority! […]
I Want That Guy, Part II
Where’s my computer guy?
Earlier this month, I mentioned that there’s “a guy” missing from my Rolodex.
(Relax! “That guy” can be a gal, too!)
photo credit: loosepunctuation
“That guy” is apparently shy about implementing some effective word-of-mouth marketing!
Worth noting: “that guy” might be willing to spend $10,000 on a website — or an all-tell, no-sell brochure. And […]
Defacing Professional Property?
Years ago, I hastily scrawled “Laura’s Laptop” on the top of my notebook PC with a silver Sharpie Pen. I didn’t think twice about it. I just did it because wherever I go, there’s usually a sea of black notebook PCs. I’ve made the mistake of grabbing the wrong one from time to time. And […]
Beware of the Frantically Busy
Many Midwesterners freak out about being busy.
“I’m so busy,” screeches a former colleague. “Busy! Oh, it’s crazy. So busy, busy, busy.”
Sure she’s busy.
She’s usually busy saying she’s busy!
Consequently, she’s not getting much of anything else done.
(She does, however, charge her clients for her hand-wringing over how busy she is worrying about how much she has […]
When The Customer is Wrong…
Consider the old chestnut, “The Customer is Always Right.”
Well, there’s an extreme value judgement for you! Morality, right and wrong, and eternity — what business maxim could possibly be more suspect?
If you’re a professional, you know that customers often have misconceptions. And as a pro, it’s your job to set them straight.
Embrace the misconceptions of […]
Improve Video Quality with Easy YouTube URL Addition
I found this lovely YouTube video tip at LifeHacker. The tip easily improves the quality of a YouTube video.
All you need to do is copy and paste:
&fmt=18
at the end of the URL of the video you are watching. For example, here is a YouTube Video:
ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hChq5drjQl4
All you do is paste “&fmt=18″ at the end of the […]
The Guy I Want in My Rolodex
There’s a guy missing from my Rolodex.
photo credit: aev
And when I say “guy” — it’s not a sexist term. By “guy” — I mean a man or a woman. (Southerners say “y’all”. Yankees say “you guys”. To most of us Northerners, “guys” is an all-inclusive, gender-neutral term. But I digress…)
The guy I want in […]
LinkedIn is Pretty Again
We’ve all have bad hair days. It’s no big deal. You get a bad hair cut or color, and it takes a few weeks to grow out.
The interim ugliness can be embarassing. You endure the stares of strangers, take some good-natured ribbing from your friends, you wear a hat, and you press forward. You wait for the ugliness to […]
