Author Archive
Short URLs – Not Just For Twitter Anymore!
Running URLs through a service that shortens their length is a fairly standard practice at Twitter. After all, when you only have 140 characters, you don’t want a lengthy URL address taking up most of your precious, limited space!
At the moment, Twitter uses tinyurl.com to automatically shorten long URLs that you might enter into your [...]
Tweak Your LinkedIn Profile to Make it More People Friendly!
How can you make your LinkedIn Profile a little more friendly for people — and for search engines?
It’s easy.
Don’t use the default “My Website” or “My Blog” when entering the address of your website or blog!
Instead, use “Other” — and type in short and descriptive “anchor text” that tells your audience more precisely where the [...]
How would Abbie Hoffman use Social Media?
In the 1960’s and 70’s, Abbie Hoffman was absolutely skilled in getting media attention. In his 1971 publication, Steal This Book, Mr. Hoffman devotes a chapter to getting free or cheap communications.
Today, of course, much of our social media is free or cheap: but many squander its social potential.
photo credit: Kevin Krejci
An iPhone, for [...]
Who Among Us is a Social Media Expert?
I loathe the term “social media expert.” Social media is still in its infancy: who among us can claim to be an expert?
The most anyone can claim at this point is to be a practitioner. Or an enthusiastic student. Or an anthropologist engaged in cultural immersion.
As budgets for ineffective traditional ad campaigns get slashed, many [...]
How to Brand, Hit, and Target Your Social Media Herd
So many marketing terms are dehumanizing or rooted in violence. Think of the origins of each of these words:
Branding – a violent act committed upon cattle.
Hits – a violent act committed with fists.
Targets – the victims of a hit.
Campaigns – a series of military battles.
photo credit: Brian Forbes
For years, the mass marketing approach uses [...]
Go Elf Yourself. Again.
You can go elf yourself. Again. Courtesy of Office Max.
Last holiday season, the elfyourself program proved wildly popular. This year, you can elf your entire family, office, or cell block.
With new dance moves — including Disco, Country, and the Charleston — you can spread mischievous 2008 elfin fun on email. Or you can get all [...]
Social Media Squatting: How to Protect Your Brand + Reputation!
Harrowing Social Media Squatting Story: Last year, I sent a LinkedIn invitation to a thrilled client after I completed a short project for her company. She never accepted.
After a few weeks, she called to talk about another small project. As we chatted, I asked her if she received my LinkedIn invitation.
“What’s LinkedIn?” she asked.
Although she [...]
FaceBook Profile V. FaceBook Page: There’s a Difference!
Confusion abounds! There is a difference between a FaceBook Profile and a FaceBook Fan Page. My most-oft question this month concerned creating a FaceBook Fan Page for a business. First, let’s explain the difference between FaceBook Profile and Fan Page:
FaceBook Profile: This is strictly for humans. Hey, that’s you! You’re putting your “Face” on facebook! It’s your picture! It’s your name! [...]
A Horrifying Tale of Social Media Ghosts
All at once, I am flattered + horrified.
Flattered, because a public figure asked me to manage her online reputation.
Horrified, because she wanted me to “ghost write” her blog content, accept social media invitations, and interact with her fan base.
Without (much of) her involvement.
The horror!
I have nothing against ghost writers. After all, I write speeches and [...]
What is RSS and Why Do You Care?
If you know all about RSS, skip this post. You won’t need it.
Otherwise:
RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication. If you see this icon in your browser address bar — or anywhere on a site — it is RSS [...]
