As you probably know, Dan Englander and I started Mass Innovation Nights about 18 months ago. What you might not know is that Mass Innovation Nights is more than just a monthly event to launch new products. It has been a sandbox in which we frequently experiment with new social media marketing and online marketing techniques, especially Twitter techniques (Twechniques?). (more…)
Summer is either the best or the worst time for getting anything done in the business world, depending on whether you talk with a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty type. (more…)
Yesterday morning, I was a guest at the Waltham IBM Innovation Center for their 15th Anniversary. (Full disclosure, Joe Perry and the Waltham IBM Innovation Center team have provided Mass Innovation Nights with a free site for our monthly product launch events.) The IBM Smarter Planet program was a highlight and a feature of the day’s program and I was glad to take a deep dive into it as an example of a well-done corporate strategy program. (more…)
What happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas if you choose to share all the gory details.
There’s been plenty written on maintaining a professional image online. Dozens, probably hundreds, of articles urge young people to think about how their social media profile stacks up when a potential employer looks at what’s available online. But what if you are hiring people to represent your company online through social media? (more…)
I used to be a PR bigot — PR was better, faster, stronger than all other types of marketing. Then the World Wide Web happened. (more…)
I spent a couple of hours yesterday hanging out in Harvard Square waiting for my older son to finish a Boy Scout merit badge “camp.” I did what I usually do when I have time on my hands, headed for the bookstore. (In this case, the Harvard Coop.) I had a list of books that I have been meaning to pick up and random browsing in a bookstore is one of my favorite hobbies — not an inexpensive hobby. I picked up Chris Brogan’s book, Social Media 101, which I knew from reading his blog was a collection of blog posts. The book is (supposedly) intended for people who are still a little unclear about social media. But I still bought the book. (There’s another blog in my future about the book itself.) Why? Because I read books for inspiration. (more…)
Every once in a while I teach a class on social media marketing for Lexington Community Education. (I also do private sessions for small groups and in corporate settings where I am frequently called upon to provide expert guidance for agencies, corporate PR and marketing departments.) Recently, one of my former students tracked me down while I was speaking on a panel of local female entrepreneurs. She’s part of a book group comprised mostly of marketers and they are currently reading Groundswell. “Great place to start,” say I. Now the group wants to know what they should read next. (more…)
This coming week I am going to be part of a panel of local women entrepreneurs speaking about Women in Business. (This was organized by Andrea Paquette from the Lexington Community Education program where I regularly teach a class on using social media to market your business.) I have to admit to being torn about being identified as a female entrepreneur. I wonder if this is a dated concept or if there is really and truly a unique set of challenges, issues and concerns for women. Are we still in need of extra assistance? Do we need our own special panel? (more…)
The more you know about online marketing, the more you realize that writers will eventually rule the earth. Don’t pity the journalists and former journalists, they who have the ability to pump out engaging stories, they will be just fine in this era of The Newspaper Death Watch. Everyone’s looking for good speedy writers and a daily reporter has all the right stuff. (more…)
This week I’ve been busy putting together various marketing plans for 2010. My simple nine-step action plan for increasing PageRank for one site is a lot more work than it sounds like. Can you spot the steps that will require practically full-time resources? Morale of the story: SEO, it’s real work. (more…)
