In the era of the “new” social Web, communications is actually evolving back to its origins of communicating with people, not at them. It may seem implied, but communications does not, for the most part, embody two-way discussions. Over the years, communications has evolved into a one-way distribution channel that broadcasts messages at target audiences. In the process, communications stopped being about communication, focusing instead on the marketing aspects of top-down message push and control, what we now commonly refer…
The Social Revolution is Our Industrial Revolution
Broadcast and print media and the services that support the creation and distribution of information are not dead and Social Media is not going to get indicted for holding the smoking gun. These powerful, influential, and age-old industries are however, undergoing some of their most radical transformations and metamorphoses in order to adapt to the elusive and rapidly shifting information landscape. Money is migrating away from traditional media as well as the industries and services that support it – from…
The Art of Conversation – It’s About Listening Not Marketing
Discussions and debates on the viability, necessity, and effectiveness of conversational aka social media marketing continue to roar across the Social Web. There are three sides to this equation: – New media pioneers and practitioners who defend and evangelize the art of conversations because they’re investing in people and their feedback and have the experience to showcase value and ROI. – Social Media marketers who embrace social tools and promote their use in corporate/brand marketing and Public Relations, learning in…
Chad Hurley on the Rise, Acquisition, and Future of YouTube
Social Media is our genre’s Industrial Revolution. It is the era of new influencers and the ability for everyday people to share their creativity, expertise, thoughts, ideas, and passions in order to participate in and build a community around common interests. People are taking their destiny into their own hands and evolving their online, personal or professional, persona and brands online. While there are many user-generated or people-driven social networks today, none generate the mainstream traffic or exposure possible at…
Intel Insiders to Advise Intel on Social Media Strategies
You’ve heard of Intel Inside, the now legendary marketing program that intelligently convinced consumers to make purchasing decisions based on the chip that powered their PCs. Now, I’m proud to introduce the new Intel Insiders program, a new initiative that extends the company’s genuine intention of reaching and engaging with people, while freely trusting the brand’s future to the very people who can and will shape it. Not only am I proud to introduce the Intel Insiders program, I’m also…
The Art of Conversation – Thoughts and Observations
We all purport to be social media experts these days, yet most of us are truly students. Many of us overlook some of the most rudimentary elements that define and inspire the socialization of content, especially the social sciences involved with observing the culture, behavior, and conversations within online societies. We’re excited, and maybe even obsessed, by the tools. We frantically rush from service to service in an exhausting attempt to keep up with our peers, fearing that we may…
The Essential Guide to Social Media – A Free eBook
I’ve been involved with Social Media since the beginning and the more I work, write, and speak, the more I learn. Over the years I’ve observed a series of questions and reactions that I’ve documented along the way and have actively included them in my posts, ebooks, contributions, as well as at my speaking appearances. Over the last year, I’ve assembled the most commonly asked questions and the answers into a free, downloadable ebook as a way of contributing to…
PR Tips for Startups – The Director’s Cut
Note: This post was originally published on TechCrunch as “PR Secrets for Startups.” Many thanks to Michael Arrington and Erick Schonfeld for giving me the opportunity to share my experiences with the startup community. Due to space constraints, the original draft, which was entitled “PR Tips for Startups,” did not run in its entirety. Some of the edits actually wound up changing the context of the post and its intentions. I’ve included the full draft for you here, as I…
Ariel Waldman vs. Twitter, When TOS Doesn’t Apply to You
Credit: Ariel Waldman This is part of my ongoing series on Crisis Communications 2.0, which helps companies and marketing professionals learn from each other to more effectively communicate with customers, stakeholders, media, and peers. I purposely waited to write this post until this discussion cleared techmeme so that I could reach a fresh set of people who could see things clearly, while also calling attention to something we overlook everyday. When’s the last time you actually read the terms of…
The Escalator Pitch, Going Up?
The escalator is the new elevator when it comes to pitching and the emerging practice of micro public relations. While some bloggers and reporters are actively blacklisting PR people, whether it’s fair or not, it’s not truly fixing or changing anything at a grand scale – at least not yet. I’m part of a growing number of PR folks who are committed to sharing stories, experiences, tools, practices, and ideas on how to specifically fix the relationships between PR and…
