Part Three of Three Nicheworks are highly coveted or soon will be as no brand is an island. Attention and interests are focused within social streams and as individuals are empowered to define their online experiences, connecting the dots proves pivotal. If conversations are markets, nicheworks represent the glue that binds disparate conversational ecosystems. And through effective engagement, we make inroads towards community and being the construction of bridges between our brand and each desirable market. From Silos… While many…
The Hybrid Theory Manifesto: The Future of Marketing, Advertising, and Communications Part Two
Part Two of Three In the book Engage!, I use music as a metaphor for the business approach necessary to execute socialized programs flawlessly. I suggest that today, many organizations approach new media with the style of jazz improvisationalists. They possess an incredible ability to jam independently and also together, but they often drift into wild, wonderful solos that may or may not lead the audience back to the heart and soul of the brand purpose and mission. Instead, I…
Q&A: Personal vs. Professional Branding in Social Media
Dan Schwabel is not only a personal branding expert, he’s someone I’ve come to know and respect over the years…and definitely someone I consider a friend. We recently sat down to discuss Engage and the resulting interaction culminated in a wonderful discussion that explored the state of professional and personal branding in the era of new media. How do you define “Engage” and do you believe that people and business that fail to engage will cease to exist in the…
The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part X
Source: Shutterstock Happy New Year! Well, this is it. The final installment of the most read, shared, and discussed posts of 2009. I hope that Part X as well as the other nine parts help you to leap into 2010 with confidence, inspiration, and direction. Let the education and stimulus continue this year… The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part X 1. Is Facebook Losing its Coveted Demographic? 2. There’s an App for That: Mobile is the Next Frontier for Brand…
The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part IX
Source: Shutterstock Happy New Year! The closure of 2009 sparked a series of important news and events that only seemed to further the evolution of Social Media rather than subsiding and waiting for a new year. Your path in 2010 is defined by the knowledge you’ve amassed and embraced. It affects not only where you are, but where you’re going and how long it will take to get there. The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part IX 1. The Rapid Evolution…
The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part VIII
Source: Shutterstock Happy New Year! Welcome to 2010…this is your year. Let’s build upon the lessons we learned in 2009 in order to help us continue on our journey towards earned relevance. The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part VIII 1. The Second Life of Second Life 2. The Science of Retweets on Twitter 3. Teens Adopting Twitter 4. Social Media Accounts for 18% of Information Search Market 5. The Future of the Social Web 6. The Competition for Your Social…
The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part VII
Source: Shutterstock As 2009 comes to a close, we’re inspired to take what we learned this year and apply it to the uncharted year that lies ahead. Our resolutions for 2010 must include learning and participation. With an open mind and an open heart, we can continue to learn, grow, and in turn, teach those around us to make 2010 a banner year for new media literacy and change. The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part VII 1. One in Five…
The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part IV
Source: Shutterstock Valuable Information flies across our attention dashboards at blinding speeds. As 2009 comes to a close and we embrace a new optimism for 2010, let’s revisit some of the most read and shared posts this year. Greatest Hits of 2009, Part IV: 1. Social Media is Rife with Experts but Starved of Authorities 2. Unveiling the New Influencers 3. PR Does Not Stand for Press Release: Equalizing Spikes and Valleys 4. The Decline of Traditional Advertising and the…
Some Things are Worth Repeating: The Greatest Hits of 2009 Part I
Source: Shutterstock In the world of reruns, there’s a saying, if you’ve never seen it, then it’s new to you. As we near the end of 2009, I wanted to share with you some of the posts that I believe will help you as you tackle challenges, opportunities, and set the stage for innovation and growth in 2010. Even if you read the original posts when they initially hit the Web, chances are that their lessons, experiences, and insights still…
Finding Influencers in Social Media
Source: Shutterstock Guest post by Dan Zarella, author of “The Social Media Marketing Book,” published by O’Reilly. When you’re trying to find targets for a social media marketing campaign, you should be looking for two types of people, influencers and audience. Your audience is the people you’re trying to sell to, this is a wide swath of potential users, clients or customers. They may or may not be heavily involved in social media and they may or may not have…