15Mar 2019 by Bob Cargill No Comments
Are You a Hyperleader?

Are You a Hyperleader?

Social Media
Are you a hyperleader? Do you know someone who is a hyperleader? I heard about this term for the first time in an article I read recently by Paolo Gerbaudo for the New Statesman ("The age of the hyperleader: when political leadership meets social media celebrity"). Paolo uses the term in referring to certain types of politicians who may be more popular than the parties they represent and are particularly adept at using social media to engage with their constituents. I’m using the term in referring to people you and I may know in the business world. These are people who can be game-changers. They can single-handedly attract more attention to the brands and businesses they represent than those entities can themselves. These are people you want on your side.…
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03Mar 2019 by Bob Cargill No Comments
Don’t Be a One-Trick Pony on Social Media

Don’t Be a One-Trick Pony on Social Media

Branding, Marketing, Social Media
Don’t be a one-trick pony on social media. Unless it’s the only place your audience can be found, don’t spend an inordinate amount of time on just one channel at the expense of others. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.…you want to be working the crowd in a multitude of places. You want to be diversifying your efforts. Once you've tested and learned where you get the biggest bang for your buck, you want to focus there, of course. But you don’t want to overlook the importance of having a presence elsewhere at the same time. You never know where you’re going to get the most traction down the road. You may think you’re getting good results where you are now, but you have no idea how many opportunities you…
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24Feb 2019 by Bob Cargill No Comments
You’ve Got to Work It on Social Media

You’ve Got to Work It on Social Media

Instagram, Social Media
It took K-pop star, Kang Daniel, only 11 hours and 36 minutes recently to attract a following of one million on Instagram. That was a Guinness World Record, eclipsing the previous record set by Pope Francis. I wouldn’t be able to build a following that big in a lifetime, never mind in half a day. And - likely - neither would you. Unless you’re a celebrity, a popular brand or someone who can afford a big advertising budget, there are no shortcuts to success on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and the like. It takes time, talent and tenacity to build a following on social media. You’ve got to share plenty of relevant, quality content on a regular basis to build enough of an audience to be successful on social…
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17Feb 2019 by Bob Cargill No Comments
When Social Media Catches Fire

When Social Media Catches Fire

Branding, Fyre Festival, Marketing, Social Media
No other media comes close to social media’s potential to build buzz almost instantaneously and amplify content to the point where it goes viral. I recently watched the Netflix documentary, “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened,” and found it to be as exasperating as it was entertaining. So many people were hurt in so many ways, especially financially and emotionally. Not only did a group of popular celebrity influencers promote Fyre Festival on social media, but music fans who shelled out big bucks to attend this epic flop used social media, too, to get the word out about their miserable experience there. Yup, social media can giveth and social media can taketh away. For better or worse, social media can catch fire. Use it with care. Use it for…
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12Jan 2019 by Bob Cargill
Selfies on Social Media

Selfies on Social Media

Branding, Marketing, Selfies, Social Media
Look all around you. Selfies are being taken everywhere. People are taking selfies at ballgames and concerts, at the beach and the dinner table, while parachuting and ziplining, in voting booths and business meetings. Selfies are ridiculously popular in the era we’re in, a time when technology and culture have collided to make sharing pictures online both easy and customary. Businesses and brands would be smart to capitalize on this trend, if they are not already. Selfies are a great way to engage not just your employees and colleagues, but your customers and prospects. Look all around you. Everybody likes selfies.
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26Dec 2018 by Bob Cargill
Will All Media Become Social Media?

Will All Media Become Social Media?

Media, Social Media
In the future, will all media be social media? That’s what some prognosticators say. I tend to agree with them. The Pew Research Center announced recently that social media had outranked print newspapers as a source of news for Americans. Such a momentous milestone not only illustrates the prevalence, popularity and power of social media today, it’s a warning sign of what’s to come to those businesses and brands who still aren’t up to speed with online communications channels such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and the like.
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24Nov 2018 by Bob Cargill
Rock Your Audience

Rock Your Audience

Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media
I recently saw a ridiculously awesome movie, Bohemian Rhapsody. You know the story. It's about the legendary rock band, Queen, and their late, great lead singer, Freddie Mercury. There's a scene in this movie in which the band is developing the idea for their song, "We Will Rock You." You know the song. They wanted to engage their audience. They wanted their fans to be part of that song. Watching that scene and listening to that song gave me a thought. As it was for Queen in playing that song, it is for all brand and businesses. You want to engage your audience. You want to involve them in whatever it is you do in some way, shape or form. You want to rock your audience.
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07Nov 2018 by Bob Cargill
Corporate Culture Counts

Corporate Culture Counts

Boston Red Sox, Business, Leadership, Motivation
The importance of having a good, positive culture in the workplace cannot be underestimated. The Boston Red Sox won 108 games during the regular season this year, the most in franchise history, and then cruised through the postseason to win their fourth World Series title since 2004. The Sox had to compete against plenty of other talented baseball teams in 2018, but perhaps none had the camaraderie and culture the Boston team had in their clubhouse. Maybe none had such a supportive, selfless manager like Alex Cora at the helm, either. Talent and skills aren’t always the determining factors in winning. Without the right culture instilled into the workplace, even the best teams – and businesses in general – can fall behind the competition. Without a strong leader installed at…
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