If We’re Talking about Social Media, We’re Talking about a Revolution

Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
Thanks to the crazy amount of time I spend talking to others about blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and the like, I've had plenty of opportunities to hear practically every reason in the book why some people still haven't jumped on the social media bandwagon. Many of these folks claim there aren't enough hours in the day for them to be spending any more time online, while others say they just don't understand how to use these new digital tools and technologies. My own personal theory is that a good percentage of these laggards and stragglers are more concerned about their privacy than they care to admit, afraid of revealing themselves so openly and publicly across the social web. But to all of these people, I don't know what to say…
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A Few Words with Victoria Smith about Music, Social Media and More

Facebook, Music, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
[caption id="attachment_3429" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Victoria Smith"][/caption] She’s a prolific songwriter and an incredibly passionate vocalist, a self-proclaimed “rock chick” with a warm, hungry heart. She’s as bold as she is sensitive, as rugged as she is tender. She’s Victoria Smith, a smart, sassy musician who makes it no secret that she plans to take the music world by storm. That’s what I wrote about my good friend and former colleague, Victoria Smith, for her official bio on her website. But you’re about to learn a lot more about her here on my blog. I’ve worked with Vickie, so I can vouch for her industriousness and ambition. She's a go-getter. I’ve seen her perform live, so I can tell you she’s a fantastic singer with a fabulous future ahead of her.…
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Presentation: 10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media

Business, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Media, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
I've said it before and I'll say it again... Social media isn’t rocket science, but it is a big departure for businesses, nonprofit organizations, brands and institutions that have been historically dependent on traditional methods of communicating with their constituents. So to help educate those who are new to using blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and the like for marketing, advertising, PR, publishing and networking purposes, here's a new presentation of mine based on a list of 10 ways to succeed in social media that I originally wrote and published as a series of blog posts. I invite you to view, download and share this presentation with your friends, colleagues and industry peers. And if you know anyone who might be interested in learning more about social media, I'm always…
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The Picture of New Marketing — Warby Parker

Branding, Business, Marketing, Twitter
[caption id="attachment_2891" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Photo Courtesy of Warby Parker"][/caption] You don’t have to look far to see the latest rage in eyewear. Turn on the TV. Flip through a magazine. Check out your colleagues. Take a poll of your friends. In the blink of an eye, it seems like everyone who wears glasses has jumped on the bandwagon and is now styling the new thicker, so-called hipster frames. Of course, many brands in the industry have responded to this new trend, but one company in particular has stood out to me in a big, positive way... That would be Warby Parker. I first learned about Warby Parker while watching NBC's The Today Show on May 25 of this year. Included in a segment about how eyewear has gone geek was a brief interview…
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The Picture of New Marketing — Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Business, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
I've been seeing the same physician in the same building in Wellesley for more than 20 years. And I've been happy -- very happy -- with the healthcare he and his colleagues have provided me with there at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates all that time. Some things never change. And that's a good thing. But what has changed over the years is how this group medical practice markets itself. And that's also a good thing. I can't honestly say I remember how they used to promote their services back in the day. But I've definitely taken note of their marketing activities of late. And maybe that's the point. Thanks to their blog (where they publish articles about everything from "Tips for Getting Ready for the School Year" to "Computer use and…
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My Blog Post on Video Series: 10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Business, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
If you're a content creator like me, someone who goes to great lengths to share your own knowledge and opinions via social media, you know how important it is to get the most mileage out of your original work. Frankly, I’m always thinking of new ways to leverage and repurpose my efforts. So as I was writing the posts in my “10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter" series, I’ll admit that I was thinking all along that they might lend themselves quite well to video. After all, I had already turned a number of blog posts into short clips that I had uploaded to YouTube, each of which featured me talking straight into the camera from a variety of different locations. I envisioned this series to be no different. What…
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Talking about Social Media at the Sudbury Social Tweetup

Advertising, Blogging, Business, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Media, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
I was very happy to co-host -- along with Phil Hollows -- the eighth Sudbury Social Tweetup last week. Phil and I started this series of networking events for people who are interested in social media in July of 2011, not really knowing what to expect. How many people would we attract? How often would we meet? What about an agenda? These were just a few of the questions we had at the time. But we're now more than up and running, hosting a gathering of about 10-15 people on the last Thursday of each month from 6-8 PM at Bistro 20 in Sudbury, Massachusetts. At the March 29 Tweetup, Ashley Hin treated the group to a fabulous presentation about Foursquare. And I had the opportunity to ask four of those…
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Hashtags in Advertising and Marketing

Advertising, Business, Direct Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter
This post was initially published on BostInno on March 21, 2012. To read the original post there, click here.  Advertising and marketing pros know how important it is to engage their constituents and entice them to take action. One way or another, it’s up to them to convince those on the receiving end of their messages to pick up the phone, mail in an order form, cut out a coupon, click on a link, visit a website, download an offer, attend an event or respond in some other way, shape or form… such as saying something on Twitter about their products and services. That’s right. Many brands are now going out of their way to get people to talk about them in 140 characters or less. And one way they’re doing…
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Confessions of an Aspiring Social Media Superhero, Part Two

Blogging, Business, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter
This is second and final installment of "Confessions of an Aspiring Social Media Superhero." Part One of my Q & A with Joe Kyle was published on this blog yesterday... [caption id="attachment_2218" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Joe Kyle, Aspiring Social Media Superstar"][/caption] I met Joe Kyle for the first time in September of last year. After talking about social media over lunch, we agreed to stay in touch and provide assistance to one another when the opportunity arose. I asked Joe a few questions recently about social media, marketing and his ambitions at this juncture in his career. Here's the second part of our Q & A... Bob: What do you think are some of the biggest benefits of using social media? Joe: Well, it’s the fastest form of media we have.…
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