10 Boston Restaurants Crushing it on Twitter

Boston, Branding, Business, Marketing, Restaurants, Social Media
It’s one thing to be able to serve great food. It’s quite another to be able to show off those dishes in words and pictures on Twitter so well that your followers like your tweets almost as much as your eats. That’s the irony of marketing a restaurant in this day and age. As if it’s not enough to be considered one of the best places to go for a bite to eat in town. Now they have to have the popularity on social media to prove it. Okay. Maybe that’s a stretch, but the importance of displaying their menus everywhere people are congregating online today cannot be underestimated. More and more potential customers are stalking their every move not just on the grapevine, but on a bevy of newfangled…
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17 Vine Videos of 125 Places to Get a Bite to Eat in the Boston Area

Boston, Vine
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to explore the nooks and crannies of Boston with my wife, Barbara. Walking around town is one of our favorite things to do together. My friends and family also know how much I love social media. Using the Internet to connect and communicate with others has been a passion of mine long before it became a thing for practically everyone. Facebook. Twitter. YouTube. You name it, I’m on it. And that includes Vine, an app which allows its 40 million users to easily record six-second looping videos and share them with the world. How do I use Vine along the course of my travels? In a number of different ways, all of which you’ll be able to see if you take…
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Twitter Guide to Newspapers, Magazines, TV and Radio Stations in the Boston Area

Boston, Media, Social Media, Twitter
Okay, native Bostonians -- and those of you, like me, who are truly, madly, deeply in love with this wicked cool city -- step right up. This guide's for you. Of course, you don't need me to tell you that there are countless ways to stay enlightened, educated and entertained via traditional media around this town. You know the drill. You know which newspapers and magazines to read. You know which TV and radio stations to tune into when you want to catch up or chill out. But do you know where those very same publishers and disseminators of content live on Twitter? Do you know their handles? Do you know what they're saying and sharing in 140 characters or less? That's why I put together this guide. It's designed…
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I’m Proud to Be Running the Boston Marathon for Christopher’s Haven

Boston, Boston Marathon, Fundraising
The 2014 Boston Marathon will be extra special for me. The victims of last year’s bombings will be on my mind every step of the way, but so will the kids who stay at Christopher’s Haven, "a home for kids when cancer hits home." To support my participation in the Boston Marathon this year and give to Christopher's Haven, please visit my fundraising page here, where you can make a secure online donation. Or you can donate by check — just make it payable to Christopher’s Haven and mail it to me at 33 Oakwood Avenue, Sudbury, MA 01776. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support.
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How Over 100 Boston-Area Restaurants Use Twitter

Boston, Restaurants, Social Media, Twitter
You've probably heard of them. You may even have been to them. But do you follow them on Twitter? They are the over 100 different restaurants in the Boston area that you will find tweeting about eating that are included in a list I created recently on Twitter. From a great gastropub like Deep Ellum to a classic steakhouse like Abe & Louie's, a legendary sports bar like the Cask 'n Flagon to a highly acclaimed Italian bistro like Figs, they’re some of the most popular restaurants around, places you can count on for good food and good times. In this Twitter list, you can read what these restaurants are up to in 140 characters or less. You can learn more about their menus, their specials, their personalities and their…
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Not Just Another Boston Marathon

Boston, Boston Marathon
For me, the day started out like any other Patriots’ Day on which I’ve run the Boston Marathon, but it ended not with the anticipated feelings of joy and accomplishment. Instead, I went to sleep that night restless, worried and overwhelmed by a sense of sadness and shock over the two devastating bombs that had exploded near the finish line on Boylston Street. It was going to be the 11th time I had run this historic race, my eighth time for charity, so the routine was familiar to me. Little did I know at the time that this would not be just another Boston Marathon. I woke up early, ate a good breakfast and made sure I had everything I needed for the long day ahead. I was proud to…
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I’m Running the 2013 Boston Marathon for Christopher’s Haven

Boston, Boston Marathon, Fundraising
I’ve done it before and I’m doing it again. I’m running the Boston Marathon for Christopher’s Haven. On April 15, 2013, I’ll be making another historic, heralded 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston on behalf of the Boston-based nonprofit organization that bills itself as “a home for kids when cancer hits home.” The first time I ran the Boston Marathon for charity was in 1996, when I went the distance as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team. Altogether, I’ve run Boston 10 times so far, seven times for charity and three times as an unofficial entrant without a number. I’ve always loved running, ever since I was a kid. Over the years, I’ve run hundreds of road races, including 13 marathons, 10 half marathons, the Falmouth Road Race…
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20 Boston Media People to Follow on Twitter

Boston, Business, Media, Social Media, Twitter
This post was initially published on BostInnovation on August 16, 2011. To read the original post there, click here. From print journalists to TV news reporters, disc jockeys to talk show hosts, almost everyone on the local media scene is using Twitter nowadays to forge deeper relationships with their readers, viewers and listeners. That’s not to say they’re not promoting their own work via this increasingly popular social media platform. But they’re also winning favor among their constituency for being surprisingly approachable and responsive, giving time and attention to as many of their followers as possible. To say that this is a big change in how those in the business of mass communications interact with their fans would be an understatement. This is a monumental paradigm shift. The audience is now talking back…
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4 Lessons Marketers Can Learn from Local TV News Reporters

4 Lessons Marketers Can Learn from Local TV News Reporters

Branding, Marketing, Social Media
This post was initially published on BostInnovation on July 28, 2011. To read the original post there, click here. Today – thanks to social media, smartphones and other new digital communications platforms and tools – what the savviest of consumers are asking of their favorite brands is almost as much as they’d expect from their best friends and family. They want your time, support and undivided attention – and they want it at their convenience. It’s not just due to modern technology, though. It’s a bold, new sense of entitlement that’s been enthusiastically adopted by those on the receiving end of your messages. In this era in which the corporation has ceded control – albeit reluctantly – to the customer, businesses can’t afford to be seen as out of touch, behind…
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