SXSW: Geek Spring Break or Great Business Opportunity?

I debated whether or not writing something about SXSW Interactive was even relevant for me, but then realized a lot of the people that read this blog are at the conference as I write this. The most-asked question about SXSWi is, is it “Geek Spring Break,” or as Christopher S. Penn puts it, the “single best opportunity to ruin your personal brand,” or is it a valuable business prospecting and networking opportunity? Too many good friends insist on the latter, while the people who make it the former are probably wasting their (or their employers’, or clients’) money and time. The best representation is probably this snide column from Paul Carr of TechCrunch, who looks down on SXSW and its attendees while also panning to lead a session there.

As I see it, the choice is yours, Mr/Ms Attendee. What do you think?

How to Find Out How the Pros Use Twitter

Ask them. Leave it to an original thinker like Justin Kownacki to come up with a new method for discovering information. I might try that more often. What is most interesting from the answers to the questions Justin asked to a number of Twitter power users (myself included, which is why I’m trying not to use the word “influencers” he does) is that it gives a little insight s to why having a lot of Twitter followers is (mostly) a good thing. We see so many schemes advertised to build up a Twitter following, but not enough about how to use it. As for me, it’s great to have a greater potential of touchpoints thanks to an expanded Twitter network, and the meaningful relationships that come out of this network, while a very small percentage, come in greater number as a result.

Blogs Over Twitter for Content? You Don’t Say?

Actually, venture capitalist David Hornik says it. I agree that one of Twitter’s best primary uses is as a way to point out more substantive content, not merely as content itself. And while blogs may be better search engine fodder than Tweets, as Hornik points out, I wouldn’t go so far to dismiss Twitter as search engine bait. I speak as someone whose Twitter page ranks sixth on Google for a very common word (as of this writing), and has been as high as second. As we have seen, Twitter has only been showing up more as search engines add more “real-time features, making prolific Tweeting a very important part of an overall search dominance plan.

Will There be a Concerted Move to Get Companies to Stop Blocking Social Networks?

I don’t know, but B.L. Ochman has another in her fine series of social media lists, “Five Reasons Why Companies Should Not Block Employee Access to Social Networks. Read the whole post here, but the five reasons listed briefly are:

1. Resistance is futile.
2. Don’t assume people won’t find other ways to waste time.
3. Social networks actually can make workers more productive.
4. You’ll miss great ideas.
5. Employees are much more trustworthy than companies think.

The fears that B.L. tries to push back on here are actually understandable, but the last point is key: trust. A little trust brings back goo returns- or may be a better way to flush out rotten employees who abuse the privilege of access (let’s be real, it’s not really a right, is it?), who might be otherwise skating by on less visible poor work and behaviors.

Worth mentioning here is the effort is the StopBlocking.org site, a longer-range effort to outlined the case for remove barriers to social media use in the workplace, spearheaded by Shel Holtz.

For Immediate Release, Here I Come

Speaking of Shel Holtz, I will be co-hosting the communications/PR/social media/etc. podcast “For Immediate Release” with Shel, taking over for an absent Neville Hobson, on Thursday, March 18. This is the granddaddy of all PR podcasts, one that has inspired so many others (including “PRobecast” during my Topaz Partners days).  To say I am looking forward to this is an understatement.

Me with Neville Hobson in 2008, plotting ways to usurp his share of the FIR throne

While putting together some points regarding corporate use of social media, the phrase “giving a s***” entered my head, rather than the social media bromides so many of us throw into documents. As I often do, I threw out my unusable phrase in case I entertained anyone, and it turns out several wanted to jump in with suggestions. The results, while some were tongue in cheek, were interesting. I didn’t intend to get answers, but sometimes you just do; or, you throw a rock in the pond, you’re gonna get ripples. (this Twitter search result reads newest result down to oldest):

Facebook URLs in Ads- The ”New Way” or Fad?

Edelman’s Steve Rubel points out the emerging trend of companies adding Facebook fan page URLS to their advertising, and raises the question, are the  on-domain URLS dying in terms of advertising. Steve seems to doubt it, and I definitely do. Facebook remains hot and may be for a long time to come, but the hunger for more control– moving campaigns, even those extending to Facebook, back to the main Web domain, will likely re-emerge fairly quickly.

It will be interesting to see how these Facebook URL ad campaigns work out though.

Marketers Don’t Want to Hear Buzzwords (“Social Media”), but They Do Want to Invest in Them.

Courtesy of Andy Beal’s Marketing Pilgrim, I saw that a poll by the Marketing Executives’ Network showed more than half of marketers are sick of buzzwords like “Social Media,” “Twitter”a nd “Social Networking,” but nearly 75% intend to invest more in it. While that makes for a fun, possibly ironic juxtaposition (in fact, Andy’s punchline is that the thing these buzzword-hating marketers want most out of social media is — ROI!), I see it more as people straining (in a good way) to see the business value as they seek to make these investments, rather than making knee-jerk responses to popular new-marketing-speak. Am I a killjoy in thinking this? Does that make sense to you? Feel free to comment and take this further.

Reconsidering your “Social Media Playlist”

When I look for material to comment on and make me think, I wonder if I am just spinning tires by reading the “usual suspects” of social media blogging. Amy Mengel has wrestled with a similar question, and decided to redesign her reading around a smaller number of “big picture” and “trend” resources. I don’t think I’ll go the same way, but it does make me think there is a solution to “social media blog burnout.”

My approach may point in a different direction– I find more diverse reading material in the Shared Items (in Google Reader) of my friends, many of whom are these so-called social media bloggers. Yes, use the hard work these people do in their own reading to lessen my dependence on their own blogs. Brilliant. Keep sharing, folks.

What Really Makes Us Stupider? Google? Hmm?

This opinion piece in my local paper on Google and stupidity, and however you want to frame it, illustrates two things for me.

First, that headline writers need to be eliminated or reeducated somehow. In this case, “Google is Making Us More Stupider” led me to think it would be a tirade against how those interwebs are making us dumb, but it was instead a tongue-in0cheek (but too subtle) jab at the people who conclude such things. How many great stories for PR clients have been ruined by a “clever” headline that subverts the story?

Second, it shows that people perhaps are not being fooled by the idiocy that posits that the Internet is making us dumb. Stupid is stupid. We don’t need Google’s help.

Nice Guys Finish Last… Because They Stop to EAT YOUR LUNCH- YEEEAAAHHH!

Peter Shankman makes a great case for “nice guys.” The idea that you have to be a jerk to be strong pervades a a lot of industries and companies, and it is good to see people come out on the other side.

In a dozen years in public relations, I have seen too many people fall sucker to the belief that being loud and obnoxious (I guess you can still be “nice” in that case) is the only way to succeed. Of course, if you are obnoxious AND good, I’ll take it (to a point).

Now, about that phrase “Nice guys finish last.” Let’s replace that last word, shall we?

Nice guys finish:

• what a**holes started
• what others can’t
• with the help of the friends they made
• _________ (your idea here)

Flickr Photo by Ravages

I, among many others, get sick of the same people talking about the same things, linking to each other’s posts, and generally turning the echo chamber into an eardrum-ripping feedback loop.

However…

However, at the same time that doesn’t mean don’t link to your friends if their content strikes your fancy and you find it worthy of commentary. To wit:

Christopher Penn on Why Your Personal Brand Sucks

I like Chris because he has a no-BS attitude and eschews the rosy optimism that some of us portray  in the social media business. “Sucky” personal brands, says Chris, are the ones that try to “clone” others in their space.

So here I am, linking to his post.

Actually, I think about this a lot. There is no point in emulating others and what they say. I’d rather take the good stuff and just use it in my work (thanks!).  So, if I don’t do three brilliant ocial media-type blog posts in a week (hey, I was busy), I don’t worry. Read Chris Brogan or someone.

On the other hand, I don’t fuss if I’m not sure a post is up to snuff. I post it that’s me, and you’ll tell me if my stuff stinks.

Peter Kim on What Happened to Liveblogging?

This is exactly what I meant by the “not sure” post. Hasn’t the idea of liveblogging being replaced by “live-Tweeting” been played out for a while? The thing is, this transformation occurred afresh to Peter at a recent show– and it’s an entirely honest and (still) current topic. Worthy of commentary.

And yes, live-Tweeting and other media have made liveblogging obsolete, it seems. It’s a question of platform, not the activity itself.

Chris Brogan Says Stop Talking About Yourself

I say, ignore him, that’s silly. The thing is, Chris has a great point that is better stated as “be generous.” But I wouldn’t frame it the way Chris did. We need to talk about ourselves (or our own businesses). That’s our only legitimate point of view (even journalists must admit this applies to them in a way).

When I raise money to fight cancer (at http://bit.ly/PMC2010, by the way), I frame it selfishly– my bike ride, my goals, my experiences- that’s what I know. When I talk about my work- social media- I can only discuss what I have done or learned.

Talk about yourself. Serve others.

Scott Monty on SeaWorld’s Crisis Response

Why try to be some “social media expert” about something like the PR/social media issues around the recent SeaWorld tragedy, when someone like Scott Monty has already done all the work? Plus, in his role at Ford, he could easily be sitting in the same position the SeaWorld folks are in now. It’s his job. Read the post, and think what might happen when, heaven forbid, something happens with Ford products

Let’s Go All the Way and Link to Myself

I’m glad to say that the MEdia Bullseye Radio Roundtable is back in production, and three episodes in, I have joined the rotating group of co-hosts with regular host Jen Zingsheim, speaking with Kelly Crane about ABC News, Twitter ads, and firing clients. Have a listen at the site, or:

Click here to listen directly.

Wow, I think I like this Mark mobile Android app for posting to WordPress. I shall experiment more, though.

UPDATE: Gotta watch the autocorrect spelling on my phone– has a mind of its won sometimes, though it is mostly helpful

Buzz, Bizz-Buzz (Buzzi?)…

So, there’s a lot of talk about Google Buzz online– are they going after Twitter? Facebook? (Personally, I think maybe they can finish off Jaiku if they want to try). Why should I even bother writing about it? I, like many longtime social media users, have been baffled by the stream of Google Buzz buzziness. But here’s the thing– I know the people in the stream– so far– the only problem is the volume of sameness– a lot of friends with similar interests are talking about the same things.

Google may not need to knock off Twitter for Buzz to succeed. What I think will make it work for me is looking at Google’s services  holistically. How does it integrate with GMail, Google Reader, shared items and other services? Right now it’s brutal and confusing, but it is early. Considering how most of us greeted Twitter with hostility before becoming rabid fans, I’m going to wait and watch.

Another thing- people told me to turn off Buzz– no way! It’s easy to ignore for the most part, the network builds itself (since I already use GMail and have a Google account that goes with it). I really don’t have to do anything if I don’t want to.

Forrester Blogging Policy  and Intellectual Property

Forrester’s policy explained.

A great take from Shel Holtz, who disagrees with the policy.

While I’m at it, former Forrester analyst Peter Kim.

As someone who has blogged personally for some time on issues related to work, while simultaneously having an official work blog to contribute to, I was intrigued by Forrester Research’s new policy: no more blogs by analysts on work topics outside of the Forrester domain. Forrester has a right to keep a rein on its IP, and conceivably it is less confusing for Forrester followers and clients if the topical posts are all in one place. It also, I assume, could hedge against the personal brand-building that could, I suppose, detract from the Forrester brand (I don’t see it that way).

Like Shel, I think reining in the off-domain posts shuts out a potential new audience from being exposed to the big Forrester brains. I’m not sure this policy is a reaction to the departures of high profile analysts with their own independent blogs (like Jeremiah Owyang), but I don’t necessarily think having an independent blog is a reason people like him move on. Certainly not the sole reason.

Local Blogs and Anonymous Comments

Dan Kennedy, whose “Media Nation” blog is not purely local, however spotlights an issue that should be watched closely by hyperlocal bloggers and news outlets. He finally decided to put an end to the plague of anonymous commenters. Many of the “anons” could reasonably be called trolls. My question: for pure-play local sites, why tolerate anonymity at all? Aren’t we participating in communities of which we are physically parts? Bravo to Dan, though I understand some of the “trolls’ (not his word as far as I know) have simply continued to thrash in comments under their real names. Don’t hide your light under a bushel, I guess.

How We use (Wicked Smaht) Mobile Phones

In short- we check social networking sites a lot, spend more time on news and games, according to this story in Mashable quoting mobile analytics company Flurry.

Is this how I use my phone? Definitely not. Social networking and productivity are up top, news is a lot farther down, entertainment is a small part of my use (could increase) and I  don;t play games at all. But it will be interesting to see how these numbers change over time. With my Droid (this survey was conducted among Droid and iPhone users), my ability to stay connected through all my channels is as complete as ever, with the full computer used for more intensive applications (otherwise, I barely need it at all- but I’m not going to go so far as to say the phone is our computer- yet).

The Consequences of Unsubscribing (Funny)

Courtesy of Gregg Pollack via Twitter, this is a funny example of a creative unsubscribe Web page, designed to entertain the email subscriber and perhaps make them think twice about tuning out:

My first post on Voce Communication’s Voce Nation blog is up– and has some thoughts on the continued need for basic (“101″) social media tutorials. The thoughts came from me after attending LaunchCamp in Cambridge, Mass. last week. The trick is to prepare the crowd (which I thought Todd Van Hoosear and Chuck Tanowitz, the organizers did) so that expectations are set. In this case, some folks apparently expected more, which they got in the afternoon session.

Please read more of my post at Voce Nation. Also, here are the morning “101″ presentations, courtesy of Skip Bensley of Brilliant Video Productions. Kudos to Skip for getting these up so quickly!

Viewing note: each session is a little under 30 minutes.

John Wall on the Three Factors of Startup Success from Brilliant Video Productions on Vimeo.

Jeff Cutler The 3 Cs of Social Part 1: Content from Brilliant Video Productions on Vimeo.

Jim Storer and Rachel Happe The 3 Cs of Social, Part 2: Community from Brilliant Video Productions on Vimeo.

Doug Haslam The 3 Cs of Social, Part 3: Conversation from Brilliant Video Productions on Vimeo.

I don’t want your Phone app

I have seen a rash of custom iPhone apps, announced and/or realized, for specific content feeds. Two of them are from folks I consider friends and industry colleagues: C.C. Chapman, and Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson of the For Immediate Release podcast. Having an iPhone (or Droid, or Blackberry) app is all the rage, and I understand the appeal of, say, having a single place for someone to get all of your content. The problem for me is that I don’t want five or 10 or 27 separate applications for each separate source of content- I want one that aggregates all the feeds from all the sources- a podcatcher for podcasts, and, yes, and RSS reader (I’m not of the opinion that people won;t use RSS, but firmly believe that people will continue to use them heavily without ever necessarily understanding what they are). If you create a branded vanity app that will do all that, count me in.

Christopher Penn (congrats on the new gig at Blue Sky Factory by the way), has his own interesting take on the dangers of too many apps.

Flickr Photo by Erik Mallinson

Is Facebook the New AOL?

Steve Rubel has a post speculating that Facebook could “eat the web.” I interpreted this as Facebook becoming a new AOL, an easy way to use the Web for the less technologically-savvy. Steve does make the AOL comparison near the end of his post. There is a risk in putting all your eggs in the Facebook Web, though, and I don’t think I would recommend that. There is also a risk in the AOL comparison- AOL started as THE way to get on the Web for a time, then became a “starter Internet” for people like my parents, but has been left behind (in the Internet access business anyway) as people became more savvy. Facebook is a pretty closed, tight ship- how long will people really take to it as their “Internet” in this form?

Thank You, Don Dodge, New Mac User

I have Tweeted lately about my recent conversion to Macs, courtesy of my new employer, Voce Communications. I haven’t seen fit to detail my feelings after only a week of Mac-hood, but Don Dodge has. The former Microsoft star, now with Google, posted his reactions after making the switch. I second that emotion.

Mark Cuban Defines Reality. Welcome to the 21st Century

His main point in this post is that search engine indexes do not have to be comprehensive- your business does not have to be there if something else works. My point is that Cuban’s posts like this one are fast becoming must-reads, from a guy who isn’t afraid to make unpopular statements while avoiding the absolutism of some of the counter-arguments. I’m not going to root for the Mavericks, though.

New Yorker vs. New York Times over Twitter

I first saw this New York Times piece in which Nick Bilton takes on George Packer’s criticism of Twitter in The New Yorker. I saw it as a swipe against someone who “didn’t get it,” a old fogey whose enjoyment of train rides betrays the idea that 100 years ago he would have been railing against these new-fangled transport-machines. Then I read Packer’s piece. He seems to be less worried about Twitter than the general feeling that there is always something more interesting going on, enabled by our Crackberries, than what you are working on at any given moment. I’d ask Packer to reconsider his dismissal of Twitter, too, but his pleas do make more sense than the kneejerk reactions to them.

As the Society for New Communications Research announced this morning, I have joined an otherwise impressive group of new research fellows at SNCR.

Don’t believe me about the impressive list of fellows? Look here: http://sncr.org/fellows/.

The official description of SNCR is below. It is sufficient for me to say that I have benefitted from attending the SNCR Symposium in Boston every year, and am looking forward to becoming a more active contributor. It is an honor to be selected, and I want to thank the SNCR organization for selecting me to join this group.

In the coming year, I will be working with my friends and colleagues Todd Van Hoosear of Fresh Ground Communications, and John Cass of Pace Communications on a research project taking a look at the culture of social media across the enterprise, beyond the marketing and communications functions.

First Voce Communications takes me on, now this. I don’t think Groucho would be pleased

About the Society for New Communications Research

The Society for New Communications Research is a global nonprofit 501(c)(3) research and education foundation and think tank focused on the advanced study of the latest developments in new media and communications. SNCR is dedicated to creating a bridge between the academic and theoretical pursuit of these topics and the pragmatic implementation of new media and communications tools and methodologies.