One of the most common objections heard from businesses considering social media is that “people will say bad things about our brand.” When hearing this, marketers often politely remind the boss or client that these conversations about the brand – … Read More →

I have a big head. Not in the sense that I am particularly arrogant but in the literal sense that I have a larger noggin than most. That’s why when shopping for hats I’m often skeptical of labels promising that … Read More →

Recently my friend John Morgan, author of Brand Against the Machine, received a direct message calling him a diva on Twitter for not following someone back. When John talked about this on Google+, I noted that I have a similar … Read More →

Fun fact about me: I actually have a little bit of background in improvisational comedy. There was even a time when I was part of a group that would perform improv in bars in the Iowa City area for little … Read More →

When talking about new media marketing, our focus is often social media, which quickly gravitates to what’s newest such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+. While social media use is indeed on the rise, there are other, older siblings of social … Read More →

Lately I’ve heard several marketers woefully admit to a guilty pleasure. They like email marketing. For shame! First of all, email has nothing to do with Pinterest. Second, employing email in your marketing mix won’t impact your Klout score. Finally, … Read More →

No one responds when I post. We don’t get any comments. I don’t think anyone is listening. If there’s one question I hear the most it’s a variant on these. The sheepish and dreaded admission that their social activity or … Read More →

This photo isn’t my garden. In fact, I hate gardening. I just didn’t get the “love of the land” yardwork gene, which is surprising as both of my parents have it. As farm kids in the city, they were eager … Read More →

Recently I shared how everything I know about blogging I learned from advertising. As a companion piece, I think its equally worth noting the engagement lessons for Facebook and Twitter that you can learn from email marketing. Often forgotten as … Read More →

Everyone’s a marketer. I found myself saying this recently while meeting with a client who is the executive director of a local non-profit. They struggle with being one of the area’s “best kept secrets.” We were talking about educating the … Read More →