http://www.odeo.com/channels/1280-Marketing-Edge AlbertMaruggi no The Marketing Edge, one of the longest running marketing and public relations podcasts. The Marketing Edge, one of the longest running marketing and public relations podcasts. The original marketing podcast. Thoughtful commentary, advice and insight on marketing, public relations, podcasting and communication from Albert Maruggi, a veteran of radio, television, politics and the corporate world. en 40 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:49:39 -0700 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:49:39 -0700 Marketing http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25369452-Is-This-Social-Media-or-Word-of-Mouth I’m not sure how to categorize this video example as social media or word of mouth, help. Find more videos like this on Provident Partners Social Sandbox I’m not sure how to categorize this video example as social media or word of mouth, help. Find more videos like this on Provident Partners Social Sandbox I’m not sure how to categorize this video example as social media or word of mouth, help. Find more videos like this on Provident Partners Social Sandbox tag:odeo.com,2009-10-25,25369452 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:49:39 -0700 no Marketing Edge social media, focus group, siblings, wom http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25300565-Swedish-Covenant-Chicago-%E2%80%93-A-Thoughtful-Social-Media-Approach Time 23:38 This Marketing Edge podcast focuses on health care and includes an interview with Leigh Ginther director of marketing and public relations of Swedish Covenant hospital in Chicago. Ginther describes the logic, strategy and resources they used to create Swedish Covenant social media programs. Ginther also discusses how they identified resources of physicians to blog and deliver unique content that attracts patients. They spent some months learning the communities first and aligned those that were most active online with the appropriate service lines Nurse and Midwifery Weight, Nutrition and Lifestyle Management Pediatrics They also have program geared to general hospital offerings and awareness. We get into the details, but nonetheless practical issues of resource allocations for social media programs and whether it helps achieve the hospital’s goals. HEALTHCAMP MINNESOTA - Come On Down October 24 . Social Media No Slam Dunk for Health Care Along with all the hype and hypes... Time 23:38 This Marketing Edge podcast focuses on health care and includes an interview with Leigh Ginther director of marketing and public relations of Swedish Covenant hospital in Chicago. Ginther describes the logic, strategy and resources they used to create Swedish Covenant social media programs. Ginther also discusses how they identified resources of physicians to blog and deliver unique content that attracts patients. They spent some months learning the communities first and aligned those that were most active online with the appropriate service lines Nurse and Midwifery Weight, Nutrition and Lifestyle Management Pediatrics They also have program geared to general hospital offerings and awareness. We get into the details, but nonetheless practical issues of resource allocations for social media programs and whether it helps achieve the hospital’s goals. HEALTHCAMP MINNESOTA - Come On Down October 24 . Social Media No Slam Dunk for Health Care Along with all the hype and hypesters attempting to apply social media to anything that breathes, health care in many cases, is a cautious participant, taking time to evaluate what it means to be social. While other industries can dip there toe in the water, a subjective opinion about a big screen TV isn’t going to kill me, health care opinions can have consequences. Checking a box once you create a Facebook Fan Page does not a social media strategy make. HealthCamp Minnesota is a conference on Saturday, October 24 that will discuss the consequences of social media, technology, and ailment communities in healthcare. In many cases there are clear benefits, however it’s not that simple. Is our culture ready to take the time to learn about preventative care? Is rating a doctor something a patient can do accurately beyond beside manner without any medical knowledge? Will medical devices come to market quicker because companies are interacting with social ailment communities? If yes, somebody better tell FDA. Health care is a complex topic involving the legitimate differences about the interpretation of scientific evidence and the emotional pull of life and death. One of the keynote speakers at HealthCamp Minnesota is Rachele Chrismer who will share an inspirational story about her son’s diagnosis of Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy which took her to 7 different states, many false hopes, and dozens of hours of research. Lee Aase manager of syndications and social media for the Mayo Clinic will open the program with an overview of the behind the scenes impact social media has had at the Mayo Clinic. Panel members from Blue Cross Blue Shield, AbbeyMoor Medical, Fairview, IHC Health Solutions, CG3 Consulting, Health Grades, and the National Marrow Donor Program, among others. This is a camp format which means the attendees will be encouraged to contribute to the dialogue of each panel. Register for the program here. There is also a welcoming reception for attendees on Friday evening, Time 23:38 This Marketing Edge podcast focuses on health care and includes an interview with Leigh Ginther director of marketing and public relations of Swedish Covenant hospital in Chicago. Ginther describes the logic, strategy and resources they used to create Swedish Covenant social media programs. Ginther also discusses how they identified resources of physicians to blog and deliver unique content that attracts patients. They spent some months learning the communities first and aligned those that were most active online with the appropriate service lines Nurse and Midwifery Weight, Nutrition and Lifestyle Management Pediatrics They also have program geared to general hospital offerings and awareness. We get into the details, but nonetheless practical issues of resource allocations for social media programs and whether it helps achieve the hospital’s goals. HEALTHCAMP MINNESOTA - Come On Down October 24 . Social Media No Slam Dunk for Health Care Along with all the hype and hypesters attempting to apply social media to anything that breathes, health care in many cases, is a cautious participant, taking time to evaluate what it means to be social. While other industries can dip there toe in the water, a subjective opinion about a big screen TV isn’t going to kill me, health care opinions can have consequences. Checking a box once you create a Facebook Fan Page does not a social media strategy make. HealthCamp Minnesota is a conference on Saturday, October 24 that will discuss the consequences of social media, technology, and ailment communities in healthcare. In many cases there are clear benefits, however it’s not that simple. Is our culture ready to take the time to learn about preventative care? Is rating a doctor something a patient can do accurately beyond beside manner without any medical knowledge? Will medical devices come to market quicker because companies are interacting with social ailment communities? If yes, somebody better tell FDA. Health care is a complex topic involving the legitimate differences about the interpretation of scientific evidence and the emotional pull of life and death. One of the keynote speakers at HealthCamp Minnesota is Rachele Chrismer who will share an inspirational story about her son’s diagnosis of Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy which took her to 7 different states, many false hopes, and dozens of hours of research. Lee Aase manager of syndications and social media for the Mayo Clinic will open the program with an overview of the behind the scenes impact social media has had at the Mayo Clinic. Panel members from Blue Cross Blue Shield, AbbeyMoor Medical, Fairview, IHC Health Solutions, CG3 Consulting, Health Grades, and the National Marrow Donor Program, among others. This is a camp format which means the attendees will be encouraged to contribute to the dialogue of each panel. Register for the program here. There is also a welcoming reception for attendees on Friday evening, tag:odeo.com,2009-10-16,25300565 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:35:11 -0700 no Marketing Edge social media, blogs, healthcare, Health Care, hospitals on Twitter, hospitals on Facebook, ailment communities http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25271266-Two-New-Perspectives-for-Business Time 29:43 A couple of observations about how last century’s business structure needs to change to benefit from the changes in the market brought about by the social web. 1) Coopetition to Community Coopetition is the word coined for companies that decide to share expenses for in which areas they do not have competitive advantages or perhaps will jointly provide specific and not overlapping functions for a project. Social media exposes all kinds of talent online, plus a public discussion of the issues. Now competitors readily learn, copy, share, and engage each other. Or course there is still competition, but now more than I’ve seen in the last century, there is a greater concern for the community as a whole. Companies are shaping their business models to be flexible to address customer needs. Examples of this are the Social Media Breakfast , Social Media Club, and the Unsummit Conference. Observation – No matter the size of your company, be flexible enough to meet customer happines... Time 29:43 A couple of observations about how last century’s business structure needs to change to benefit from the changes in the market brought about by the social web. 1) Coopetition to Community Coopetition is the word coined for companies that decide to share expenses for in which areas they do not have competitive advantages or perhaps will jointly provide specific and not overlapping functions for a project. Social media exposes all kinds of talent online, plus a public discussion of the issues. Now competitors readily learn, copy, share, and engage each other. Or course there is still competition, but now more than I’ve seen in the last century, there is a greater concern for the community as a whole. Companies are shaping their business models to be flexible to address customer needs. Examples of this are the Social Media Breakfast , Social Media Club, and the Unsummit Conference. Observation – No matter the size of your company, be flexible enough to meet customer happiness, sometimes you have the answer and sometimes not. 2) Customer Participation The hierarchical nature of old style corporate marketing is transforming to something in which the customer is a participant. In the last century marketing was the four Ps, product, price, promotion, and placement. Today I’d say marketing is about, Incompleteness – it’s acceptable and beneficial to ask a community to finish a product eg. Ford Fiesta. Responsiveness – this can be a simple acknowledgement on a blog post or a full fledged policy change as a result of conversations Joint Ownership – creativity is when programs are absorbed by a community and then turned into something of their creation. Recognition – when companies are paying attention to their online champions, it’s best to recognize them, a tweet, a coupon, an invitation; it’s good in a relationship to be appreciative. In this podcast I get into these issues more deeply. I chat with Jennifer Milano, Jet Blue frequent flyer who was excited by the Jet Blue All You Can Jet Pass. So excited she created the blog Where We Jet which attracted Jet Blue customers taking advantage of this program that allowed passengers to jet anywhere the airline flew for $599 from September 8 through October 8 Jet Blue corporate remained hands off, but certainly supportive of the effort and the quickly growing number of customers using the site to learn about places to fly, meeting up with other travel fans and to share stories and pictures throughout the period. In an appropriate side story, Jennifer’s efforts were acknowledged in many media outlets and the travel site Kayak astutely made Jennifer an offer to lead their social media strategy. All’s right with the world because Jennifer aspired to work at Kayak, a site she frequently used and admired of the company. Good things happen to good people. Twitterville Winner Gerard Tannam of the branding firm Island Bridge in Dublin, Ireland is the winner of the Shel Israel book Twitterville. We did a couple of podcasts with Shel in September. Part 1 and Part 2 It’s on the way Gerard, be on the lookout, thanks for listening. Enjoy. Time 29:43 A couple of observations about how last century’s business structure needs to change to benefit from the changes in the market brought about by the social web. 1) Coopetition to Community Coopetition is the word coined for companies that decide to share expenses for in which areas they do not have competitive advantages or perhaps will jointly provide specific and not overlapping functions for a project. Social media exposes all kinds of talent online, plus a public discussion of the issues. Now competitors readily learn, copy, share, and engage each other. Or course there is still competition, but now more than I’ve seen in the last century, there is a greater concern for the community as a whole. Companies are shaping their business models to be flexible to address customer needs. Examples of this are the Social Media Breakfast , Social Media Club, and the Unsummit Conference. Observation – No matter the size of your company, be flexible enough to meet customer happiness, sometimes you have the answer and sometimes not. 2) Customer Participation The hierarchical nature of old style corporate marketing is transforming to something in which the customer is a participant. In the last century marketing was the four Ps, product, price, promotion, and placement. Today I’d say marketing is about, Incompleteness – it’s acceptable and beneficial to ask a community to finish a product eg. Ford Fiesta. Responsiveness – this can be a simple acknowledgement on a blog post or a full fledged policy change as a result of conversations Joint Ownership – creativity is when programs are absorbed by a community and then turned into something of their creation. Recognition – when companies are paying attention to their online champions, it’s best to recognize them, a tweet, a coupon, an invitation; it’s good in a relationship to be appreciative. In this podcast I get into these issues more deeply. I chat with Jennifer Milano, Jet Blue frequent flyer who was excited by the Jet Blue All You Can Jet Pass. So excited she created the blog Where We Jet which attracted Jet Blue customers taking advantage of this program that allowed passengers to jet anywhere the airline flew for $599 from September 8 through October 8 Jet Blue corporate remained hands off, but certainly supportive of the effort and the quickly growing number of customers using the site to learn about places to fly, meeting up with other travel fans and to share stories and pictures throughout the period. In an appropriate side story, Jennifer’s efforts were acknowledged in many media outlets and the travel site Kayak astutely made Jennifer an offer to lead their social media strategy. All’s right with the world because Jennifer aspired to work at Kayak, a site she frequently used and admired of the company. Good things happen to good people. Twitterville Winner Gerard Tannam of the branding firm Island Bridge in Dublin, Ireland is the winner of the Shel Israel book Twitterville. We did a couple of podcasts with Shel in September. Part 1 and Part 2 It’s on the way Gerard, be on the lookout, thanks for listening. Enjoy. tag:odeo.com,2009-10-11,25271266 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:28:23 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, management, Community, community marketing, coopetition, new marketing rules http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25179876-Companies-Do-You-Want-Continuing-Revenues-Help-a-Customer-Out Time 29:58 In this second part of a conversation with Twitterville author, Shel Israel and I get into the strategy some companies can use to improve their business in social media. The short answer is be generous. We get into the rewards of being generous, some direct and some not. Trust among individuals practicing and advising in social media has to be pretty high these days. With so much generosity on the web (translate free information), the more providers have to trust they are not undercutting themselves. I find that the generosity model still is working. Perhaps because this method of communicating and relationship building is different for each participant, each company, each employee representing a company, and each person engaging with each other. I recently had a situation with Comcast during a tech call, the rep noticed that my package of services qualified for a lower rate and offered it up. Nice. Say do you think banks or credit card companies would do such a thing? It... Time 29:58 In this second part of a conversation with Twitterville author, Shel Israel and I get into the strategy some companies can use to improve their business in social media. The short answer is be generous. We get into the rewards of being generous, some direct and some not. Trust among individuals practicing and advising in social media has to be pretty high these days. With so much generosity on the web (translate free information), the more providers have to trust they are not undercutting themselves. I find that the generosity model still is working. Perhaps because this method of communicating and relationship building is different for each participant, each company, each employee representing a company, and each person engaging with each other. I recently had a situation with Comcast during a tech call, the rep noticed that my package of services qualified for a lower rate and offered it up. Nice. Say do you think banks or credit card companies would do such a thing? It pays to be generous especially if you are in a subscriber relationship like cable. When the customer knows the company is looking out for his or her best interest, that’s called trust. Personal Background Shel Israel and I met online and we have a common interest as senior fellows at the Society for New Communications Research. We come from different political perspectives and view some aspects of social media differently. As I listened to our conversation while writing this post, it strikes me that the social web facilitated this civil, respectful relationship. The result of which is a discussion of issues I believe listeners will enjoy. Had it not been for the social web this relationship would never have happened. Schmaltzy?, maybe, but it underscores the ecosystem companies are trying to understand and participate. Hey Shel did I use the word Schmaltzy correctly? Win a Copy of Twitterville Enter the Marketing Edge podcast book contest by emailing me at Marketingedge@providentpartners.net with the word Twitterville in the subject line. We will announce a winner the week of October 5. Or take all the risk out of it and buy the book at www.Twitterville.com The Marketing Edge is also available on Stitcher Radio Time 29:58 In this second part of a conversation with Twitterville author, Shel Israel and I get into the strategy some companies can use to improve their business in social media. The short answer is be generous. We get into the rewards of being generous, some direct and some not. Trust among individuals practicing and advising in social media has to be pretty high these days. With so much generosity on the web (translate free information), the more providers have to trust they are not undercutting themselves. I find that the generosity model still is working. Perhaps because this method of communicating and relationship building is different for each participant, each company, each employee representing a company, and each person engaging with each other. I recently had a situation with Comcast during a tech call, the rep noticed that my package of services qualified for a lower rate and offered it up. Nice. Say do you think banks or credit card companies would do such a thing? It pays to be generous especially if you are in a subscriber relationship like cable. When the customer knows the company is looking out for his or her best interest, that’s called trust. Personal Background Shel Israel and I met online and we have a common interest as senior fellows at the Society for New Communications Research. We come from different political perspectives and view some aspects of social media differently. As I listened to our conversation while writing this post, it strikes me that the social web facilitated this civil, respectful relationship. The result of which is a discussion of issues I believe listeners will enjoy. Had it not been for the social web this relationship would never have happened. Schmaltzy?, maybe, but it underscores the ecosystem companies are trying to understand and participate. Hey Shel did I use the word Schmaltzy correctly? Win a Copy of Twitterville Enter the Marketing Edge podcast book contest by emailing me at Marketingedge@providentpartners.net with the word Twitterville in the subject line. We will announce a winner the week of October 5. Or take all the risk out of it and buy the book at www.Twitterville.com The Marketing Edge is also available on Stitcher Radio tag:odeo.com,2009-09-24,25179876 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:51:43 -0700 no Marketing Edge twitter, social media, shel israel, Twitterville http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25063337-The-Mayor-of-Twitterville-Talking-Change Time 24:46 Social media can bring people together, case in point, Albert Maruggi and Shel Israel. Two guys with little in common on the political spectrum, yet politics is something they exchanged online at first. They would have little chance to break bread except for their new found common ground called social media. Is this that new? No, I spoke to the Rotary Club in Shakopee, MN and saw 50 people many of whom had little in common except living in the same locale and a desire to get involved before joining the Rotary. Over time, there is plenty to share. Israel is one of the great conversationalists and story tellers. In his book Twitterville, Israel is at his storytelling best as his travels, online and off reveal the human impact of digital communications. Sappy you say, a little too soft for you corporate type A’s, listen how Nike and others are recreating the deceased mass market one consumer at a time. In this podcast we take a high level view of the type of change taking pl... Time 24:46 Social media can bring people together, case in point, Albert Maruggi and Shel Israel. Two guys with little in common on the political spectrum, yet politics is something they exchanged online at first. They would have little chance to break bread except for their new found common ground called social media. Is this that new? No, I spoke to the Rotary Club in Shakopee, MN and saw 50 people many of whom had little in common except living in the same locale and a desire to get involved before joining the Rotary. Over time, there is plenty to share. Israel is one of the great conversationalists and story tellers. In his book Twitterville, Israel is at his storytelling best as his travels, online and off reveal the human impact of digital communications. Sappy you say, a little too soft for you corporate type A’s, listen how Nike and others are recreating the deceased mass market one consumer at a time. In this podcast we take a high level view of the type of change taking place in communications and society. Our discussion is eye opening for companies who look at Twitter and other social channels as a shiny new object instead of a fundamental change in the way people engage each other and with organizations, companies, and government. Israel reflects on the change social media has made on the initial meeting between individuals. Year’s ago a person’s business card and the company’s logo on that card would reflect on the person handing the card to you. Today, for those that are active in social communities, their individual reputation reflects on the company whose logo is on their business card. Twitterville Book Drawing This month, enter the Twitterville book drawing – Send an email to marketingedge@providentpartners.net put the word Twitterville in the subject line and we’ll include your name in a drawing for a copy of the book. Last month, the winner of Trust Agents is Joe Mueller of Missouri and a frequent Marketing Edge listener. Thanks Joe, he too is a resident of Twitterville Time 24:46 Social media can bring people together, case in point, Albert Maruggi and Shel Israel. Two guys with little in common on the political spectrum, yet politics is something they exchanged online at first. They would have little chance to break bread except for their new found common ground called social media. Is this that new? No, I spoke to the Rotary Club in Shakopee, MN and saw 50 people many of whom had little in common except living in the same locale and a desire to get involved before joining the Rotary. Over time, there is plenty to share. Israel is one of the great conversationalists and story tellers. In his book Twitterville, Israel is at his storytelling best as his travels, online and off reveal the human impact of digital communications. Sappy you say, a little too soft for you corporate type A’s, listen how Nike and others are recreating the deceased mass market one consumer at a time. In this podcast we take a high level view of the type of change taking place in communications and society. Our discussion is eye opening for companies who look at Twitter and other social channels as a shiny new object instead of a fundamental change in the way people engage each other and with organizations, companies, and government. Israel reflects on the change social media has made on the initial meeting between individuals. Year’s ago a person’s business card and the company’s logo on that card would reflect on the person handing the card to you. Today, for those that are active in social communities, their individual reputation reflects on the company whose logo is on their business card. Twitterville Book Drawing This month, enter the Twitterville book drawing – Send an email to marketingedge@providentpartners.net put the word Twitterville in the subject line and we’ll include your name in a drawing for a copy of the book. Last month, the winner of Trust Agents is Joe Mueller of Missouri and a frequent Marketing Edge listener. Thanks Joe, he too is a resident of Twitterville tag:odeo.com,2009-09-02,25063337 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:08:55 -0700 no Marketing Edge twitter, marketing, social media, Twitterville http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25022467-How-Smart-is-Your-Phone-and-Your-Favorite-Podcast Time 21:22 Here is some simple math It is estimated that nearly 22 million Internet users will listen to podcasts this year according to eMarketer. Another survey by PriceGrabber.com made the correlation of more than 50% of consumers that purchase from their site listened to podcasts. OK, that one to me might be a stretch, but hey it’s a statistic, a snapshot right. This next set of numbers is considerably more solid. Gartner released a report that showed Smartphone sales 27% higher in the second quarter of 2009 than the comparable quarter last year. Notably, regular mobile phone sales were off 6% and one can say with credibility the typical mobile phone sales trend line will likely never point to the top of your computer screen ever again. iTunes alone offers more than 100,000 different podcasts. However podcast listening has yet to reach the potential many early adopters believed the medium holds. Yes including me. The main gripe of podcasts by a significant portion of potential u... Time 21:22 Here is some simple math It is estimated that nearly 22 million Internet users will listen to podcasts this year according to eMarketer. Another survey by PriceGrabber.com made the correlation of more than 50% of consumers that purchase from their site listened to podcasts. OK, that one to me might be a stretch, but hey it’s a statistic, a snapshot right. This next set of numbers is considerably more solid. Gartner released a report that showed Smartphone sales 27% higher in the second quarter of 2009 than the comparable quarter last year. Notably, regular mobile phone sales were off 6% and one can say with credibility the typical mobile phone sales trend line will likely never point to the top of your computer screen ever again. iTunes alone offers more than 100,000 different podcasts. However podcast listening has yet to reach the potential many early adopters believed the medium holds. Yes including me. The main gripe of podcasts by a significant portion of potential users was the downloading process. To me, that was no different than downloading music, but this one instance perhaps where I’m not average. It’s Radio Not Downloading Enter Stitcher Radio - a smartphone application that eliminates the task of downloading and moving podcasts to your mobile device. It is essentially just as easy as listening to radio. You download the app to your phone, pick a category of shows, then select the shows you want to listen and they play on your phone. There is also a Stitcher Radio web site to listen from your computer. All types of programming are available on Stitcher Radio from mainstream CNN to social media’s staple TechCrunch to our very own Marketing Edge podcast. The medium of audio is uniquely suited for this time in history. Society is increasingly mobile, multitasking, and multiformat. The on-demand information is also about on-demand format. Companies, especially content providers look at the marginal costs to produce podcasts given that the content has already been produced. For example, CNN’s Paging Dr. Gupta is produced for TV, it’s nothing to use that audio on Stitcher Radio. In this episode, the Marketing Edge podcast features Colin Billings, Director of User Experience at Stitcher Radio. We talk about the future of mobile audio programming and what this means for all kinds of potential business and consumer programming. Live by the Format, Die by the Format Content that is produced as audio in its original form is cost effective and can be posted in plenty of places on the social web. I’ve been a fan of the medium of audio for a long time. The Marketing Edge first posted in February 2005. - I’ve recommended that audio be used in a variety of ways, from general shows that enhance brand building on the web to targeted, niche information that is part of a focused lead generation cycle. Reading what you wrote 4 years ago can be a bit odd, but this article in Brandweek in the spring of 2005 had me on the record for advocating podcasting for business. The article caught the attention and criticism of Steve Rubel, author of the Micropersuasion blog. He took exception to my suggestion that marketer’s use 5% of their marketing budget for podcasting. I saw podcasting as an easy entry point into social media with a tie back to specific business objectives like lead generation, increased web traffic, and as a thought leadership venue. Ok, I’ll concede to Rubel, my respected colleague from New York, that he was right, 5% was a lot of money to pursue, as he called it, “podvertising”. For me it wasn’t about advertising on a podcast or producing marketing pabulum in audio form, but instead podcasting is contributing to a conversation with an actual discussion about issues. More on the extension of this concept as it evolved into what I call the embedded corporate journalist, a new public relations strategy. Nonetheless, Rubel, I suspect, and I both enjoy a good podcast and see merit in the medium, especially when smart people are talking. Do you think more people will listen to podcasts if it is as simple as Stitcher Radio has made it? Time 21:22 Here is some simple math It is estimated that nearly 22 million Internet users will listen to podcasts this year according to eMarketer. Another survey by PriceGrabber.com made the correlation of more than 50% of consumers that purchase from their site listened to podcasts. OK, that one to me might be a stretch, but hey it’s a statistic, a snapshot right. This next set of numbers is considerably more solid. Gartner released a report that showed Smartphone sales 27% higher in the second quarter of 2009 than the comparable quarter last year. Notably, regular mobile phone sales were off 6% and one can say with credibility the typical mobile phone sales trend line will likely never point to the top of your computer screen ever again. iTunes alone offers more than 100,000 different podcasts. However podcast listening has yet to reach the potential many early adopters believed the medium holds. Yes including me. The main gripe of podcasts by a significant portion of potential users was the downloading process. To me, that was no different than downloading music, but this one instance perhaps where I’m not average. It’s Radio Not Downloading Enter Stitcher Radio - a smartphone application that eliminates the task of downloading and moving podcasts to your mobile device. It is essentially just as easy as listening to radio. You download the app to your phone, pick a category of shows, then select the shows you want to listen and they play on your phone. There is also a Stitcher Radio web site to listen from your computer. All types of programming are available on Stitcher Radio from mainstream CNN to social media’s staple TechCrunch to our very own Marketing Edge podcast. The medium of audio is uniquely suited for this time in history. Society is increasingly mobile, multitasking, and multiformat. The on-demand information is also about on-demand format. Companies, especially content providers look at the marginal costs to produce podcasts given that the content has already been produced. For example, CNN’s Paging Dr. Gupta is produced for TV, it’s nothing to use that audio on Stitcher Radio. In this episode, the Marketing Edge podcast features Colin Billings, Director of User Experience at Stitcher Radio. We talk about the future of mobile audio programming and what this means for all kinds of potential business and consumer programming. Live by the Format, Die by the Format Content that is produced as audio in its original form is cost effective and can be posted in plenty of places on the social web. I’ve been a fan of the medium of audio for a long time. The Marketing Edge first posted in February 2005. - I’ve recommended that audio be used in a variety of ways, from general shows that enhance brand building on the web to targeted, niche information that is part of a focused lead generation cycle. Reading what you wrote 4 years ago can be a bit odd, but this article in Brandweek in the spring of 2005 had me on the record for advocating podcasting for business. The article caught the attention and criticism of Steve Rubel, author of the Micropersuasion blog. He took exception to my suggestion that marketer’s use 5% of their marketing budget for podcasting. I saw podcasting as an easy entry point into social media with a tie back to specific business objectives like lead generation, increased web traffic, and as a thought leadership venue. Ok, I’ll concede to Rubel, my respected colleague from New York, that he was right, 5% was a lot of money to pursue, as he called it, “podvertising”. For me it wasn’t about advertising on a podcast or producing marketing pabulum in audio form, but instead podcasting is contributing to a conversation with an actual discussion about issues. More on the extension of this concept as it evolved into what I call the embedded corporate journalist, a new public relations strategy. Nonetheless, Rubel, I suspect, and I both enjoy a good podcast and see merit in the medium, especially when smart people are talking. Do you think more people will listen to podcasts if it is as simple as Stitcher Radio has made it? tag:odeo.com,2009-08-25,25022467 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:30:09 -0700 no Marketing Edge podcasts, Podcasting, audio, radio, marketing, public relations http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24997949-4-Ways-A-Company-Trusts-Social-Media Time 16:22 Chris Brogan and Julien Smith have this thing about trust. Their new book Trust Agents is a journey for companies and individuals to determine whether each is worthy of trusting each other. After all, all this access to information and opinions makes the world a very uncertain place, and the number one element of fear for companies and individuals is the unknown. During a conversation tonight with a recently retired and senior Fortune 500 executive, I was reminded of the capitalist’s mantra, shareholder value. You can line up all the other metrics you want, you can argue to various degrees of accuracy that these other metrics impact shareholder value, but those educated in the ways of the corporation will come back to the shareholder number. In this second and last part of my conversation with Chris Brogan we get into how corporations should adjust to maximize their benefits from social media. Brogan shares parts of his conversation with GM CEO Fritz Henderson, bottom lin... Time 16:22 Chris Brogan and Julien Smith have this thing about trust. Their new book Trust Agents is a journey for companies and individuals to determine whether each is worthy of trusting each other. After all, all this access to information and opinions makes the world a very uncertain place, and the number one element of fear for companies and individuals is the unknown. During a conversation tonight with a recently retired and senior Fortune 500 executive, I was reminded of the capitalist’s mantra, shareholder value. You can line up all the other metrics you want, you can argue to various degrees of accuracy that these other metrics impact shareholder value, but those educated in the ways of the corporation will come back to the shareholder number. In this second and last part of my conversation with Chris Brogan we get into how corporations should adjust to maximize their benefits from social media. Brogan shares parts of his conversation with GM CEO Fritz Henderson, bottom line, the new GM wants to listen. Brogan and I also get into the current state of social media. I think it has hit a plateau, it’s a time when we’ll see who trusts and who was just in a quick marketing fling. What’s your take? Have too many companies and consultants jumped into the social pool because they want low cost sales or a chance to make a buck telling people how to set up a Twitter account? The Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies shows there is an initial spike of usage, a decline and then a refocus on some of the more practical and thoughtful applications of the emerging platforms. I pose that social media in general is toward the decline on the first peak. Maruggi’s Social Company Trust Test 1) Have a company-wide process to handle learning and comments from social communities 2) Develop multiple social media participants 3) Response plan in place for social media originated hot topics – I won’t say crisis here because if the company is participating online, the likelihood of a socially inspired crisis is reduced. 4) Develop metrics unique to social participation that roll up to shareholder value Book Drawing We will hold a drawing next week for Trust Agents – send an email to marketingedge AT providentpartners Dot net – include the word Trust in the subject line. Time 16:22 Chris Brogan and Julien Smith have this thing about trust. Their new book Trust Agents is a journey for companies and individuals to determine whether each is worthy of trusting each other. After all, all this access to information and opinions makes the world a very uncertain place, and the number one element of fear for companies and individuals is the unknown. During a conversation tonight with a recently retired and senior Fortune 500 executive, I was reminded of the capitalist’s mantra, shareholder value. You can line up all the other metrics you want, you can argue to various degrees of accuracy that these other metrics impact shareholder value, but those educated in the ways of the corporation will come back to the shareholder number. In this second and last part of my conversation with Chris Brogan we get into how corporations should adjust to maximize their benefits from social media. Brogan shares parts of his conversation with GM CEO Fritz Henderson, bottom line, the new GM wants to listen. Brogan and I also get into the current state of social media. I think it has hit a plateau, it’s a time when we’ll see who trusts and who was just in a quick marketing fling. What’s your take? Have too many companies and consultants jumped into the social pool because they want low cost sales or a chance to make a buck telling people how to set up a Twitter account? The Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies shows there is an initial spike of usage, a decline and then a refocus on some of the more practical and thoughtful applications of the emerging platforms. I pose that social media in general is toward the decline on the first peak. Maruggi’s Social Company Trust Test 1) Have a company-wide process to handle learning and comments from social communities 2) Develop multiple social media participants 3) Response plan in place for social media originated hot topics – I won’t say crisis here because if the company is participating online, the likelihood of a socially inspired crisis is reduced. 4) Develop metrics unique to social participation that roll up to shareholder value Book Drawing We will hold a drawing next week for Trust Agents – send an email to marketingedge AT providentpartners Dot net – include the word Trust in the subject line. tag:odeo.com,2009-08-20,24997949 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:42:38 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, social media, Chris Brogan, julien smith, Trust Agents http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24981345-Trust-Has-Value Time 22:33 Trust is not a new thing in marketing and communications. The most trusted name in news, is the most hackneyed phrase on TV. I believe trusted means you transfer your brain space for figuring stuff out to others, you transfer your emotional defense mechanisms to another entity. Like, I trust this pilot to land this plane, or OK Guy Fieri, I’ll trust this place that’s a real dive. One of the most awaited studies in the PR world is the annual Edelman Public Relations Trust Barometer. Apparently, people like you are trusted by you more than institutions and we’ll see if that changes because more of you are sharing your trust online. Trust in social media is now at the individual level. Those that have been involved in social media for years probably know of Chris Brogan. His blog is an excellent body of work in the strategy and tactics of being social. He is noted for his candor and the open discussion of issues, and that includes sponsored posts. For that length of service ... Time 22:33 Trust is not a new thing in marketing and communications. The most trusted name in news, is the most hackneyed phrase on TV. I believe trusted means you transfer your brain space for figuring stuff out to others, you transfer your emotional defense mechanisms to another entity. Like, I trust this pilot to land this plane, or OK Guy Fieri, I’ll trust this place that’s a real dive. One of the most awaited studies in the PR world is the annual Edelman Public Relations Trust Barometer. Apparently, people like you are trusted by you more than institutions and we’ll see if that changes because more of you are sharing your trust online. Trust in social media is now at the individual level. Those that have been involved in social media for years probably know of Chris Brogan. His blog is an excellent body of work in the strategy and tactics of being social. He is noted for his candor and the open discussion of issues, and that includes sponsored posts. For that length of service to the community he is trusted. His journey over several years to build this trust is the foundation of his new book with Julien Smith Trust Agents. In it he describes for two audiences, companies and individuals, the impact of individual trust networks on companies, and how individuals can launch their own journey into building a trusting audience. Trust like relationships can be fragile, and require lots and lots of work. The more personal, the relationship, the more work. Marketers have never had it as difficult as today, because we have narrowed our marketing down to individual relationships. Those individuals with a trusted following can navigate a company through these uncharted waters, but also have a little learning to do themselves. Brogan is a living example of this and his audiences and clients have benefited. We discuss how trusted individuals with a following also make a living? I could have made this post be a “How to”, but there are plenty of good social media examples in Trust Agents of how the trust economy can work. What this interview with Chris Brogan gets into in part one is the meaning of trust and the relationship between trust and earning your keep. We’ll post part two on Thursday, August 20. Social Monitoring Tools There is a segment in the interview where Brogan rattles off a bunch of social monitoring tools, these are most of them as promised. Radian 6, Techrgey, Scoutlabs, Nielsen, Visble Measures , Crimson Hexagon, and Spiral 16 If nothing else, if you are an anti-social company, you should build a monitor and react plan. Trust Agents – The Book Drawing Send me an email at marketingedge AT providentpartners dot net – put the word trust in the subject line, we’ll put your name in the book drawing contest. No, no you don’t get a drawing of the book, we’ll draw a person’s name and send them a copy of the book, how’s that? Time 22:33 Trust is not a new thing in marketing and communications. The most trusted name in news, is the most hackneyed phrase on TV. I believe trusted means you transfer your brain space for figuring stuff out to others, you transfer your emotional defense mechanisms to another entity. Like, I trust this pilot to land this plane, or OK Guy Fieri, I’ll trust this place that’s a real dive. One of the most awaited studies in the PR world is the annual Edelman Public Relations Trust Barometer. Apparently, people like you are trusted by you more than institutions and we’ll see if that changes because more of you are sharing your trust online. Trust in social media is now at the individual level. Those that have been involved in social media for years probably know of Chris Brogan. His blog is an excellent body of work in the strategy and tactics of being social. He is noted for his candor and the open discussion of issues, and that includes sponsored posts. For that length of service to the community he is trusted. His journey over several years to build this trust is the foundation of his new book with Julien Smith Trust Agents. In it he describes for two audiences, companies and individuals, the impact of individual trust networks on companies, and how individuals can launch their own journey into building a trusting audience. Trust like relationships can be fragile, and require lots and lots of work. The more personal, the relationship, the more work. Marketers have never had it as difficult as today, because we have narrowed our marketing down to individual relationships. Those individuals with a trusted following can navigate a company through these uncharted waters, but also have a little learning to do themselves. Brogan is a living example of this and his audiences and clients have benefited. We discuss how trusted individuals with a following also make a living? I could have made this post be a “How to”, but there are plenty of good social media examples in Trust Agents of how the trust economy can work. What this interview with Chris Brogan gets into in part one is the meaning of trust and the relationship between trust and earning your keep. We’ll post part two on Thursday, August 20. Social Monitoring Tools There is a segment in the interview where Brogan rattles off a bunch of social monitoring tools, these are most of them as promised. Radian 6, Techrgey, Scoutlabs, Nielsen, Visble Measures , Crimson Hexagon, and Spiral 16 If nothing else, if you are an anti-social company, you should build a monitor and react plan. Trust Agents – The Book Drawing Send me an email at marketingedge AT providentpartners dot net – put the word trust in the subject line, we’ll put your name in the book drawing contest. No, no you don’t get a drawing of the book, we’ll draw a person’s name and send them a copy of the book, how’s that? tag:odeo.com,2009-08-18,24981345 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:50:57 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, social media, trust, Chris Brogan, julien smith, Trust Economy, Trust Agents http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24915650-Kodak-Gets-The-Picture-%E2%80%93-Jeffrey-Hayzlett-The-4Es-of-Social-Media Time 9:30 Taking pictures on film has sure changed. Good thing Kodak is in the capturing memories and sharing in them business. You would be hard pressed to find an industry that has been impacted more than photography business. This disruption would set the average marketer on their heals. Not Jeffery Hayzlett, CMO and Vice President of Kodak, he has Kodak giving social media a big bear hug, dozens, maybe hundreds of Kodak employees are participating in social media, here is a short list thanks to Tweepz. Hayzlett has what he calls the 4 Es of social media, Engaging – Simply put you have to be an active participant, standing on the sidelines doesn’t get you much. Educating – This would be mutually beneficial; it’s the exchange of information that creates the learning. You’ll hear in this Marketing Edge interview with Hayzlett, he listens really well. Exciting – Just listen to the guy, life is a blast, share it. Evangelizing – When you are passionate about something it’s difficult n... Time 9:30 Taking pictures on film has sure changed. Good thing Kodak is in the capturing memories and sharing in them business. You would be hard pressed to find an industry that has been impacted more than photography business. This disruption would set the average marketer on their heals. Not Jeffery Hayzlett, CMO and Vice President of Kodak, he has Kodak giving social media a big bear hug, dozens, maybe hundreds of Kodak employees are participating in social media, here is a short list thanks to Tweepz. Hayzlett has what he calls the 4 Es of social media, Engaging – Simply put you have to be an active participant, standing on the sidelines doesn’t get you much. Educating – This would be mutually beneficial; it’s the exchange of information that creates the learning. You’ll hear in this Marketing Edge interview with Hayzlett, he listens really well. Exciting – Just listen to the guy, life is a blast, share it. Evangelizing – When you are passionate about something it’s difficult not to be an evangelist. When you get the kind of feedback that Kodak social participants have received, it’s easy to be an evangelist for the medium and for your own efforts. Hayzlett is not a proponent of any certain tool, but certainly an advocate of a medium that engages him and Kodak with customers. That I believe is his most important driver in social media, he says anything that allows you to talk with customers is good. Marketing Edge on Stitcher Radio We are delighted the Marketing Edge podcast is now available on Stitcher Radio. Stitcher is a neat application available on mobile platforms for iPhone, Blackberry Curve, Storm, and Bold among others. With Stitcher can stream podcasts over your phone. View all of the compatible devices and programming at www.Stitcher.com Integrating Social Tactics Seminar I mentioned in the podcast I’d have this link. I’m doing a breakfast seminar with Mark Palony of SoftBrands @MarkPalony. He and I have been doing things social for a few years now, we incorporate video, audio, blogging, Twitter among other tactics in various functions pointed at specific objectives. We will share the journey, scars and successes on Wednesday August 12, from 8 AM - 10 AM at the St. Paul Pool and Yacht Club. Integrating Social Tactics Seminar details and register here. Marketing Edge Book Drawing Trust Agents – Trust me, someone will win this book, I guarantee. Email me MarketingEdge@providentpartners.Net – use the word Trust in the subject line and you’ll be included in the book drawing. We’ll have Chris on an upcoming marketing edge podcast, that should be fun. Time 9:30 Taking pictures on film has sure changed. Good thing Kodak is in the capturing memories and sharing in them business. You would be hard pressed to find an industry that has been impacted more than photography business. This disruption would set the average marketer on their heals. Not Jeffery Hayzlett, CMO and Vice President of Kodak, he has Kodak giving social media a big bear hug, dozens, maybe hundreds of Kodak employees are participating in social media, here is a short list thanks to Tweepz. Hayzlett has what he calls the 4 Es of social media, Engaging – Simply put you have to be an active participant, standing on the sidelines doesn’t get you much. Educating – This would be mutually beneficial; it’s the exchange of information that creates the learning. You’ll hear in this Marketing Edge interview with Hayzlett, he listens really well. Exciting – Just listen to the guy, life is a blast, share it. Evangelizing – When you are passionate about something it’s difficult not to be an evangelist. When you get the kind of feedback that Kodak social participants have received, it’s easy to be an evangelist for the medium and for your own efforts. Hayzlett is not a proponent of any certain tool, but certainly an advocate of a medium that engages him and Kodak with customers. That I believe is his most important driver in social media, he says anything that allows you to talk with customers is good. Marketing Edge on Stitcher Radio We are delighted the Marketing Edge podcast is now available on Stitcher Radio. Stitcher is a neat application available on mobile platforms for iPhone, Blackberry Curve, Storm, and Bold among others. With Stitcher can stream podcasts over your phone. View all of the compatible devices and programming at www.Stitcher.com Integrating Social Tactics Seminar I mentioned in the podcast I’d have this link. I’m doing a breakfast seminar with Mark Palony of SoftBrands @MarkPalony. He and I have been doing things social for a few years now, we incorporate video, audio, blogging, Twitter among other tactics in various functions pointed at specific objectives. We will share the journey, scars and successes on Wednesday August 12, from 8 AM - 10 AM at the St. Paul Pool and Yacht Club. Integrating Social Tactics Seminar details and register here. Marketing Edge Book Drawing Trust Agents – Trust me, someone will win this book, I guarantee. Email me MarketingEdge@providentpartners.Net – use the word Trust in the subject line and you’ll be included in the book drawing. We’ll have Chris on an upcoming marketing edge podcast, that should be fun. tag:odeo.com,2009-08-05,24915650 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:40:41 -0700 no Marketing Edge corporate marketing, marketing, social media, kodak, Fourth Shift, Softbrands, Jeffrey Hayzlett, 140 conference http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24815020-Crowd-Sourcing-Cars-Ford-Breaking-the-Mold Time 11:30 Let them built it and they will come is an appropriate phrase for the Ford Fiesta Movement - This will go down as a text book study of incorporating real time information about a new product into that product’s final production, and social media as a communications ecosystem for the product. Scott Monty, head of social media for Ford Motor Company,and I had a fun conversation several weeks back about how Ford was taking a new approach to building and launching the Ford Fiesta into the US market. This week is Monty’s first year anniversary at Ford,and a fitting time for this podcast, congratulations Scott. Monty is one of the Goodfellas of social media. Situation: Ford Fiesta exists in Europe, need to incorporate unique needs for US market and rollout it out here. Plan: Tap 100 personalities (now called agents) active in social media and with hundreds of people in their respective networks. Not A listers which I think is so special about this program. It is not taking old ... Time 11:30 Let them built it and they will come is an appropriate phrase for the Ford Fiesta Movement - This will go down as a text book study of incorporating real time information about a new product into that product’s final production, and social media as a communications ecosystem for the product. Scott Monty, head of social media for Ford Motor Company,and I had a fun conversation several weeks back about how Ford was taking a new approach to building and launching the Ford Fiesta into the US market. This week is Monty’s first year anniversary at Ford,and a fitting time for this podcast, congratulations Scott. Monty is one of the Goodfellas of social media. Situation: Ford Fiesta exists in Europe, need to incorporate unique needs for US market and rollout it out here. Plan: Tap 100 personalities (now called agents) active in social media and with hundreds of people in their respective networks. Not A listers which I think is so special about this program. It is not taking old mentality and placing over a new, and much different medium. Follow the agents on twitter with the #FiestaMovement hashtag Rationale: They will actively stimulate conversations about the car, get feedback, document their experience online over a period of time. Some of the ideas will be incorporated into a US version of the model and the product will be introduced in the US with great consumer conversations and input in the spring of 2010. BRILLIANT! This is a truly transparent marketing (no let’s call it something else) product program. The Feista Movement site has live feeds of the 100 agents who have received the car to drive around for six months which ends in November. This is not an example for companies that fear product improvements or believe the world is the same as it was in the last century. Anyone else can take a page from this experience. Marketing Edge Reports from Ford Fiestavil (I made that up) The weekend of July 17 – 19, the Fiesta Movement will be in my neighborhood Highland Park in St. Paul, MN during what’s called Highland Fest. Albert Maruggi, (I dislike talking about myself in the first person) will be there interviewing agents and others who are trying out the car, stay tuned to the Marketing Edge podcast, this blog and the Utterli widget for more over the next couple of days. Have any questions I should ask? pop them in the comment box below. Schedule of Ford Fiesta Movement Test Drive Events MARKETING EDGE PODCAST BOOK DRAWING The Marketing Edge book drawing is Trust Agents from Chris Brogan and Julien Smith - send me an email MarketingEdge AT providentpartners dot Net and we will get your name in the drawing. Time 11:30 Let them built it and they will come is an appropriate phrase for the Ford Fiesta Movement - This will go down as a text book study of incorporating real time information about a new product into that product’s final production, and social media as a communications ecosystem for the product. Scott Monty, head of social media for Ford Motor Company,and I had a fun conversation several weeks back about how Ford was taking a new approach to building and launching the Ford Fiesta into the US market. This week is Monty’s first year anniversary at Ford,and a fitting time for this podcast, congratulations Scott. Monty is one of the Goodfellas of social media. Situation: Ford Fiesta exists in Europe, need to incorporate unique needs for US market and rollout it out here. Plan: Tap 100 personalities (now called agents) active in social media and with hundreds of people in their respective networks. Not A listers which I think is so special about this program. It is not taking old mentality and placing over a new, and much different medium. Follow the agents on twitter with the #FiestaMovement hashtag Rationale: They will actively stimulate conversations about the car, get feedback, document their experience online over a period of time. Some of the ideas will be incorporated into a US version of the model and the product will be introduced in the US with great consumer conversations and input in the spring of 2010. BRILLIANT! This is a truly transparent marketing (no let’s call it something else) product program. The Feista Movement site has live feeds of the 100 agents who have received the car to drive around for six months which ends in November. This is not an example for companies that fear product improvements or believe the world is the same as it was in the last century. Anyone else can take a page from this experience. Marketing Edge Reports from Ford Fiestavil (I made that up) The weekend of July 17 – 19, the Fiesta Movement will be in my neighborhood Highland Park in St. Paul, MN during what’s called Highland Fest. Albert Maruggi, (I dislike talking about myself in the first person) will be there interviewing agents and others who are trying out the car, stay tuned to the Marketing Edge podcast, this blog and the Utterli widget for more over the next couple of days. Have any questions I should ask? pop them in the comment box below. Schedule of Ford Fiesta Movement Test Drive Events MARKETING EDGE PODCAST BOOK DRAWING The Marketing Edge book drawing is Trust Agents from Chris Brogan and Julien Smith - send me an email MarketingEdge AT providentpartners dot Net and we will get your name in the drawing. tag:odeo.com,2009-07-16,24815020 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:10:26 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24750169-Can-The-Social-Web-Help-Change-Governments-and-Perceptions Last month there was much made about social media’s impact on the coverage of protests in Iran. At the 140 Conference Robert Scoble moderated a panel of journalists and producers that discussed the impact of Twitter on mainstream news media, specifically using the Iran election to illustrate the power of essentially the people. You can see this panel on mainstream media and Iran coverage after a short registration. In this case it was the people of Iran who were heard around the world as events unfolded in that secretive country. Profiles like change4iran on Twitter and the ability to see the Iranian protest and election issue tracked online gave this medium credibility and power. The medium gave a voice to those in the streets, and to those that had their voices silenced. The image of Neda instantly became an icon of the brutality visited on protesters. There is a human desire to be heard, especially when the intrinsic values of right and wrong which are universally understood are ... Last month there was much made about social media’s impact on the coverage of protests in Iran. At the 140 Conference Robert Scoble moderated a panel of journalists and producers that discussed the impact of Twitter on mainstream news media, specifically using the Iran election to illustrate the power of essentially the people. You can see this panel on mainstream media and Iran coverage after a short registration. In this case it was the people of Iran who were heard around the world as events unfolded in that secretive country. Profiles like change4iran on Twitter and the ability to see the Iranian protest and election issue tracked online gave this medium credibility and power. The medium gave a voice to those in the streets, and to those that had their voices silenced. The image of Neda instantly became an icon of the brutality visited on protesters. There is a human desire to be heard, especially when the intrinsic values of right and wrong which are universally understood are violated. The social technology in place today helps facilitate that desire. So beyond monetizing a blog and wondering how Twitter will make money, I’ll use today, Independence weekend in the United States, to share a video I did last year with Robert Scoble and Ning CEO Gina Bianchini.  After interviewing them, it struck me that many of their comments were about freedom, basic human freedoms wrapped in the context of social media. So I put this Little Diddy together set to John Mellencamp’s Crumblin Down. Freedom is Social from Albert Maruggi on Vimeo. Ning is a wonderful platform with hundreds of thousands of social networks from around the world. In the spirit of uncovering oppression, one of my favorite networks on Ning is the Frontline Club and the Frontline Club website Let freedom ring . Book Giveaway Drawing – Trust Agents, by Chris Brogan The book a lot of people are talking about will be available in late August, called Trust Agents by Chris Brogan, with Julien Smith. We will hold a drawing and pre-order the book for one Marketing Edge listener/reader. Email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net with the word TRUST in the subject line. We will name a winner at the beginning of August. We enjoy your comments here or on the comment line 206-600-6887. Last month there was much made about social media’s impact on the coverage of protests in Iran. At the 140 Conference Robert Scoble moderated a panel of journalists and producers that discussed the impact of Twitter on mainstream news media, specifically using the Iran election to illustrate the power of essentially the people. You can see this panel on mainstream media and Iran coverage after a short registration. In this case it was the people of Iran who were heard around the world as events unfolded in that secretive country. Profiles like change4iran on Twitter and the ability to see the Iranian protest and election issue tracked online gave this medium credibility and power. The medium gave a voice to those in the streets, and to those that had their voices silenced. The image of Neda instantly became an icon of the brutality visited on protesters. There is a human desire to be heard, especially when the intrinsic values of right and wrong which are universally understood are violated. The social technology in place today helps facilitate that desire. So beyond monetizing a blog and wondering how Twitter will make money, I’ll use today, Independence weekend in the United States, to share a video I did last year with Robert Scoble and Ning CEO Gina Bianchini.  After interviewing them, it struck me that many of their comments were about freedom, basic human freedoms wrapped in the context of social media. So I put this Little Diddy together set to John Mellencamp’s Crumblin Down. Freedom is Social from Albert Maruggi on Vimeo. Ning is a wonderful platform with hundreds of thousands of social networks from around the world. In the spirit of uncovering oppression, one of my favorite networks on Ning is the Frontline Club and the Frontline Club website Let freedom ring . Book Giveaway Drawing – Trust Agents, by Chris Brogan The book a lot of people are talking about will be available in late August, called Trust Agents by Chris Brogan, with Julien Smith. We will hold a drawing and pre-order the book for one Marketing Edge listener/reader. Email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net with the word TRUST in the subject line. We will name a winner at the beginning of August. We enjoy your comments here or on the comment line 206-600-6887. tag:odeo.com,2009-07-03,24750169 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:52:49 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24735723-Is-There-Money-in-Communities-Interest-Success Time 30:49 There are only a few ways humans show they value something… give their time or give their money.  Another, for argument’s sake, is to lend their name, but that isn’t a good example for this post so I’ll leave it as a side note. This podcast with Bryan Person of Live World is about building communities, and the elements necessary to make them successful.  It’s focused on how companies should evaluate whether they have what it takes in both culture and potential to establish a community.  Live World is both a technology platform and provider of social media services. In the last podcast with Steve Rubel, we talked about communities really being an ecosystem, not necessarily a destination.  In this segment, we are focused on communities as a destination.  One of my favorites is Campbell’s Kitchen   - an address on the web and a place to get and give information about food.  Hey, as a father of five and the maker of a few meals in my lifetime, soup is more than just opening a... Time 30:49 There are only a few ways humans show they value something… give their time or give their money.  Another, for argument’s sake, is to lend their name, but that isn’t a good example for this post so I’ll leave it as a side note. This podcast with Bryan Person of Live World is about building communities, and the elements necessary to make them successful.  It’s focused on how companies should evaluate whether they have what it takes in both culture and potential to establish a community.  Live World is both a technology platform and provider of social media services. In the last podcast with Steve Rubel, we talked about communities really being an ecosystem, not necessarily a destination.  In this segment, we are focused on communities as a destination.  One of my favorites is Campbell’s Kitchen   - an address on the web and a place to get and give information about food.  Hey, as a father of five and the maker of a few meals in my lifetime, soup is more than just opening a can, heat and eat.  Enchiladas, anyone? Community Manager Essentials 1) Write, talk, communicate and understand all formats (please don’t say duh, this may well be a new title in the profession of journalism.) 2) Personality, and the sense to understand how the individual’s personality aligns with the brand he or she is representing online (that’s not easy either!) 3) No egos allowed. This is about the community and its members, remember?(managers need to facilitate and fade into background. Here’s where I love talking about personal brands. It is an outright clash with a company’s objective of building community. Please do comment because I’d love to take this issue on. :) ) 4) Domain expertise in the area of the company or organization you are facilitating  (you can’t talk the talk if you have a limp in your walk.) Do communities sell more soup?  Well, successful communities at their core get people engaged in each other and their topics.  Without their interest, there is nothing.  Companies that build two-way channels to listen as well as share are able to capture ideas.  Acting on these ideas allows them to be more responsive, gain more credibility and the circle goes on.  Can companies with successful communities draw a straight line to sales? Probably, but more importantly they can connect the other value currency, time spent with your company.  Time is a zero sum value currency, the time I’m able to capture from you is time not spent with something else. That’s the value successful companies treasure. Bryan the Person Bryan and I also get into his social baby, the Social Media Breakfast.  Talk about community managing and stepping back… Person started the Social Media Breakfast a couple of years ago.  He encouraged and gave wings to many others in cities across the country.  We recorded this conversation in late May when Bryan was in Minnesota to speak at the Social Media Breakfast of Minneapolis/St. Paul – It is regularly a very well attended monthly event sometimes dealing with advanced concepts or at other times highlighting the basics.    Bryan’s vision to create the offline event for an online audience includes some of the elements of successful community building: sharing, personal connections, the dynamic created by some regular gathering that requires an investment of time and effort. Let’s face it, writing 140 characters is easy. Getting in your car, fighting traffic and meeting new people is hard.  Check the list of cities that have a Social Media Breakfast. If there isn’t one in your community, maybe you can be the spark to draw people together, and then step back and watch it grow. That’s what the organizer of the Minnesota chapter of the SMB, Rick Mahn,(pictured) did and now the online SMB Minnesota community has reached 830 members and the social media breakfast held on Friday, June 26 had more than 150 attendees, that’s a lot of bacon!   Time 30:49 There are only a few ways humans show they value something… give their time or give their money.  Another, for argument’s sake, is to lend their name, but that isn’t a good example for this post so I’ll leave it as a side note. This podcast with Bryan Person of Live World is about building communities, and the elements necessary to make them successful.  It’s focused on how companies should evaluate whether they have what it takes in both culture and potential to establish a community.  Live World is both a technology platform and provider of social media services. In the last podcast with Steve Rubel, we talked about communities really being an ecosystem, not necessarily a destination.  In this segment, we are focused on communities as a destination.  One of my favorites is Campbell’s Kitchen   - an address on the web and a place to get and give information about food.  Hey, as a father of five and the maker of a few meals in my lifetime, soup is more than just opening a can, heat and eat.  Enchiladas, anyone? Community Manager Essentials 1) Write, talk, communicate and understand all formats (please don’t say duh, this may well be a new title in the profession of journalism.) 2) Personality, and the sense to understand how the individual’s personality aligns with the brand he or she is representing online (that’s not easy either!) 3) No egos allowed. This is about the community and its members, remember?(managers need to facilitate and fade into background. Here’s where I love talking about personal brands. It is an outright clash with a company’s objective of building community. Please do comment because I’d love to take this issue on. :) ) 4) Domain expertise in the area of the company or organization you are facilitating  (you can’t talk the talk if you have a limp in your walk.) Do communities sell more soup?  Well, successful communities at their core get people engaged in each other and their topics.  Without their interest, there is nothing.  Companies that build two-way channels to listen as well as share are able to capture ideas.  Acting on these ideas allows them to be more responsive, gain more credibility and the circle goes on.  Can companies with successful communities draw a straight line to sales? Probably, but more importantly they can connect the other value currency, time spent with your company.  Time is a zero sum value currency, the time I’m able to capture from you is time not spent with something else. That’s the value successful companies treasure. Bryan the Person Bryan and I also get into his social baby, the Social Media Breakfast.  Talk about community managing and stepping back… Person started the Social Media Breakfast a couple of years ago.  He encouraged and gave wings to many others in cities across the country.  We recorded this conversation in late May when Bryan was in Minnesota to speak at the Social Media Breakfast of Minneapolis/St. Paul – It is regularly a very well attended monthly event sometimes dealing with advanced concepts or at other times highlighting the basics.    Bryan’s vision to create the offline event for an online audience includes some of the elements of successful community building: sharing, personal connections, the dynamic created by some regular gathering that requires an investment of time and effort. Let’s face it, writing 140 characters is easy. Getting in your car, fighting traffic and meeting new people is hard.  Check the list of cities that have a Social Media Breakfast. If there isn’t one in your community, maybe you can be the spark to draw people together, and then step back and watch it grow. That’s what the organizer of the Minnesota chapter of the SMB, Rick Mahn,(pictured) did and now the online SMB Minnesota community has reached 830 members and the social media breakfast held on Friday, June 26 had more than 150 attendees, that’s a lot of bacon!   tag:odeo.com,2009-06-30,24735723 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:38:13 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, community manager, smb, Social Media Breakfast, receipies, campbells soup http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24735724-What%E2%80%99s-Your-Ecosystem Time 13:19 We all have them on line, those places and groups we like to exchange ideas with. Whether you call them tweets, updates, photostreams or posterouses, (I made that last one up as a new user of Posterous thanks to a suggestion from Marketing Edge guest Steve Rubel.) the social web is state of being, not a destination. It’s a state of information and comments that is fluid. I met up with Steve Rubel, author of the Micropersuasion blog and columnist for Ad Age at the 140 Conference in New York. We talk in this Marketing Edge podcast about Twitter vs. eco systems as the next big thing. Rubel believes that social ecosystems will have staying power as the lifecycle of different platforms serve a function within those ecosystems. In fact, just as I was about to post this, I noticed that Steve is “Forking” his content from Micropersuasion, a next step in the evolution of social eco systems. Twitter and this conference show how we have become accustomed, for some obsessed for other... Time 13:19 We all have them on line, those places and groups we like to exchange ideas with. Whether you call them tweets, updates, photostreams or posterouses, (I made that last one up as a new user of Posterous thanks to a suggestion from Marketing Edge guest Steve Rubel.) the social web is state of being, not a destination. It’s a state of information and comments that is fluid. I met up with Steve Rubel, author of the Micropersuasion blog and columnist for Ad Age at the 140 Conference in New York. We talk in this Marketing Edge podcast about Twitter vs. eco systems as the next big thing. Rubel believes that social ecosystems will have staying power as the lifecycle of different platforms serve a function within those ecosystems. In fact, just as I was about to post this, I noticed that Steve is “Forking” his content from Micropersuasion, a next step in the evolution of social eco systems. Twitter and this conference show how we have become accustomed, for some obsessed for others, with the concept of the State of Now information, as Jeff Pulver would say. The real-time and regular exchange of information across the social web is an entity that can be measured, and in many cases, has value for individuals and organizations. I look at Twitter for example as being similar to radio, and in the case of trying to dip into that information stream, perhaps it can be monetized. For example, it might be interesting to note who among your Twitter followers are online when you are. You can do this in Facebook if you use the chat function or Skype has this capability as well. Take this to the next level in building patterns of usage over time among an individual’s followers. Viewed this way, Twitter becomes like buying radio, some subset of people are listening (twittering or viewing tweets) at that time. The easier play is sponsoring # topics or Tweetchats as the world looks to figure out how to pay for the state of now information. If not pay for it, then justify the investment of time. Surely there are ways to measure Twitter now, formulas like, click throughs, RTs, number of followers, etc, are a decent snapshot. I suggest the more detailed the information available about the behavior of these ecosystems and its platforms, the richer the experience all will have interacting with individuals, organizations, and the information they exchange. Book Giveaway Drawing – Trust Agents, by Chris Brogan The book a lot of people are talking about will be available in late August, called Trust Agents by Chris Brogan, with Julien Smith. We will hold a drawing and pre-order the book for one Marketing Edge listener/reader. Email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net with the word TRUST in the subject line. We will name a winner at the beginning of August. We enjoy your comments here or on the comment line 206-600-6887. Time 13:19 We all have them on line, those places and groups we like to exchange ideas with. Whether you call them tweets, updates, photostreams or posterouses, (I made that last one up as a new user of Posterous thanks to a suggestion from Marketing Edge guest Steve Rubel.) the social web is state of being, not a destination. It’s a state of information and comments that is fluid. I met up with Steve Rubel, author of the Micropersuasion blog and columnist for Ad Age at the 140 Conference in New York. We talk in this Marketing Edge podcast about Twitter vs. eco systems as the next big thing. Rubel believes that social ecosystems will have staying power as the lifecycle of different platforms serve a function within those ecosystems. In fact, just as I was about to post this, I noticed that Steve is “Forking” his content from Micropersuasion, a next step in the evolution of social eco systems. Twitter and this conference show how we have become accustomed, for some obsessed for others, with the concept of the State of Now information, as Jeff Pulver would say. The real-time and regular exchange of information across the social web is an entity that can be measured, and in many cases, has value for individuals and organizations. I look at Twitter for example as being similar to radio, and in the case of trying to dip into that information stream, perhaps it can be monetized. For example, it might be interesting to note who among your Twitter followers are online when you are. You can do this in Facebook if you use the chat function or Skype has this capability as well. Take this to the next level in building patterns of usage over time among an individual’s followers. Viewed this way, Twitter becomes like buying radio, some subset of people are listening (twittering or viewing tweets) at that time. The easier play is sponsoring # topics or Tweetchats as the world looks to figure out how to pay for the state of now information. If not pay for it, then justify the investment of time. Surely there are ways to measure Twitter now, formulas like, click throughs, RTs, number of followers, etc, are a decent snapshot. I suggest the more detailed the information available about the behavior of these ecosystems and its platforms, the richer the experience all will have interacting with individuals, organizations, and the information they exchange. Book Giveaway Drawing – Trust Agents, by Chris Brogan The book a lot of people are talking about will be available in late August, called Trust Agents by Chris Brogan, with Julien Smith. We will hold a drawing and pre-order the book for one Marketing Edge listener/reader. Email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net with the word TRUST in the subject line. We will name a winner at the beginning of August. We enjoy your comments here or on the comment line 206-600-6887. tag:odeo.com,2009-06-25,24735724 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:23:09 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, social media, steve rubel, social ecosystem http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24666900-Social-Media-Catalyst-for-Health-Care-Reform-or-Divisive-Echo-Chamber Time 29:33 An Open Letter to President Obama, Mr. President, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Paul Levy, CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Given your comments about health care reform in your weekly radio address yesterday, I thought you would enjoy Mr. Levy’s perspective on building a culture of improvement in health care, articulated in this Marketing Edge podcast. As one Twitter user to another, you both understand the dynamic created when leadership, ideas, and communication come together. Mr. President, you clearly understand social media from a challenger’s perspective. Mr. Levy has had considerable practice with it in a leadership position. He’s been blogging since 2006 and has faced medical, labor and financial crises in transparent and thoughtful ways. Mr. Levy has built a culture of improvement in large part because of the shared desire among the health care professionals at BIDMC to provide quality care, to always improve their performance. They have done this ... Time 29:33 An Open Letter to President Obama, Mr. President, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Paul Levy, CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Given your comments about health care reform in your weekly radio address yesterday, I thought you would enjoy Mr. Levy’s perspective on building a culture of improvement in health care, articulated in this Marketing Edge podcast. As one Twitter user to another, you both understand the dynamic created when leadership, ideas, and communication come together. Mr. President, you clearly understand social media from a challenger’s perspective. Mr. Levy has had considerable practice with it in a leadership position. He’s been blogging since 2006 and has faced medical, labor and financial crises in transparent and thoughtful ways. Mr. Levy has built a culture of improvement in large part because of the shared desire among the health care professionals at BIDMC to provide quality care, to always improve their performance. They have done this by being transparent and committed to the ultimate goal of providing excellent health care. Mr. Levy believes, as I believe you do, that the status quo in health care needs to be more open to the concept of improving through a discussion of failures, the uncovering of vested interests that prevent attaining a shared goal, and a clear focus on long-term solutions that are in tune with the changes in our world. Social media can be used as a partisan echo chamber which will produce little if any positive change. For those who want the status quo, this will be a good thing. Used in this manner, social media will die a quick death as soon as the next Shiny New Object comes along. However, in the hands of individuals in a society committed to being better, lustful for learning, and accepting of the synergy of ideas exchanged around the world in real-time by any individual, not just the ruling classes, then social media holds potential far beyond its role in health care reform. The conversation in this edition of the Marketing Edge podcast will benefit every CEO regardless of the industry, even the CEO of the United States. Time 29:33 An Open Letter to President Obama, Mr. President, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Paul Levy, CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Given your comments about health care reform in your weekly radio address yesterday, I thought you would enjoy Mr. Levy’s perspective on building a culture of improvement in health care, articulated in this Marketing Edge podcast. As one Twitter user to another, you both understand the dynamic created when leadership, ideas, and communication come together. Mr. President, you clearly understand social media from a challenger’s perspective. Mr. Levy has had considerable practice with it in a leadership position. He’s been blogging since 2006 and has faced medical, labor and financial crises in transparent and thoughtful ways. Mr. Levy has built a culture of improvement in large part because of the shared desire among the health care professionals at BIDMC to provide quality care, to always improve their performance. They have done this by being transparent and committed to the ultimate goal of providing excellent health care. Mr. Levy believes, as I believe you do, that the status quo in health care needs to be more open to the concept of improving through a discussion of failures, the uncovering of vested interests that prevent attaining a shared goal, and a clear focus on long-term solutions that are in tune with the changes in our world. Social media can be used as a partisan echo chamber which will produce little if any positive change. For those who want the status quo, this will be a good thing. Used in this manner, social media will die a quick death as soon as the next Shiny New Object comes along. However, in the hands of individuals in a society committed to being better, lustful for learning, and accepting of the synergy of ideas exchanged around the world in real-time by any individual, not just the ruling classes, then social media holds potential far beyond its role in health care reform. The conversation in this edition of the Marketing Edge podcast will benefit every CEO regardless of the industry, even the CEO of the United States. tag:odeo.com,2009-06-08,24666900 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:45:50 -0700 no Marketing Edge social media, healthcare, health care reform, Paul Levy, Obama's health care reform http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24634150-Twitter-is-About-Now-and-More-at-the-140-Conference Time 17:01 Jeff Pulver is a visionary and social web broker of ideas and people. Pulver saw the potential of VOIP as a game changer for telephony. He regularly addresses thought provoking topics where technology is impacting various forms of society. Now Pulver is actually bringing more than 140 thoughtful people together who are pushing the envelope of Twitter at a two day conference June 16-17 called the 140 Conference. Pulver believes, and I agree, that Twitter has created an expectation of being in the Now of information exchange. Have a question - ask it now, saw a blog post you want to share - link to it now, near a plane landing in the Hudson - snap that picture now. This conference is a great chance to hear and share with Twitter users from advertising, entertainment, news, and technology. Just a few of the names participating are: Rick Sanchez @ricksanchezcnn of CNN, John Byrne of Business Week, @JohnAByrne, Jeffrey Hayzlett of Kodak @JeffreyHayzlett, Robert Scoble, @Scoble... Time 17:01 Jeff Pulver is a visionary and social web broker of ideas and people. Pulver saw the potential of VOIP as a game changer for telephony. He regularly addresses thought provoking topics where technology is impacting various forms of society. Now Pulver is actually bringing more than 140 thoughtful people together who are pushing the envelope of Twitter at a two day conference June 16-17 called the 140 Conference. Pulver believes, and I agree, that Twitter has created an expectation of being in the Now of information exchange. Have a question - ask it now, saw a blog post you want to share - link to it now, near a plane landing in the Hudson - snap that picture now. This conference is a great chance to hear and share with Twitter users from advertising, entertainment, news, and technology. Just a few of the names participating are: Rick Sanchez @ricksanchezcnn of CNN, John Byrne of Business Week, @JohnAByrne, Jeffrey Hayzlett of Kodak @JeffreyHayzlett, Robert Scoble, @Scobleizer, Stacey Monk of Epic Change @StaceyMonk (oh by the way if you like the way Epic Change has used Twitter to raise funds for schools in Tanzania, then give Stacey your vote and plenty of other Twitterites This conference is for just about any category of person participating and interested in Twitter because Twitter is what you make it. It’s easy to jump into the blog with the headline like 5 Simple Ways to Use Twitter. Instead, focus on the broader concept of being in the Now with information from around the world. Discussing how people from all walks of life have benefited in their profession and their personal life. Marketing Edge listeners and reader, register for the 140 Conference using the promo code MarketingEdge for a $100 credit toward your registration to the 140 Conference. I look forward to spending two days at the conference moderating a panel at this dynamic conference. Time 17:01 Jeff Pulver is a visionary and social web broker of ideas and people. Pulver saw the potential of VOIP as a game changer for telephony. He regularly addresses thought provoking topics where technology is impacting various forms of society. Now Pulver is actually bringing more than 140 thoughtful people together who are pushing the envelope of Twitter at a two day conference June 16-17 called the 140 Conference. Pulver believes, and I agree, that Twitter has created an expectation of being in the Now of information exchange. Have a question - ask it now, saw a blog post you want to share - link to it now, near a plane landing in the Hudson - snap that picture now. This conference is a great chance to hear and share with Twitter users from advertising, entertainment, news, and technology. Just a few of the names participating are: Rick Sanchez @ricksanchezcnn of CNN, John Byrne of Business Week, @JohnAByrne, Jeffrey Hayzlett of Kodak @JeffreyHayzlett, Robert Scoble, @Scobleizer, Stacey Monk of Epic Change @StaceyMonk (oh by the way if you like the way Epic Change has used Twitter to raise funds for schools in Tanzania, then give Stacey your vote and plenty of other Twitterites This conference is for just about any category of person participating and interested in Twitter because Twitter is what you make it. It’s easy to jump into the blog with the headline like 5 Simple Ways to Use Twitter. Instead, focus on the broader concept of being in the Now with information from around the world. Discussing how people from all walks of life have benefited in their profession and their personal life. Marketing Edge listeners and reader, register for the 140 Conference using the promo code MarketingEdge for a $100 credit toward your registration to the 140 Conference. I look forward to spending two days at the conference moderating a panel at this dynamic conference. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-31,24634150 Sun, 31 May 2009 16:08:29 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24627491-Using-Experts-to-Get-Better-Media-Coverage Time 15:00 Bruce Zanca, SVP and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Bankrate INC, has spent his career reconciling the agendas of journalist with clients, (e.g. employer). In his current position, he has connected the dots between PR and revenue. Bankrate is a media content platform that raises revenue through advertising and the number of eyeballs on the site are increased with the more valuable information about personal finance the site has and other media carry information originated by Bankrate Inc. Brankrate.com is in the top ten personal finance websites with information from mortgage rates and car loans to Certificates of Deposit and credit card rates. It is also a resource for other financial and consumer media and bloggers. Bulldog Reporter Media Relations Summit 2009 Best Website - Business/Consumer Gold Winner Bruce Zanca, Kayleen Keneally, Chris Spagnuolo Bankrate, Inc for Bankrate, Inc “Bankrate.com’s 2008 Checking Study” In this “Soun... Time 15:00 Bruce Zanca, SVP and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Bankrate INC, has spent his career reconciling the agendas of journalist with clients, (e.g. employer). In his current position, he has connected the dots between PR and revenue. Bankrate is a media content platform that raises revenue through advertising and the number of eyeballs on the site are increased with the more valuable information about personal finance the site has and other media carry information originated by Bankrate Inc. Brankrate.com is in the top ten personal finance websites with information from mortgage rates and car loans to Certificates of Deposit and credit card rates. It is also a resource for other financial and consumer media and bloggers. Bulldog Reporter Media Relations Summit 2009 Best Website - Business/Consumer Gold Winner Bruce Zanca, Kayleen Keneally, Chris Spagnuolo Bankrate, Inc for Bankrate, Inc “Bankrate.com’s 2008 Checking Study” In this “Soundbites From the Road” podcast, Zanca and I discuss the highlights of using experts to provide greater depth of information and analysis. This is a good follow-up to the Marketing Edge podcasts with author Paul Schempp of 5 Steps to Expert. We did a two part series with Dr. Schempp, part 1 5 Steps to Expert podcast posted on May 16 and part 2 featuring how experts continue to learn was posted on May 26 about developing experts within an organization for PR objectives. Zanca combined the use of a unique study Bankrate conducted, a financial industry analyst to provide commentary and depth of the study, and advanced top tier media interest (USA Today) that helped drive significant coverage of the topic. We put the pieces together in this Marketing Edge podcast. Last week, Bankrate won a Bulldog Reporter Gold Award for this program. The current PR dynamic of less reporters (layoffs and all) to do more work, and with greater exposure of company produced information, whether it’s a news release, blog post or podcast, getting high search result ranking, having a bull pen of experts to produce content is a prerequisite for sustained PR success. Time 15:00 Bruce Zanca, SVP and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Bankrate INC, has spent his career reconciling the agendas of journalist with clients, (e.g. employer). In his current position, he has connected the dots between PR and revenue. Bankrate is a media content platform that raises revenue through advertising and the number of eyeballs on the site are increased with the more valuable information about personal finance the site has and other media carry information originated by Bankrate Inc. Brankrate.com is in the top ten personal finance websites with information from mortgage rates and car loans to Certificates of Deposit and credit card rates. It is also a resource for other financial and consumer media and bloggers. Bulldog Reporter Media Relations Summit 2009 Best Website - Business/Consumer Gold Winner Bruce Zanca, Kayleen Keneally, Chris Spagnuolo Bankrate, Inc for Bankrate, Inc “Bankrate.com’s 2008 Checking Study” In this “Soundbites From the Road” podcast, Zanca and I discuss the highlights of using experts to provide greater depth of information and analysis. This is a good follow-up to the Marketing Edge podcasts with author Paul Schempp of 5 Steps to Expert. We did a two part series with Dr. Schempp, part 1 5 Steps to Expert podcast posted on May 16 and part 2 featuring how experts continue to learn was posted on May 26 about developing experts within an organization for PR objectives. Zanca combined the use of a unique study Bankrate conducted, a financial industry analyst to provide commentary and depth of the study, and advanced top tier media interest (USA Today) that helped drive significant coverage of the topic. We put the pieces together in this Marketing Edge podcast. Last week, Bankrate won a Bulldog Reporter Gold Award for this program. The current PR dynamic of less reporters (layoffs and all) to do more work, and with greater exposure of company produced information, whether it’s a news release, blog post or podcast, getting high search result ranking, having a bull pen of experts to produce content is a prerequisite for sustained PR success. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-29,24627491 Fri, 29 May 2009 12:39:45 -0700 no Marketing Edge public relations, PR, financial media, PR strategies, financial PR http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24610338-5-Steps-to-Expert-with-Paul-Schempp-%E2%80%93-Part-2 Time 26:11 I have featured this book 5 Steps to Expert on the Marketing Edge podcast because I believe developing experts within a company is essential to producing quality PR, media, and marketing information that can have a multiplier effect in social media. In this concluding podcast in the series Dr. Paul Schempp talks about the practicing proficiency and excelling to excellence, as the fourth and fifth steps to being an expert. We talk about how to identify experts, they may be the ones who don’t have all the answers in the group, but are always willing to consider other perspectives. EXPERTS AND NEW MEDIA As PR practitioners we need experts more than ever to fulfill our role to the organization. The reason is that just about all communications can now reach the public, not just the journalist and then the public, but directly to the public via search engines and RSS reader pick up. I just returned from speaking on a panel at the Media Relations Summit sponsored by Bulldog Repo... Time 26:11 I have featured this book 5 Steps to Expert on the Marketing Edge podcast because I believe developing experts within a company is essential to producing quality PR, media, and marketing information that can have a multiplier effect in social media. In this concluding podcast in the series Dr. Paul Schempp talks about the practicing proficiency and excelling to excellence, as the fourth and fifth steps to being an expert. We talk about how to identify experts, they may be the ones who don’t have all the answers in the group, but are always willing to consider other perspectives. EXPERTS AND NEW MEDIA As PR practitioners we need experts more than ever to fulfill our role to the organization. The reason is that just about all communications can now reach the public, not just the journalist and then the public, but directly to the public via search engines and RSS reader pick up. I just returned from speaking on a panel at the Media Relations Summit sponsored by Bulldog Reporter. Two topics were repeated across panels of editors and reporters, 1) too little time to receive pitches, especially those that are off topic of the recipient’s interest, and 2) Online assets are helpful in discovering resources and/or supplementing the multiple channels now required by media outlets. The channels editors and writers were referring to include blogs, podcasts, or videos that are a growing part of a media outlet’s online formats. Highlighting experts in an organization helps in the following ways: Identify issues that are not getting attention Establishing a perspective, perhaps a unique perspective that makes your organization different Gives greater details about the topic that may not be available from other sources Possibly provides a unique format for that information (I include formats like video, slideshare, audio, even widgets as a type of format to showcase the expert) You may be unsure when and how to showcase the experts in your organization. The standard thinking is either doing a news release, speech or pitching a feature story. Yes, it’s fine to keep those in the PR toolkit, but given the public will find the information they are looking for when they want it, (that public includes journalists) then it is advantageous to routinely seek out opportunities to showcase expertise. How and when to showcase the expert: Podcast/Vidcast series – excellent medium for a topic with enough depth to create an ongoing series of information, say 24 episodes of 5 minute segments, (weekly for 6 months) Piggybacking – speaking out on an item in the news with your own perspective. For example, many media outlets will follow items that are in USA Today, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. It is also common practice for people quoted in those stories to be sought out by other media to comment. Putting out a statement, media advisory, blog post, or “expert” video/audio that references those individuals (agreeing or disagreeing) may attract attention from the media, or at the very least get your page in the search rankings for the duration of that news cycle. Reaction Page – This is a page on your website, Facebook profile, Twitter landing page, that contains your organization’s commentary on items in the news whether they are major media big headline stories or something from regularly read blog. Some may say a blog serves this purpose, I’d agree. If there is enough going on in your universe, (see concept of embedded journalist for a definition of universe) then a separate page is a good idea to get people in the habit of knowing you have an expert opinion in those topic areas. I’m big on soundbites, they are easy to obtain with a phone call and edit. They showcase the expert and their personality in a quick and easy fashion (use a flash player on the page instead of forcing the listener to download or wait for a new window to open for the file.) You may not like the title “Reaction Page”, reacting seems like you are not leading, I understand, then change the title to something like “Our Take” I’ll have other examples in subsequent posts, but this should give you some ideas on how identifying and developing experts inside a company can have a major impact on the way you do PR inside the company or criteria on selecting an outside firm as a partner. @ThePlacetoBe - 140Conference I will be moderating a panel at the Jeff Pulver 140 Conference on Twitter June 16-17 in New York. The event is a fast-paced discussion of Twitter, it’s impact on society, business, advertising, and politics. The guest list is entertaining, thoughtful, and insightful. Time 26:11 I have featured this book 5 Steps to Expert on the Marketing Edge podcast because I believe developing experts within a company is essential to producing quality PR, media, and marketing information that can have a multiplier effect in social media. In this concluding podcast in the series Dr. Paul Schempp talks about the practicing proficiency and excelling to excellence, as the fourth and fifth steps to being an expert. We talk about how to identify experts, they may be the ones who don’t have all the answers in the group, but are always willing to consider other perspectives. EXPERTS AND NEW MEDIA As PR practitioners we need experts more than ever to fulfill our role to the organization. The reason is that just about all communications can now reach the public, not just the journalist and then the public, but directly to the public via search engines and RSS reader pick up. I just returned from speaking on a panel at the Media Relations Summit sponsored by Bulldog Reporter. Two topics were repeated across panels of editors and reporters, 1) too little time to receive pitches, especially those that are off topic of the recipient’s interest, and 2) Online assets are helpful in discovering resources and/or supplementing the multiple channels now required by media outlets. The channels editors and writers were referring to include blogs, podcasts, or videos that are a growing part of a media outlet’s online formats. Highlighting experts in an organization helps in the following ways: Identify issues that are not getting attention Establishing a perspective, perhaps a unique perspective that makes your organization different Gives greater details about the topic that may not be available from other sources Possibly provides a unique format for that information (I include formats like video, slideshare, audio, even widgets as a type of format to showcase the expert) You may be unsure when and how to showcase the experts in your organization. The standard thinking is either doing a news release, speech or pitching a feature story. Yes, it’s fine to keep those in the PR toolkit, but given the public will find the information they are looking for when they want it, (that public includes journalists) then it is advantageous to routinely seek out opportunities to showcase expertise. How and when to showcase the expert: Podcast/Vidcast series – excellent medium for a topic with enough depth to create an ongoing series of information, say 24 episodes of 5 minute segments, (weekly for 6 months) Piggybacking – speaking out on an item in the news with your own perspective. For example, many media outlets will follow items that are in USA Today, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. It is also common practice for people quoted in those stories to be sought out by other media to comment. Putting out a statement, media advisory, blog post, or “expert” video/audio that references those individuals (agreeing or disagreeing) may attract attention from the media, or at the very least get your page in the search rankings for the duration of that news cycle. Reaction Page – This is a page on your website, Facebook profile, Twitter landing page, that contains your organization’s commentary on items in the news whether they are major media big headline stories or something from regularly read blog. Some may say a blog serves this purpose, I’d agree. If there is enough going on in your universe, (see concept of embedded journalist for a definition of universe) then a separate page is a good idea to get people in the habit of knowing you have an expert opinion in those topic areas. I’m big on soundbites, they are easy to obtain with a phone call and edit. They showcase the expert and their personality in a quick and easy fashion (use a flash player on the page instead of forcing the listener to download or wait for a new window to open for the file.) You may not like the title “Reaction Page”, reacting seems like you are not leading, I understand, then change the title to something like “Our Take” I’ll have other examples in subsequent posts, but this should give you some ideas on how identifying and developing experts inside a company can have a major impact on the way you do PR inside the company or criteria on selecting an outside firm as a partner. @ThePlacetoBe - 140Conference I will be moderating a panel at the Jeff Pulver 140 Conference on Twitter June 16-17 in New York. The event is a fast-paced discussion of Twitter, it’s impact on society, business, advertising, and politics. The guest list is entertaining, thoughtful, and insightful. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-26,24610338 Tue, 26 May 2009 07:29:03 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24600233-Embarq-%E2%80%93ing-on-Social-Media-at-a-Fortune-500-Company Time 8:38 Embarq, a Fortune 500 telecommunications company, had a strategic mission to establish its own identity after it broke away from Sprint and a tactical objective to convert dial-up internet customers to subscribe to high-speed. They used a creative YouTube approach combined with other integrated marketing for the high-speed conversion, and embarked on a company-wide adoption of social media to contribute to its strategic goals. This was not a pilot project, nor isolated to a single department. Embarq, and its social media early adopter team, understood any move into social media with these objectives would touch every aspect of the company. Once the team accepted the mission, it became clear this would be a long effort that included, education, adoption by senior management, acceptance of new tasks by individuals responsible for executing participation on social media, and agreement on new metrics incorporated with standard measurements that would allow the company’s cultur... Time 8:38 Embarq, a Fortune 500 telecommunications company, had a strategic mission to establish its own identity after it broke away from Sprint and a tactical objective to convert dial-up internet customers to subscribe to high-speed. They used a creative YouTube approach combined with other integrated marketing for the high-speed conversion, and embarked on a company-wide adoption of social media to contribute to its strategic goals. This was not a pilot project, nor isolated to a single department. Embarq, and its social media early adopter team, understood any move into social media with these objectives would touch every aspect of the company. Once the team accepted the mission, it became clear this would be a long effort that included, education, adoption by senior management, acceptance of new tasks by individuals responsible for executing participation on social media, and agreement on new metrics incorporated with standard measurements that would allow the company’s culture to become more social. In some ways, when social media is taken on by the marketing team, it can be viewed as a tactic limited to marketing. This narrow view may work for a company to test the social media waters, however, it may also be a pigeon hole from which social media and its practitioners may never emerge further in the company. To implement social media the way Embarq as done is to accept that social media is horizontal across a company impacting customer service, sales, product development, legal, investor relations, among other functions within a company as large as Embarq. In my series “Soundbites from the Road” we talk to Zena Weist, Interactive Brand Strategist at Embarq and on of the social media team members. They presented a session at NewComm Forum, a conference produced by the Society for New Communications Research, about the two year experience implementing social media at Embarq. Zena and I discussed the need to get buy-in from all departments that may be impacted in a horizontal social media program to increase its chances for success. Embaq Social Media Team Leaders and their Twitter profiles. Linda O’Neill, Customer Service General Manager, @lindaoneill Joey Harper, Customer Service Online Outreach Lead, @EMBARQ_Joey Kevin Cobb, Interactive Brand Marketing Manager, @kevinjcobb Zena Weist, Interactive Brand Strategy Manager, @zenaweist Time 8:38 Embarq, a Fortune 500 telecommunications company, had a strategic mission to establish its own identity after it broke away from Sprint and a tactical objective to convert dial-up internet customers to subscribe to high-speed. They used a creative YouTube approach combined with other integrated marketing for the high-speed conversion, and embarked on a company-wide adoption of social media to contribute to its strategic goals. This was not a pilot project, nor isolated to a single department. Embarq, and its social media early adopter team, understood any move into social media with these objectives would touch every aspect of the company. Once the team accepted the mission, it became clear this would be a long effort that included, education, adoption by senior management, acceptance of new tasks by individuals responsible for executing participation on social media, and agreement on new metrics incorporated with standard measurements that would allow the company’s culture to become more social. In some ways, when social media is taken on by the marketing team, it can be viewed as a tactic limited to marketing. This narrow view may work for a company to test the social media waters, however, it may also be a pigeon hole from which social media and its practitioners may never emerge further in the company. To implement social media the way Embarq as done is to accept that social media is horizontal across a company impacting customer service, sales, product development, legal, investor relations, among other functions within a company as large as Embarq. In my series “Soundbites from the Road” we talk to Zena Weist, Interactive Brand Strategist at Embarq and on of the social media team members. They presented a session at NewComm Forum, a conference produced by the Society for New Communications Research, about the two year experience implementing social media at Embarq. Zena and I discussed the need to get buy-in from all departments that may be impacted in a horizontal social media program to increase its chances for success. Embaq Social Media Team Leaders and their Twitter profiles. Linda O’Neill, Customer Service General Manager, @lindaoneill Joey Harper, Customer Service Online Outreach Lead, @EMBARQ_Joey Kevin Cobb, Interactive Brand Marketing Manager, @kevinjcobb Zena Weist, Interactive Brand Strategy Manager, @zenaweist tag:odeo.com,2009-05-23,24600233 Sat, 23 May 2009 09:19:34 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, social media, Enterprise social media, Fortune 500 social media http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24571930-5-Steps-to-Expert-with-Paul-Schempp-Part-1 Time 21;27 As more of the practice of PR becomes exposed to all of the public, and not just the segmented silos of the past, it is important for corporate PR and marketing practitioners to change their perspective as well. A company that views how it makes news, not just by what it does, but by the contributions it can make to their industry and community, will have ample opportunities to get attention. In this perspective, the main challenge is to identify the experts in their company matching the right expertise, personality, and talent with the medium and venue. This perspective led me to writing about the concept of the embedded corporate journalist where the company considers public commentary it can make about external events. Not just the standard new product or customer release, but commentary about issues affecting the larger world in which that company lives. While developing this concept I came across the book 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp. In it, he outlines ways to ... Time 21;27 As more of the practice of PR becomes exposed to all of the public, and not just the segmented silos of the past, it is important for corporate PR and marketing practitioners to change their perspective as well. A company that views how it makes news, not just by what it does, but by the contributions it can make to their industry and community, will have ample opportunities to get attention. In this perspective, the main challenge is to identify the experts in their company matching the right expertise, personality, and talent with the medium and venue. This perspective led me to writing about the concept of the embedded corporate journalist where the company considers public commentary it can make about external events. Not just the standard new product or customer release, but commentary about issues affecting the larger world in which that company lives. While developing this concept I came across the book 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp. In it, he outlines ways to become an expert and the qualities you will find in people who are at the top of their field. I turned his concept clockwise about 90 degrees and applied it to corporate PR as a helpful aide in finding experts in their companies. Using the characteristics in Schempp’s book, it may stimulate thinking in finding venues to showcase experts to contribute to issues in the news. It is also quite valuable in developing a dynamic to personal and professional growth. I found it to be an exceptional read with plenty of interactive worksheets that make the book a one-on-one experience. Schempp is an interesting expert himself. He coaches golfers on the PGA and European tours, is a scientific consultant to Golf Digest, a professor at the University of Georgia, and president of Performance Matters, Inc. He speaks and counsels companies frequently which made him a wonderful guest for the Marketing Edge podcast. This is the first of two parts, the second part will run next week The Marketing Edge comment line is 206-600-6887 and Provident Partners will donate a food item for every comment we get on the blog below or to the comment line. Time 21;27 As more of the practice of PR becomes exposed to all of the public, and not just the segmented silos of the past, it is important for corporate PR and marketing practitioners to change their perspective as well. A company that views how it makes news, not just by what it does, but by the contributions it can make to their industry and community, will have ample opportunities to get attention. In this perspective, the main challenge is to identify the experts in their company matching the right expertise, personality, and talent with the medium and venue. This perspective led me to writing about the concept of the embedded corporate journalist where the company considers public commentary it can make about external events. Not just the standard new product or customer release, but commentary about issues affecting the larger world in which that company lives. While developing this concept I came across the book 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp. In it, he outlines ways to become an expert and the qualities you will find in people who are at the top of their field. I turned his concept clockwise about 90 degrees and applied it to corporate PR as a helpful aide in finding experts in their companies. Using the characteristics in Schempp’s book, it may stimulate thinking in finding venues to showcase experts to contribute to issues in the news. It is also quite valuable in developing a dynamic to personal and professional growth. I found it to be an exceptional read with plenty of interactive worksheets that make the book a one-on-one experience. Schempp is an interesting expert himself. He coaches golfers on the PGA and European tours, is a scientific consultant to Golf Digest, a professor at the University of Georgia, and president of Performance Matters, Inc. He speaks and counsels companies frequently which made him a wonderful guest for the Marketing Edge podcast. This is the first of two parts, the second part will run next week The Marketing Edge comment line is 206-600-6887 and Provident Partners will donate a food item for every comment we get on the blog below or to the comment line. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-16,24571930 Sat, 16 May 2009 20:40:23 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, public relations, business podcast, PR http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24560166-Make-Crisis-Communications-Routine-%E2%80%93-Then-It%E2%80%99s-Not-a-Crisis Time 10:57 This podcast is part of my conference circuit of “Soundbites From The Road.” It was a conversation I had with Shel Holtz about crisis communications while we attended the Society for New Communications Research New Comm Forum in April. In the age of real-time news cycles, and where anyone has access to global information distribution, it can feel like the tail wagging the dog. A crisis, or what seems like a crisis, can pop up at any time. The key is determining what a crisis is and what’s not. My definition of a PR crisis is when something happens, either external or self-inflicted, that can damage your brand which requires your immediate attention. Plenty of other more formal crisis communications definitions exist. Sure there are minor dust ups, the Motrin Moms I’d classify as minor compared to say the Tylenol tampering case in 1982, that was a full blown crisis. Maruggi’s 5 rules in a PR crisis Quick to acknowledge Timely to act accurately Talk straight Remember long t... Time 10:57 This podcast is part of my conference circuit of “Soundbites From The Road.” It was a conversation I had with Shel Holtz about crisis communications while we attended the Society for New Communications Research New Comm Forum in April. In the age of real-time news cycles, and where anyone has access to global information distribution, it can feel like the tail wagging the dog. A crisis, or what seems like a crisis, can pop up at any time. The key is determining what a crisis is and what’s not. My definition of a PR crisis is when something happens, either external or self-inflicted, that can damage your brand which requires your immediate attention. Plenty of other more formal crisis communications definitions exist. Sure there are minor dust ups, the Motrin Moms I’d classify as minor compared to say the Tylenol tampering case in 1982, that was a full blown crisis. Maruggi’s 5 rules in a PR crisis Quick to acknowledge Timely to act accurately Talk straight Remember long term brand value is worth more than the cost of situation Help is more important than blame I believe it was Don Shula who said to a player who celebrated his touchdown with an exuberant end zone dance “Act like you been there before.” In similar fashion, by having crisis PR drills once or twice a year with senior executives, if or when a true crisis occurs, you will reduce the “freeze” factor by having confronted a crisis situation in the past. To set you in the right mood, I suggest you set your drill dates to coincide with one of the anniversaries of PR disasters below. You can also drill against the case studies of these historical events implementing or comparing your actions to the lessons learn from them. Top 9 PR Crisis Commuincations Situations 1. Bophal disaster Union Carbide - December 3,1984,  2. Enron - December 2, 2001 - This is the day Enron filed for bankruptcy after misleading investors and the public for years. (this is not a crisis in the true sense because there was really no brand to preserve, however, I do find this story fascinating for those left to handle the onslaught of media) 3. Tylenol - September 29, 1982 - I use this date because it was the date of the first death of cyanide laced Tylenol, however, if you wish you can use October 4 as the date, which is what is reported as the first big meeting of what to do about the deaths all from Chicago, or October 6 which is the date of the nation-wide recall. Take your pick. This is an interesting scenario because this is lauded as a classic case of crisis PR, but in my review there are some interesting facts to this case. 4. Exxon Valdez – March 24, 1989 – This one is a doozy, it has everything, Big Oil, a drinking sailor, faulty government policy, and questionable corporate reaction 5. United Airlines Flight 232 - July 19, 1989 - I use this because it was both a tragic and a heroic story. 6. Dan Rather’s Memogate - September 8, 2001 - airdate of forged memo story on 60 Minutes. This was submitted by Chip Griffin on Twitter @chipgriffin 7. The United States of America - September 11, 2001 – In so many dimensions this was a crisis of few equals. Here is the most comprehensive 9/11 timeline of that tragic day. 8. Dell – for the Dell Hell Crisis – June 21, 2005 – This is the best my review can come up with unless Jeff Javis wants to add some more detail here. This was submitted by John Cass on Twitter @johncass 9. Jet Blue – Valentine’s Day Crisis February 14, 2007 – While Jet Blue was praised for it’s response by then CEO David Neeleman I was not as impressed. I believe video has a lot of non-verbal communication going on. In this video I didn’t get a sense of confidence as a guy in control. More on this on a post about the Jet Blue reaction to Valentine’s Day crisis, I did around the time of the issue. I’ve posted only 9 so you can fill in the remaining one, I mean every list needs 10 right? Time 10:57 This podcast is part of my conference circuit of “Soundbites From The Road.” It was a conversation I had with Shel Holtz about crisis communications while we attended the Society for New Communications Research New Comm Forum in April. In the age of real-time news cycles, and where anyone has access to global information distribution, it can feel like the tail wagging the dog. A crisis, or what seems like a crisis, can pop up at any time. The key is determining what a crisis is and what’s not. My definition of a PR crisis is when something happens, either external or self-inflicted, that can damage your brand which requires your immediate attention. Plenty of other more formal crisis communications definitions exist. Sure there are minor dust ups, the Motrin Moms I’d classify as minor compared to say the Tylenol tampering case in 1982, that was a full blown crisis. Maruggi’s 5 rules in a PR crisis Quick to acknowledge Timely to act accurately Talk straight Remember long term brand value is worth more than the cost of situation Help is more important than blame I believe it was Don Shula who said to a player who celebrated his touchdown with an exuberant end zone dance “Act like you been there before.” In similar fashion, by having crisis PR drills once or twice a year with senior executives, if or when a true crisis occurs, you will reduce the “freeze” factor by having confronted a crisis situation in the past. To set you in the right mood, I suggest you set your drill dates to coincide with one of the anniversaries of PR disasters below. You can also drill against the case studies of these historical events implementing or comparing your actions to the lessons learn from them. Top 9 PR Crisis Commuincations Situations 1. Bophal disaster Union Carbide - December 3,1984,  2. Enron - December 2, 2001 - This is the day Enron filed for bankruptcy after misleading investors and the public for years. (this is not a crisis in the true sense because there was really no brand to preserve, however, I do find this story fascinating for those left to handle the onslaught of media) 3. Tylenol - September 29, 1982 - I use this date because it was the date of the first death of cyanide laced Tylenol, however, if you wish you can use October 4 as the date, which is what is reported as the first big meeting of what to do about the deaths all from Chicago, or October 6 which is the date of the nation-wide recall. Take your pick. This is an interesting scenario because this is lauded as a classic case of crisis PR, but in my review there are some interesting facts to this case. 4. Exxon Valdez – March 24, 1989 – This one is a doozy, it has everything, Big Oil, a drinking sailor, faulty government policy, and questionable corporate reaction 5. United Airlines Flight 232 - July 19, 1989 - I use this because it was both a tragic and a heroic story. 6. Dan Rather’s Memogate - September 8, 2001 - airdate of forged memo story on 60 Minutes. This was submitted by Chip Griffin on Twitter @chipgriffin 7. The United States of America - September 11, 2001 – In so many dimensions this was a crisis of few equals. Here is the most comprehensive 9/11 timeline of that tragic day. 8. Dell – for the Dell Hell Crisis – June 21, 2005 – This is the best my review can come up with unless Jeff Javis wants to add some more detail here. This was submitted by John Cass on Twitter @johncass 9. Jet Blue – Valentine’s Day Crisis February 14, 2007 – While Jet Blue was praised for it’s response by then CEO David Neeleman I was not as impressed. I believe video has a lot of non-verbal communication going on. In this video I didn’t get a sense of confidence as a guy in control. More on this on a post about the Jet Blue reaction to Valentine’s Day crisis, I did around the time of the issue. I’ve posted only 9 so you can fill in the remaining one, I mean every list needs 10 right? tag:odeo.com,2009-05-14,24560166 Thu, 14 May 2009 21:33:30 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24560168-Patient-Blogging-A-Big-Help-When-Done-in-Context A large thank you to my guests, Dr. Jeffery Segal of Medical Justice and Amy Tenderich of Diabetes Mine, for their appearance on Social Media Throwdown – Should Patients Blog About Their Doctors. To listen to the program click the play arrow on the player above. I also thank all those that tweeted comments from the hashtag #hcmktg. The conversation focused on three elements, 1) patients blogging, 2) health rating sites, and 3) disease community sites and their impact on healthcare. On the issue of patients blogging about their doctors, the Medical Justice position is that single negative comments can be ruinous to the reputation of a physician when viewed in either isolation, the blogger is anonymous, or the full story is not disclosed. They essentially are not looking to curtail speech but recognize in many situations half a story can be misleading. As Dr. Segal mentioned on the show, he’d rather have physicians work in conjunction with patients to encourage more of them to blog so... A large thank you to my guests, Dr. Jeffery Segal of Medical Justice and Amy Tenderich of Diabetes Mine, for their appearance on Social Media Throwdown – Should Patients Blog About Their Doctors. To listen to the program click the play arrow on the player above. I also thank all those that tweeted comments from the hashtag #hcmktg. The conversation focused on three elements, 1) patients blogging, 2) health rating sites, and 3) disease community sites and their impact on healthcare. On the issue of patients blogging about their doctors, the Medical Justice position is that single negative comments can be ruinous to the reputation of a physician when viewed in either isolation, the blogger is anonymous, or the full story is not disclosed. They essentially are not looking to curtail speech but recognize in many situations half a story can be misleading. As Dr. Segal mentioned on the show, he’d rather have physicians work in conjunction with patients to encourage more of them to blog so that the reader can form an opinion based on more instances rather than less. Even Tenderich, a dedicated blogger advocate in healthcare, believes patients who blog about their healthcare experiences should do so with some rules, a Patient Blogger Code of Ethics, starting with never blogging anonymously. Her blog Diabetes Mine has turned into a resource for innovation and support for patients and caregivers of diabetes. One example is the Diabetes Mine Design Challenge an online competition of products to improve living with diabetes. A winner for this year will be announced later this month. I invite healthcare marketers and PR practitioners to listen to this edition of Social Media Throwdown. I found the discussion provided insights into how patients can become part of the information pool about healthcare delivery promotion and delivery improvement. Getting beyond the lightening rod issues of stifling or at the very least structuring patient commentary, the idea advocated by Dr. Segal of a shared risk among patient and physician may well be the future of healthcare. In the show he cites an example of a woman with breast cancer who also wants to have a child, seeking a physician with whom she can work with to achieve her goals. As more information is available online, physician ratings becoming more comprehensive, perhaps even standardized, the concept of taking an active part in physician selection as opposed to being directed to see specific physician, will be commonly accepted by younger generations. This concept is right in line with the generational trend to be in greater control, whether it’s online music, travel arrangements, banking, or healthcare, the trend is for a more engaged, informed consumer who also has the ability to share their experience, good, bad, or indifferent. _________________________________________________ Speaking Appearances: Media Relations Summit – New York City -May 18 – 19 - Highlighting the ways companies can use multimedia to secure media relations. Jeff Pulver’s #140 Conf – New York City - June 16 – 17 – Ways Twitter is impacting, business, advertising, media, and democracy Midwest Society of Association Executives – Minneapolis – June 2 – Twitter Smart Medium or Time Waster? American Hospital Association – Orlando, FL – September 30 – Using Social Media in Healthcare A large thank you to my guests, Dr. Jeffery Segal of Medical Justice and Amy Tenderich of Diabetes Mine, for their appearance on Social Media Throwdown – Should Patients Blog About Their Doctors. To listen to the program click the play arrow on the player above. I also thank all those that tweeted comments from the hashtag #hcmktg. The conversation focused on three elements, 1) patients blogging, 2) health rating sites, and 3) disease community sites and their impact on healthcare. On the issue of patients blogging about their doctors, the Medical Justice position is that single negative comments can be ruinous to the reputation of a physician when viewed in either isolation, the blogger is anonymous, or the full story is not disclosed. They essentially are not looking to curtail speech but recognize in many situations half a story can be misleading. As Dr. Segal mentioned on the show, he’d rather have physicians work in conjunction with patients to encourage more of them to blog so that the reader can form an opinion based on more instances rather than less. Even Tenderich, a dedicated blogger advocate in healthcare, believes patients who blog about their healthcare experiences should do so with some rules, a Patient Blogger Code of Ethics, starting with never blogging anonymously. Her blog Diabetes Mine has turned into a resource for innovation and support for patients and caregivers of diabetes. One example is the Diabetes Mine Design Challenge an online competition of products to improve living with diabetes. A winner for this year will be announced later this month. I invite healthcare marketers and PR practitioners to listen to this edition of Social Media Throwdown. I found the discussion provided insights into how patients can become part of the information pool about healthcare delivery promotion and delivery improvement. Getting beyond the lightening rod issues of stifling or at the very least structuring patient commentary, the idea advocated by Dr. Segal of a shared risk among patient and physician may well be the future of healthcare. In the show he cites an example of a woman with breast cancer who also wants to have a child, seeking a physician with whom she can work with to achieve her goals. As more information is available online, physician ratings becoming more comprehensive, perhaps even standardized, the concept of taking an active part in physician selection as opposed to being directed to see specific physician, will be commonly accepted by younger generations. This concept is right in line with the generational trend to be in greater control, whether it’s online music, travel arrangements, banking, or healthcare, the trend is for a more engaged, informed consumer who also has the ability to share their experience, good, bad, or indifferent. _________________________________________________ Speaking Appearances: Media Relations Summit – New York City -May 18 – 19 - Highlighting the ways companies can use multimedia to secure media relations. Jeff Pulver’s #140 Conf – New York City - June 16 – 17 – Ways Twitter is impacting, business, advertising, media, and democracy Midwest Society of Association Executives – Minneapolis – June 2 – Twitter Smart Medium or Time Waster? American Hospital Association – Orlando, FL – September 30 – Using Social Media in Healthcare tag:odeo.com,2009-05-09,24560168 Sat, 09 May 2009 11:29:52 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, healthcare, gag order, patient blogging http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25083651-ROI-of-Anything-%E2%80%93-Good-Discipline-Bad-Crutch Time 5:17 The next three posts are conversations I had while attending the NewComm Forum of the Society for New Communications Research and the In-Bound Marketing Summit last week in San Francisco. Return on Investment is a topic that gets tons of coverage, plenty of players (Radian6, Techrigy, Buzzlogic) and plenty of others and an endless amount of ROI eye candy, (10 ROI Charts in a pinch, just for the fun of it. ) Everyone can use a little ROI just to compare effective tactics at the very least according to globally recognized analyst Charlene Li, founder of the Altimeter Group. In this podcast we chat about the value of ROI and the value of not being handcuffed by the most common three letters in business. I’m not opposed to ROI, I am, however, suggesting that sometimes it can hamper innovation. It can focus an entire organization on trees while missing the forest. An interesting comment that I use to support this point is a recent comment during a TED talk in this video below b... Time 5:17 The next three posts are conversations I had while attending the NewComm Forum of the Society for New Communications Research and the In-Bound Marketing Summit last week in San Francisco. Return on Investment is a topic that gets tons of coverage, plenty of players (Radian6, Techrigy, Buzzlogic) and plenty of others and an endless amount of ROI eye candy, (10 ROI Charts in a pinch, just for the fun of it. ) Everyone can use a little ROI just to compare effective tactics at the very least according to globally recognized analyst Charlene Li, founder of the Altimeter Group. In this podcast we chat about the value of ROI and the value of not being handcuffed by the most common three letters in business. I’m not opposed to ROI, I am, however, suggesting that sometimes it can hamper innovation. It can focus an entire organization on trees while missing the forest. An interesting comment that I use to support this point is a recent comment during a TED talk in this video below by Evan Williams, founder of Twitter. He talks about Twitter being started as a side project when he was building a different company Odeo. No ROI, no particular strategic end game, just a side project on SMS and text messaging. Nine million users, plus Oprah, later, people are stilling coming up with ways to use Twitter. Time 5:17 The next three posts are conversations I had while attending the NewComm Forum of the Society for New Communications Research and the In-Bound Marketing Summit last week in San Francisco. Return on Investment is a topic that gets tons of coverage, plenty of players (Radian6, Techrigy, Buzzlogic) and plenty of others and an endless amount of ROI eye candy, (10 ROI Charts in a pinch, just for the fun of it. ) Everyone can use a little ROI just to compare effective tactics at the very least according to globally recognized analyst Charlene Li, founder of the Altimeter Group. In this podcast we chat about the value of ROI and the value of not being handcuffed by the most common three letters in business. I’m not opposed to ROI, I am, however, suggesting that sometimes it can hamper innovation. It can focus an entire organization on trees while missing the forest. An interesting comment that I use to support this point is a recent comment during a TED talk in this video below by Evan Williams, founder of Twitter. He talks about Twitter being started as a side project when he was building a different company Odeo. No ROI, no particular strategic end game, just a side project on SMS and text messaging. Nine million users, plus Oprah, later, people are stilling coming up with ways to use Twitter. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-02,25083651 Sat, 02 May 2009 15:31:39 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, social media, innovation, measurement, ROI http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24530289-ROI-of-Anything-Good-Discipline-Bad-Crutch Time 5:17 The next three posts are conversations I had while attending the NewComm Forum of the Society for New Communications Research and the In-Bound Marketing Summit last week in San Francisco. Return on Investment is a topic that gets tons of coverage, plenty of players (Radian6, Techrigy, Buzzlogic) and plenty of others and an endless amount of ROI eye candy, (10 ROI Charts in a pinch, just for the fun of it. ) Everyone can use a little ROI just to compare effective tactics at the very least according to globally recognized analyst Charlene Li, founder of the Altimeter Group. In this podcast we chat about the value of ROI and the value of not being handcuffed by the most common three letters in business. I’m not opposed to ROI, I am, however, suggesting that sometimes it can hamper innovation. It can focus an entire organization on trees while missing the forest. An interesting comment that I use to support this point is a recent comment during a TED talk in this video below b... Time 5:17 The next three posts are conversations I had while attending the NewComm Forum of the Society for New Communications Research and the In-Bound Marketing Summit last week in San Francisco. Return on Investment is a topic that gets tons of coverage, plenty of players (Radian6, Techrigy, Buzzlogic) and plenty of others and an endless amount of ROI eye candy, (10 ROI Charts in a pinch, just for the fun of it. ) Everyone can use a little ROI just to compare effective tactics at the very least according to globally recognized analyst Charlene Li, founder of the Altimeter Group. In this podcast we chat about the value of ROI and the value of not being handcuffed by the most common three letters in business. I’m not opposed to ROI, I am, however, suggesting that sometimes it can hamper innovation. It can focus an entire organization on trees while missing the forest. An interesting comment that I use to support this point is a recent comment during a TED talk in this video below by Evan Williams, founder of Twitter. He talks about Twitter being started as a side project when he was building a different company Odeo. No ROI, no particular strategic end game, just a side project on SMS and text messaging. Nine million users, plus Oprah, later, people are stilling coming up with ways to use Twitter. Time 5:17 The next three posts are conversations I had while attending the NewComm Forum of the Society for New Communications Research and the In-Bound Marketing Summit last week in San Francisco. Return on Investment is a topic that gets tons of coverage, plenty of players (Radian6, Techrigy, Buzzlogic) and plenty of others and an endless amount of ROI eye candy, (10 ROI Charts in a pinch, just for the fun of it. ) Everyone can use a little ROI just to compare effective tactics at the very least according to globally recognized analyst Charlene Li, founder of the Altimeter Group. In this podcast we chat about the value of ROI and the value of not being handcuffed by the most common three letters in business. I’m not opposed to ROI, I am, however, suggesting that sometimes it can hamper innovation. It can focus an entire organization on trees while missing the forest. An interesting comment that I use to support this point is a recent comment during a TED talk in this video below by Evan Williams, founder of Twitter. He talks about Twitter being started as a side project when he was building a different company Odeo. No ROI, no particular strategic end game, just a side project on SMS and text messaging. Nine million users, plus Oprah, later, people are stilling coming up with ways to use Twitter. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-02,24530289 Sat, 02 May 2009 15:31:39 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, social media, innovation, measurement, ROI http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25369453-A-New-Form-of-Corporate-PR-The-Embedded-Journalist Time 23:45 Golf is like social media, when you play with good players your game gets better. In reading and conversing with colleagues like David Meerman Scott, (World Wide Rave) Geoff Livingston, (Now is Gone) and Brian Solis (Putting the Public Back in Public Relations) you are bound to come up with a few good ideas. Brian Solis and I discuss a few of them in this podcast about the changes in PR and revising your organization to address those changes. I come to this idea of an embedded corporate journalist as the result of accepting two premises 1) The public appreciates candid companies, and 2) companies can afford and have access to all communications formats (video, audio, and print) at essentially zero cost for information distribution. In this environment companies can be successful at public relations if they engage in public relations. That is if they view their company as part of a universe, not the center of the universe. I refer to universe here as being the larger categ... Time 23:45 Golf is like social media, when you play with good players your game gets better. In reading and conversing with colleagues like David Meerman Scott, (World Wide Rave) Geoff Livingston, (Now is Gone) and Brian Solis (Putting the Public Back in Public Relations) you are bound to come up with a few good ideas. Brian Solis and I discuss a few of them in this podcast about the changes in PR and revising your organization to address those changes. I come to this idea of an embedded corporate journalist as the result of accepting two premises 1) The public appreciates candid companies, and 2) companies can afford and have access to all communications formats (video, audio, and print) at essentially zero cost for information distribution. In this environment companies can be successful at public relations if they engage in public relations. That is if they view their company as part of a universe, not the center of the universe. I refer to universe here as being the larger category of which that company is a part, it could be industry, job discipline, scientific community, that kind of universe. With this company newsroom perspective on the universe, there are considerably more opportunities to comment on news going on in the universe. Things like government regulations and economic or trade reports are fair game for you to make a newsworthy contribution. Scientific advancements, industry trends, and other events in the news are all likely examples of places to make a thoughtful contribution. This brings me to the embedded journalist. A journalist mentality looks at the big picture and focuses in on detailed elements of the picture. It is a mentality of describing how things relate to each other, not just how things relate to buying my widget. To have this perspective inside a company in today’s environment is an asset. Over the years I have believed one of my biggest faults as a PR person was that I was a former journalist. Today I’ve reversed that belief and embrace my journalistic roots. This perspective inside a company combined with a senior management team who embraces the two premises above, will achieve the following: Greater candor and with it credibility More opportunities to be heard Greater exposure to audiences that are involved in your universe A company can deploy an embed journalist in many ways, someone on staff or on contract, that’s a budget issue. The more important point here is not the journalist person per se, but the way the company looks at information in its universe. For example, during a typical staff meeting are people looking outward for opportunities to participate, not just whether you have software version 7.1 coming out or whether XYZ company just became a new client. See what is going on in the universe and match it to expertise, information, thoughtful opinions among those in the company to make a contribution. Those contributions can take many forms, blogs, comments on blogs, presentations, news releases, videos, podcasts, and many others. And to answer the question up front, Does this mean we report negative news? Yes, objectively, fairly and without the sensational headlines to boot. See there is an upside to an embedded journalist reporting negative news, you don’t need “sky is falling” headlines to sell papers, to fight the paparazzi, or compete with alien abductions at the checkout line. Another bonus, you can tell the whole story, you just need to tell it straight. An interesting way to do this is with Pitch Engine. It is a platform to build social media news releases and get you thinking differently about news and the other audiences that will consume that information. This is not a replacement for wire service distribution, it’s a way to build in a process to form your message in a socially-friendly way. Sometimes I think consultants (guilty) make a big deal about little things. I appreciate the social media news release for what it is, a neat package of information that advances a point with plenty of footnotes (links, videos, images, etc) to deeper associated content that is handy if you want more information, and a way to share this information with others (social distribution e.g. Stumble Upon, Facebook, Twitter etc). It’s kind of like your thesis paper in college with footnotes, references and a bibliography. You get that paper back and you got an A. Then you share that paper with others who borrow ideas, (what! Tell me you didn’t do that in college.) add their own perspective, and now we are back to the beginning of our story – being social will improve your game. See you at NewComm Forum Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price. The conference is being held April 27-29 in San Francisco. OR Business Smart Tools This half day session is in Stamford, CT, I have two tickets to give away to Marketing Edge readers, be the first to email me and we’ll get you there. Send the email to MarketingEdge AT ProvidentPartners DOT net with Business Smart Tools in the subject line. This event is being held May 5. Time 23:45 Golf is like social media, when you play with good players your game gets better. In reading and conversing with colleagues like David Meerman Scott, (World Wide Rave) Geoff Livingston, (Now is Gone) and Brian Solis (Putting the Public Back in Public Relations) you are bound to come up with a few good ideas. Brian Solis and I discuss a few of them in this podcast about the changes in PR and revising your organization to address those changes. I come to this idea of an embedded corporate journalist as the result of accepting two premises 1) The public appreciates candid companies, and 2) companies can afford and have access to all communications formats (video, audio, and print) at essentially zero cost for information distribution. In this environment companies can be successful at public relations if they engage in public relations. That is if they view their company as part of a universe, not the center of the universe. I refer to universe here as being the larger category of which that company is a part, it could be industry, job discipline, scientific community, that kind of universe. With this company newsroom perspective on the universe, there are considerably more opportunities to comment on news going on in the universe. Things like government regulations and economic or trade reports are fair game for you to make a newsworthy contribution. Scientific advancements, industry trends, and other events in the news are all likely examples of places to make a thoughtful contribution. This brings me to the embedded journalist. A journalist mentality looks at the big picture and focuses in on detailed elements of the picture. It is a mentality of describing how things relate to each other, not just how things relate to buying my widget. To have this perspective inside a company in today’s environment is an asset. Over the years I have believed one of my biggest faults as a PR person was that I was a former journalist. Today I’ve reversed that belief and embrace my journalistic roots. This perspective inside a company combined with a senior management team who embraces the two premises above, will achieve the following: Greater candor and with it credibility More opportunities to be heard Greater exposure to audiences that are involved in your universe A company can deploy an embed journalist in many ways, someone on staff or on contract, that’s a budget issue. The more important point here is not the journalist person per se, but the way the company looks at information in its universe. For example, during a typical staff meeting are people looking outward for opportunities to participate, not just whether you have software version 7.1 coming out or whether XYZ company just became a new client. See what is going on in the universe and match it to expertise, information, thoughtful opinions among those in the company to make a contribution. Those contributions can take many forms, blogs, comments on blogs, presentations, news releases, videos, podcasts, and many others. And to answer the question up front, Does this mean we report negative news? Yes, objectively, fairly and without the sensational headlines to boot. See there is an upside to an embedded journalist reporting negative news, you don’t need “sky is falling” headlines to sell papers, to fight the paparazzi, or compete with alien abductions at the checkout line. Another bonus, you can tell the whole story, you just need to tell it straight. An interesting way to do this is with Pitch Engine. It is a platform to build social media news releases and get you thinking differently about news and the other audiences that will consume that information. This is not a replacement for wire service distribution, it’s a way to build in a process to form your message in a socially-friendly way. Sometimes I think consultants (guilty) make a big deal about little things. I appreciate the social media news release for what it is, a neat package of information that advances a point with plenty of footnotes (links, videos, images, etc) to deeper associated content that is handy if you want more information, and a way to share this information with others (social distribution e.g. Stumble Upon, Facebook, Twitter etc). It’s kind of like your thesis paper in college with footnotes, references and a bibliography. You get that paper back and you got an A. Then you share that paper with others who borrow ideas, (what! Tell me you didn’t do that in college.) add their own perspective, and now we are back to the beginning of our story – being social will improve your game. See you at NewComm Forum Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price. The conference is being held April 27-29 in San Francisco. OR Business Smart Tools This half day session is in Stamford, CT, I have two tickets to give away to Marketing Edge readers, be the first to email me and we’ll get you there. Send the email to MarketingEdge AT ProvidentPartners DOT net with Business Smart Tools in the subject line. This event is being held May 5. tag:odeo.com,2009-04-24,25369453 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:40:51 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, social media, public relations, PR, journalist, embedded journalist http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24496431-A-New-Form-of-Corporate-PR-The-Embedded-Journalist Time 23:45 Golf is like social media, when you play with good players your game gets better. In reading and conversing with colleagues like David Meerman Scott, (World Wide Rave) Geoff Livingston, (Now is Gone) and Brian Solis (Putting the Public Back in Public Relations) you are bound to come up with a few good ideas. Brain Solis and I discuss a few of them in this podcast about the changes in PR and revising your organization to address those changes. I come to this idea of an embedded corporate journalist as the result of accepting two premises 1) The public appreciates candid companies, and 2) companies can afford and have access of all communications formats (video, audio, and print) and essentially zero cost for information distribution. In this environment companies can be successful at public relations if they engage in public relations. That is if they view their company as part of a universe not the center of the universe. I refer to universe here as being the larger categ... Time 23:45 Golf is like social media, when you play with good players your game gets better. In reading and conversing with colleagues like David Meerman Scott, (World Wide Rave) Geoff Livingston, (Now is Gone) and Brian Solis (Putting the Public Back in Public Relations) you are bound to come up with a few good ideas. Brain Solis and I discuss a few of them in this podcast about the changes in PR and revising your organization to address those changes. I come to this idea of an embedded corporate journalist as the result of accepting two premises 1) The public appreciates candid companies, and 2) companies can afford and have access of all communications formats (video, audio, and print) and essentially zero cost for information distribution. In this environment companies can be successful at public relations if they engage in public relations. That is if they view their company as part of a universe not the center of the universe. I refer to universe here as being the larger category of which that company is a part, it could be industry, job discipline, scientific community, that kind of universe. With this company newsroom perspective on the universe there are considerably more opportunities to comment on news going on in the universe. Things like government regulations and economic or trade reports are fair game for you to make a newsworthy contribution. Scientific advancements, industry trends, and other events in the news are all likely examples of places to make a thoughtful contribution. This brings me to the embedded journalist. A journalist mentality looks at the big picture and focuses in on detailed elements of the picture. It is a mentality of describing how things relate to each other, not just how things relate to buying my widget. To have this perspective inside a company in today’s environment is an asset. Over the years I have believed one of my biggest faults as a PR person was that I was a former journalist. Today I’ve reversed that belief and embrace my journalistic roots. This perspective inside a company combined with a senior management team who embraces the two premises above, will achieve the following: Greater candor and with it credibility More opportunities to be heard Greater exposure to audiences that are involved in your universe A company can deploy an embed journalist in many ways, someone on staff or on contract, that’s a budget issue. The more important point here is not the journalist person per se, but the way the company looks at information in its universe. For example, during a typical staff meeting are people looking outward for opportunities to participate, not just whether you have software version 7.1 coming out or whether XYZ company just became a new client. See what is going on in the universe and match it to expertise, information, thoughtful opinions among those in the company to make a contribution. Those contributions can take many forms, blogs, comments on blogs, presentations, news releases, videos, podcasts, and many others. And to answer the question up front, Does this mean we report negative news? Yes, objectively, fairly and without the sensational headlines to boot. See there is an upside to an embedded journalist reporting negative news, you don’t need “sky is falling” headlines to sell papers, to fight the paparazzi, or compete with alien abductions at the checkout line. Another bonus you can tell the whole story, you just need to tell it straight. An interesting way to do this is with Pitch Engine. It is a platform to build social media news releases and get you thinking differently about news and the other audiences that will consume that information. This is not a replacement for wire service distribution, it’s a way to build in a process to form your message in a socially-friendly way. Sometimes I think consultants (guilty) make a big deal about little things. I appreciate the social media news release for what it is, a neat package of information that advances a point with plenty of footnotes (links, videos, images, etc) to deeper associated content that is handy if you want more information, and a way to share this information with others (social distribution e.g. Stumble Upon, Facebook, Twitter etc). It’s kind of like your thesis paper in college with footnotes, references and a bibliography. You get that paper back and you got an A. Then you share that paper with others who borrow ideas, (what! Tell me you didn’t do that in college.) add their own perspective, and now we are back to the beginning of our story - being social will improve your game. See you at NewComm Forum Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price. The conference is being held April 27-29 in San Francisco. OR Business Smart Tools This half day session is in Stamford, CT, I have two tickets to give away to Marketing Edge readers, be the first to email me and we’ll get you there. Send the email to MarketingEdge AT ProvidentPartners DOT net with Business Smart Tools in the subject line. This event is being held May 5. Time 23:45 Golf is like social media, when you play with good players your game gets better. In reading and conversing with colleagues like David Meerman Scott, (World Wide Rave) Geoff Livingston, (Now is Gone) and Brian Solis (Putting the Public Back in Public Relations) you are bound to come up with a few good ideas. Brain Solis and I discuss a few of them in this podcast about the changes in PR and revising your organization to address those changes. I come to this idea of an embedded corporate journalist as the result of accepting two premises 1) The public appreciates candid companies, and 2) companies can afford and have access of all communications formats (video, audio, and print) and essentially zero cost for information distribution. In this environment companies can be successful at public relations if they engage in public relations. That is if they view their company as part of a universe not the center of the universe. I refer to universe here as being the larger category of which that company is a part, it could be industry, job discipline, scientific community, that kind of universe. With this company newsroom perspective on the universe there are considerably more opportunities to comment on news going on in the universe. Things like government regulations and economic or trade reports are fair game for you to make a newsworthy contribution. Scientific advancements, industry trends, and other events in the news are all likely examples of places to make a thoughtful contribution. This brings me to the embedded journalist. A journalist mentality looks at the big picture and focuses in on detailed elements of the picture. It is a mentality of describing how things relate to each other, not just how things relate to buying my widget. To have this perspective inside a company in today’s environment is an asset. Over the years I have believed one of my biggest faults as a PR person was that I was a former journalist. Today I’ve reversed that belief and embrace my journalistic roots. This perspective inside a company combined with a senior management team who embraces the two premises above, will achieve the following: Greater candor and with it credibility More opportunities to be heard Greater exposure to audiences that are involved in your universe A company can deploy an embed journalist in many ways, someone on staff or on contract, that’s a budget issue. The more important point here is not the journalist person per se, but the way the company looks at information in its universe. For example, during a typical staff meeting are people looking outward for opportunities to participate, not just whether you have software version 7.1 coming out or whether XYZ company just became a new client. See what is going on in the universe and match it to expertise, information, thoughtful opinions among those in the company to make a contribution. Those contributions can take many forms, blogs, comments on blogs, presentations, news releases, videos, podcasts, and many others. And to answer the question up front, Does this mean we report negative news? Yes, objectively, fairly and without the sensational headlines to boot. See there is an upside to an embedded journalist reporting negative news, you don’t need “sky is falling” headlines to sell papers, to fight the paparazzi, or compete with alien abductions at the checkout line. Another bonus you can tell the whole story, you just need to tell it straight. An interesting way to do this is with Pitch Engine. It is a platform to build social media news releases and get you thinking differently about news and the other audiences that will consume that information. This is not a replacement for wire service distribution, it’s a way to build in a process to form your message in a socially-friendly way. Sometimes I think consultants (guilty) make a big deal about little things. I appreciate the social media news release for what it is, a neat package of information that advances a point with plenty of footnotes (links, videos, images, etc) to deeper associated content that is handy if you want more information, and a way to share this information with others (social distribution e.g. Stumble Upon, Facebook, Twitter etc). It’s kind of like your thesis paper in college with footnotes, references and a bibliography. You get that paper back and you got an A. Then you share that paper with others who borrow ideas, (what! Tell me you didn’t do that in college.) add their own perspective, and now we are back to the beginning of our story - being social will improve your game. See you at NewComm Forum Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price. The conference is being held April 27-29 in San Francisco. OR Business Smart Tools This half day session is in Stamford, CT, I have two tickets to give away to Marketing Edge readers, be the first to email me and we’ll get you there. Send the email to MarketingEdge AT ProvidentPartners DOT net with Business Smart Tools in the subject line. This event is being held May 5. tag:odeo.com,2009-04-24,24496431 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:40:51 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, social media, public relations, PR, journalist, embedded journalist http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24453443-Seamus-Culligan-of-Hunt-Adkins Albert Maruggi President Provident Partners Senior Fellow Society for New Communications Research www.providentpartners.net amaruggi@providentpartners.net Office 651-695-0174 Cell 612-325-8126 Twitter.com/AlbertMaruggi Sent from iPhone Mobile post sent by AlbertMaruggi using Utterli.   Replies.  mp3 Albert Maruggi President Provident Partners Senior Fellow Society for New Communications Research www.providentpartners.net amaruggi@providentpartners.net Office 651-695-0174 Cell 612-325-8126 Twitter.com/AlbertMaruggi Sent from iPhone Mobile post sent by AlbertMaruggi using Utterli.   Replies.  mp3 Albert Maruggi President Provident Partners Senior Fellow Society for New Communications Research www.providentpartners.net amaruggi@providentpartners.net Office 651-695-0174 Cell 612-325-8126 Twitter.com/AlbertMaruggi Sent from iPhone Mobile post sent by AlbertMaruggi using Utterli.   Replies.  mp3 tag:odeo.com,2009-04-15,24453443 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:26:20 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25369454-Progress-Obstacles-and-Solutions-at-Business-Smart-Tools Time 15:21 Social media is at a defining moment, a point where there are ample technologies to effectively participate in the medium, but also significant issues being debated within organizations about using the medium. The Business Smart Tools conference on May 5 in Stamford, CT will feature discussions about both the use of the technologies and the debates within organizations. I will join Scott Monty of Ford Motor Company, John C. Havens of Blog Talk Radio, among others at this one day conference sponsored by Creative Concepts. Valorie Luther, CEO of Creative Concepts and I highlight some of these issues in this Marketing Edge podcast. It some cases, midsize companies have captured the essence of social media to gain significant exposure while larger more regulated, or bureaucratic companies have struggled with being social. The Business Smart tools conference will have workshops on using Twitter for business, and the ROI of social media. There is also a discount for Marketing E... Time 15:21 Social media is at a defining moment, a point where there are ample technologies to effectively participate in the medium, but also significant issues being debated within organizations about using the medium. The Business Smart Tools conference on May 5 in Stamford, CT will feature discussions about both the use of the technologies and the debates within organizations. I will join Scott Monty of Ford Motor Company, John C. Havens of Blog Talk Radio, among others at this one day conference sponsored by Creative Concepts. Valorie Luther, CEO of Creative Concepts and I highlight some of these issues in this Marketing Edge podcast. It some cases, midsize companies have captured the essence of social media to gain significant exposure while larger more regulated, or bureaucratic companies have struggled with being social. The Business Smart tools conference will have workshops on using Twitter for business, and the ROI of social media. There is also a discount for Marketing Edge listeners, register for Business Smart Tools conference and in the promo code field use the word Blog for a 20 percent discount 5 Steps to Expert Contest Marketing Edge book contest is 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp – email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net with the word Expert in the subject line. The comment line is 206-600-6887 leave a comment, topic to discuss, or question, we love the conversation. Time 15:21 Social media is at a defining moment, a point where there are ample technologies to effectively participate in the medium, but also significant issues being debated within organizations about using the medium. The Business Smart Tools conference on May 5 in Stamford, CT will feature discussions about both the use of the technologies and the debates within organizations. I will join Scott Monty of Ford Motor Company, John C. Havens of Blog Talk Radio, among others at this one day conference sponsored by Creative Concepts. Valorie Luther, CEO of Creative Concepts and I highlight some of these issues in this Marketing Edge podcast. It some cases, midsize companies have captured the essence of social media to gain significant exposure while larger more regulated, or bureaucratic companies have struggled with being social. The Business Smart tools conference will have workshops on using Twitter for business, and the ROI of social media. There is also a discount for Marketing Edge listeners, register for Business Smart Tools conference and in the promo code field use the word Blog for a 20 percent discount 5 Steps to Expert Contest Marketing Edge book contest is 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp – email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net with the word Expert in the subject line. The comment line is 206-600-6887 leave a comment, topic to discuss, or question, we love the conversation. tag:odeo.com,2009-04-08,25369454 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:45:11 -0700 no Marketing Edge Conferences, marketing, Business Smart Tools, business conference, Social media obstacles http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24426701-Progress-Obstacles-and-Solutions-at-Business-Smart-Tools Time 15:21 Social media is at a defining moment, a point where there are ample technologies to effectively participate in the medium, but also significant issues being debated within organizations about using the medium. The Business Smart Tools conference on May 5 in Stamford, CT will feature discussions about both the use of the technologies and the debates within organizations. I will join Scott Monty of Ford Motor Company, John C. Havens of Blog Talk Radio, among others at this one day conference sponsored by Creative Concepts. Valorie Luther, CEO of Creative Concepts and I highlight some of these issues in this Marketing Edge podcast. It some cases, midsize companies have captured the essence of social media to gain significant exposure while larger more regulated, or bureaucratic companies have struggled with being social. The Business Smart tools conference will have workshops on using Twitter for business, and the ROI of social media. There is also a discount for Marketing E... Time 15:21 Social media is at a defining moment, a point where there are ample technologies to effectively participate in the medium, but also significant issues being debated within organizations about using the medium. The Business Smart Tools conference on May 5 in Stamford, CT will feature discussions about both the use of the technologies and the debates within organizations. I will join Scott Monty of Ford Motor Company, John C. Havens of Blog Talk Radio, among others at this one day conference sponsored by Creative Concepts. Valorie Luther, CEO of Creative Concepts and I highlight some of these issues in this Marketing Edge podcast. It some cases, midsize companies have captured the essence of social media to gain significant exposure while larger more regulated, or bureaucratic companies have struggled with being social. The Business Smart tools conference will have workshops on using Twitter for business, and the ROI of social media. There is also a discount for Marketing Edge listeners, register for Business Smart Tools conference and in the promo code field use the word Blog for a 20 percent discount 5 Steps to Expert Contest Marketing Edge book contest is 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp – email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net with the word Expert in the subject line. The comment line is 206-600-6887 leave a comment, topic to discuss, or question, we love the conversation. Time 15:21 Social media is at a defining moment, a point where there are ample technologies to effectively participate in the medium, but also significant issues being debated within organizations about using the medium. The Business Smart Tools conference on May 5 in Stamford, CT will feature discussions about both the use of the technologies and the debates within organizations. I will join Scott Monty of Ford Motor Company, John C. Havens of Blog Talk Radio, among others at this one day conference sponsored by Creative Concepts. Valorie Luther, CEO of Creative Concepts and I highlight some of these issues in this Marketing Edge podcast. It some cases, midsize companies have captured the essence of social media to gain significant exposure while larger more regulated, or bureaucratic companies have struggled with being social. The Business Smart tools conference will have workshops on using Twitter for business, and the ROI of social media. There is also a discount for Marketing Edge listeners, register for Business Smart Tools conference and in the promo code field use the word Blog for a 20 percent discount 5 Steps to Expert Contest Marketing Edge book contest is 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp – email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net with the word Expert in the subject line. The comment line is 206-600-6887 leave a comment, topic to discuss, or question, we love the conversation. tag:odeo.com,2009-04-08,24426701 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:45:11 -0700 no Marketing Edge Conferences, marketing, Business Smart Tools, business conference, Social media obstacles http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25369455-A-Good-Samaritan-for-Healthcare-and-Social-Media Time 30:08 The world is full of good Samaritans who give of themselves for others. Let’s focus on two, Ed Bennett of the Maryland University Medical Center and David Ekrem, Manager, Web Development at the Mass General Hospital for Children. They compiled a list of hospitals using social media, specifically at least one of four types of social media blogs, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Ed and I chat in this podcast about why and how hospitals are gradually dipping their toes into the social media pool. Bennett weaves ways to use social media in with new media tools like, webcasts, podcasts, and video of surgeries, long before it became fashionable to Tweet about it. In the podcast, Bennett, a web manager, makes a good case for marketers and PR folks to work with IT in this life and death environment. There are hundreds of ways to use these tools, enough to give anyone a headache. Allow me to outline one use for each medium. Blogs – A blog is a place for an on going dialogue, detail,... Time 30:08 The world is full of good Samaritans who give of themselves for others. Let’s focus on two, Ed Bennett of the Maryland University Medical Center and David Ekrem, Manager, Web Development at the Mass General Hospital for Children. They compiled a list of hospitals using social media, specifically at least one of four types of social media blogs, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Ed and I chat in this podcast about why and how hospitals are gradually dipping their toes into the social media pool. Bennett weaves ways to use social media in with new media tools like, webcasts, podcasts, and video of surgeries, long before it became fashionable to Tweet about it. In the podcast, Bennett, a web manager, makes a good case for marketers and PR folks to work with IT in this life and death environment. There are hundreds of ways to use these tools, enough to give anyone a headache. Allow me to outline one use for each medium. Blogs – A blog is a place for an on going dialogue, detail, and to build a body of work that helps brand a facility or an individual. Dr. John Butler is a physician at the Arden Hills Clinic in Minnesota. He recently caught my attention with a post about the iPhone as an essential medical instrument. His blog helps ease the anxiety about medicine in general and informs about specific issues about which he is familiar. It warms us up to Dr. Butler. Facebook – St. Jude’s Childrens Research Hospital there are so many things this Facebook page does well but I share it not because other hospitals should take on the same thing, but to show how versatile this platform can be. It can be used by patients to share their stories on your wall. When you visit this site to see those stories, bring a tissue. It uses widgets in conjunction with the page to raise donations. It uses multimedia to inform. And yes, it shares a personal side asking NCAA bracketology questions and other aspects of being part of a social community. Twitter – Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, VA and Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, GA are good examples of hospitals that use Twitter as a newsfeed. Little nuggets of news from the hospital, events like parenting classes or links to information about faster radiation treatments are a good diet of information for hospitals. IDEA I have not seen this application for twitter yet, so I’ll share the idea. If you’ve seen it from a healthcare provider let me know. If not, and you like the idea, take it and tell me. I think a facility that has a specialty in hearts or bariatric surgery can do a specific feed related to diet and exercise. It would contain information about calorie count, fast food healthy choices, reminders to do 2 flights of stairs, and all coordinated to an appropriate time of day. This feed is best send as a text message to your phone since it will be a good reminder to push away from that lunch table in time to take the long way back to the office. Comment line 206-600-6887 – or leave a comment below and we’ll donate a food item to a St. Paul food shelf. Come Hang and Learn in San Francisco Discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price if you plan on attending both conferences. Time 30:08 The world is full of good Samaritans who give of themselves for others. Let’s focus on two, Ed Bennett of the Maryland University Medical Center and David Ekrem, Manager, Web Development at the Mass General Hospital for Children. They compiled a list of hospitals using social media, specifically at least one of four types of social media blogs, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Ed and I chat in this podcast about why and how hospitals are gradually dipping their toes into the social media pool. Bennett weaves ways to use social media in with new media tools like, webcasts, podcasts, and video of surgeries, long before it became fashionable to Tweet about it. In the podcast, Bennett, a web manager, makes a good case for marketers and PR folks to work with IT in this life and death environment. There are hundreds of ways to use these tools, enough to give anyone a headache. Allow me to outline one use for each medium. Blogs – A blog is a place for an on going dialogue, detail, and to build a body of work that helps brand a facility or an individual. Dr. John Butler is a physician at the Arden Hills Clinic in Minnesota. He recently caught my attention with a post about the iPhone as an essential medical instrument. His blog helps ease the anxiety about medicine in general and informs about specific issues about which he is familiar. It warms us up to Dr. Butler. Facebook – St. Jude’s Childrens Research Hospital there are so many things this Facebook page does well but I share it not because other hospitals should take on the same thing, but to show how versatile this platform can be. It can be used by patients to share their stories on your wall. When you visit this site to see those stories, bring a tissue. It uses widgets in conjunction with the page to raise donations. It uses multimedia to inform. And yes, it shares a personal side asking NCAA bracketology questions and other aspects of being part of a social community. Twitter – Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, VA and Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, GA are good examples of hospitals that use Twitter as a newsfeed. Little nuggets of news from the hospital, events like parenting classes or links to information about faster radiation treatments are a good diet of information for hospitals. IDEA I have not seen this application for twitter yet, so I’ll share the idea. If you’ve seen it from a healthcare provider let me know. If not, and you like the idea, take it and tell me. I think a facility that has a specialty in hearts or bariatric surgery can do a specific feed related to diet and exercise. It would contain information about calorie count, fast food healthy choices, reminders to do 2 flights of stairs, and all coordinated to an appropriate time of day. This feed is best send as a text message to your phone since it will be a good reminder to push away from that lunch table in time to take the long way back to the office. Comment line 206-600-6887 – or leave a comment below and we’ll donate a food item to a St. Paul food shelf. Come Hang and Learn in San Francisco Discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price if you plan on attending both conferences. tag:odeo.com,2009-04-01,25369455 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:45:18 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, healthcare, Social Media Hospital List, Ed Bennet http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24394569-A-Good-Samaritan-for-Healthcare-and-Social-Media Time 30:08 The world is full of good Samaritans who give of themselves for others. Let’s focus on two, Ed Bennett of the Maryland University Medical Center and David Ekrem, Manager, Web Development at the Mass General Hospital for Children. They compiled a list of hospitals using social media, specifically at least one of four types of social media blogs, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Ed and I chat in this podcast about why and how hospitals are gradually dipping their toes into the social media pool. Bennett weaves ways to use social media in with new media tools like, webcasts, podcasts, and video of surgeries, long before it became fashionable to Tweet about it. In the podcast, Bennett, a web manager, makes a good case for marketers and PR folks to work with IT in this life and death environment. There are hundreds of ways to use these tools, enough to give anyone a headache. Allow me to outline one use for each medium. Blogs – A blog is a place for an on going dialogue, detail,... Time 30:08 The world is full of good Samaritans who give of themselves for others. Let’s focus on two, Ed Bennett of the Maryland University Medical Center and David Ekrem, Manager, Web Development at the Mass General Hospital for Children. They compiled a list of hospitals using social media, specifically at least one of four types of social media blogs, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Ed and I chat in this podcast about why and how hospitals are gradually dipping their toes into the social media pool. Bennett weaves ways to use social media in with new media tools like, webcasts, podcasts, and video of surgeries, long before it became fashionable to Tweet about it. In the podcast, Bennett, a web manager, makes a good case for marketers and PR folks to work with IT in this life and death environment. There are hundreds of ways to use these tools, enough to give anyone a headache. Allow me to outline one use for each medium. Blogs – A blog is a place for an on going dialogue, detail, and to build a body of work that helps brand a facility or an individual. Dr. John Butler is a physician at the Arden Hills Clinic in Minnesota. He recently caught my attention with a post about the iPhone as an essential medical instrument. His blog helps ease the anxiety about medicine in general and informs about specific issues about which he is familiar. It warms us up to Dr. Butler. Facebook – St. Jude’s Childrens Research Hospital there are so many things this Facebook page does well but I share it not because other hospitals should take on the same thing, but to show how versatile this platform can be. It can be used by patients to share their stories on your wall. When you visit this site to see those stories, bring a tissue. It uses widgets in conjunction with the page to raise donations. It uses multimedia to inform. And yes, it shares a personal side asking NCAA bracketology questions and other aspects of being part of a social community. Twitter - Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, VA and Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, GA are good examples of hospitals that use Twitter as a newsfeed. Little nuggets of news from the hospital, events like parenting classes or links to information about faster radiation treatments are a good diet of information for hospitals. IDEA I have not seen this application for twitter yet, so I’ll share the idea. If you’ve seen it from a healthcare provider let me know. If not, and you like the idea, take it and tell me. I think a facility that has a specialty in hearts or bariatric surgery can do a specific feed related to diet and exercise. It would contain information about calorie count, fast food healthy choices, reminders to do 2 flights of stairs, and all coordinated to an appropriate time of day. This feed is best send as a text message to your phone since it will be a good reminder to push away from that lunch table in time to take the long way back to the office. Comment line 206-600-6887 – or leave a comment below and we’ll donate a food item to a St. Paul food shelf. Come Hang and Learn in San Francisco Discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price if you plan on attending both conferences. Time 30:08 The world is full of good Samaritans who give of themselves for others. Let’s focus on two, Ed Bennett of the Maryland University Medical Center and David Ekrem, Manager, Web Development at the Mass General Hospital for Children. They compiled a list of hospitals using social media, specifically at least one of four types of social media blogs, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Ed and I chat in this podcast about why and how hospitals are gradually dipping their toes into the social media pool. Bennett weaves ways to use social media in with new media tools like, webcasts, podcasts, and video of surgeries, long before it became fashionable to Tweet about it. In the podcast, Bennett, a web manager, makes a good case for marketers and PR folks to work with IT in this life and death environment. There are hundreds of ways to use these tools, enough to give anyone a headache. Allow me to outline one use for each medium. Blogs – A blog is a place for an on going dialogue, detail, and to build a body of work that helps brand a facility or an individual. Dr. John Butler is a physician at the Arden Hills Clinic in Minnesota. He recently caught my attention with a post about the iPhone as an essential medical instrument. His blog helps ease the anxiety about medicine in general and informs about specific issues about which he is familiar. It warms us up to Dr. Butler. Facebook – St. Jude’s Childrens Research Hospital there are so many things this Facebook page does well but I share it not because other hospitals should take on the same thing, but to show how versatile this platform can be. It can be used by patients to share their stories on your wall. When you visit this site to see those stories, bring a tissue. It uses widgets in conjunction with the page to raise donations. It uses multimedia to inform. And yes, it shares a personal side asking NCAA bracketology questions and other aspects of being part of a social community. Twitter - Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, VA and Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, GA are good examples of hospitals that use Twitter as a newsfeed. Little nuggets of news from the hospital, events like parenting classes or links to information about faster radiation treatments are a good diet of information for hospitals. IDEA I have not seen this application for twitter yet, so I’ll share the idea. If you’ve seen it from a healthcare provider let me know. If not, and you like the idea, take it and tell me. I think a facility that has a specialty in hearts or bariatric surgery can do a specific feed related to diet and exercise. It would contain information about calorie count, fast food healthy choices, reminders to do 2 flights of stairs, and all coordinated to an appropriate time of day. This feed is best send as a text message to your phone since it will be a good reminder to push away from that lunch table in time to take the long way back to the office. Comment line 206-600-6887 – or leave a comment below and we’ll donate a food item to a St. Paul food shelf. Come Hang and Learn in San Francisco Discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price if you plan on attending both conferences. tag:odeo.com,2009-04-01,24394569 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:45:18 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing, healthcare, Social Media Hospital List, Ed Bennet http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25369456-Conference-Season-is-the-Time-for-Questions Time 25:45 With the last couple of blog posts about South by Southwest I’m getting anxious for conference season. You know it falls in line for the most part with the baseball season. I thought I’d highlight a few events that I’m participating in and the major questions that may be answered by attending. Social Media Breakfast Twin Cities – March 18 – What is the role of community manager? Connie Bensen will lead a discussion about this new role being created in larger companies, still vague enough to shape its direction. I believe it is better to call it community nurturer but that doesn’t fit last century’s HR boxes. Minnesota Interaction Marketing Association – March 18 – The New Deal: Recession-Era Marketing And The Rise Of Social Media – Recession? What recession? Yeah well you get a couple of down quarters and companies are becoming social media advocates. Perhaps it is because they all want to speak with a human voice, have tactical transparency, and not market to you. Oh and... Time 25:45 With the last couple of blog posts about South by Southwest I’m getting anxious for conference season. You know it falls in line for the most part with the baseball season. I thought I’d highlight a few events that I’m participating in and the major questions that may be answered by attending. Social Media Breakfast Twin Cities – March 18 – What is the role of community manager? Connie Bensen will lead a discussion about this new role being created in larger companies, still vague enough to shape its direction. I believe it is better to call it community nurturer but that doesn’t fit last century’s HR boxes. Minnesota Interaction Marketing Association – March 18 – The New Deal: Recession-Era Marketing And The Rise Of Social Media – Recession? What recession? Yeah well you get a couple of down quarters and companies are becoming social media advocates. Perhaps it is because they all want to speak with a human voice, have tactical transparency, and not market to you. Oh and the fact that everyone is telling the CEO that it is low cost compared to what we are doing now, that has no bearing right? Right. So is social media low cost? Allied Public Relations Executives – March 19 & 20 – Is social media right for healthcare? – that is a definite maybe in my opinion, but surely new media is essential for providers in this industry and social media may well be the answer to the monumental question of rising costs. NewComm Forum & the Inbound Marketing Summit – April 27 – 29 – This is a comprehensive conference that will cover the why and how of social media in every aspect of a company. From marketing to PR, from customer service to product development, this setting is ideal for hearing presentations and meeting with practitioners in a one-on-one setting for specific ideas to business challenges. This podcast highlights one of the sponsors of the conference the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and what to expect at the conference. In this podcast we also highlight how to restructure your PR effort to capitalize on social media. It dovetails with the March book contest, in which we will have a drawing for the book 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp. If you want to enter the drawing email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net and put Expert in the subject line. Discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price. Time 25:45 With the last couple of blog posts about South by Southwest I’m getting anxious for conference season. You know it falls in line for the most part with the baseball season. I thought I’d highlight a few events that I’m participating in and the major questions that may be answered by attending. Social Media Breakfast Twin Cities – March 18 – What is the role of community manager? Connie Bensen will lead a discussion about this new role being created in larger companies, still vague enough to shape its direction. I believe it is better to call it community nurturer but that doesn’t fit last century’s HR boxes. Minnesota Interaction Marketing Association – March 18 – The New Deal: Recession-Era Marketing And The Rise Of Social Media – Recession? What recession? Yeah well you get a couple of down quarters and companies are becoming social media advocates. Perhaps it is because they all want to speak with a human voice, have tactical transparency, and not market to you. Oh and the fact that everyone is telling the CEO that it is low cost compared to what we are doing now, that has no bearing right? Right. So is social media low cost? Allied Public Relations Executives – March 19 & 20 – Is social media right for healthcare? – that is a definite maybe in my opinion, but surely new media is essential for providers in this industry and social media may well be the answer to the monumental question of rising costs. NewComm Forum & the Inbound Marketing Summit – April 27 – 29 – This is a comprehensive conference that will cover the why and how of social media in every aspect of a company. From marketing to PR, from customer service to product development, this setting is ideal for hearing presentations and meeting with practitioners in a one-on-one setting for specific ideas to business challenges. This podcast highlights one of the sponsors of the conference the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and what to expect at the conference. In this podcast we also highlight how to restructure your PR effort to capitalize on social media. It dovetails with the March book contest, in which we will have a drawing for the book 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp. If you want to enter the drawing email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net and put Expert in the subject line. Discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-17,25369456 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:06:51 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24318391-Conference-Season-is-the-Time-for-Questions Time 25:45 With the last couple of blog posts about South by Southwest I’m getting anxious for conference season. You know it falls in line for the most part with the baseball season. I thought I’d highlight a few events that I’m participating in and the major questions that may be answered by attending. Social Media Breakfast Twin Cities – March 18 – What is the role of community manager? Connie Bensen will lead a discussion about this new role being created in larger companies, still vague enough to shape its direction. I believe it is better to call it community nurturer but that doesn’t fit last century’s HR boxes. Minnesota Interaction Marketing Association – March 18 – The New Deal: Recession-Era Marketing And The Rise Of Social Media – Recession? What recession? Yeah well you get a couple of down quarters and companies are becoming social media advocates. Perhaps it is because they all want to speak with a human voice, have tactical transparency, and not market to you. Oh and... Time 25:45 With the last couple of blog posts about South by Southwest I’m getting anxious for conference season. You know it falls in line for the most part with the baseball season. I thought I’d highlight a few events that I’m participating in and the major questions that may be answered by attending. Social Media Breakfast Twin Cities – March 18 – What is the role of community manager? Connie Bensen will lead a discussion about this new role being created in larger companies, still vague enough to shape its direction. I believe it is better to call it community nurturer but that doesn’t fit last century’s HR boxes. Minnesota Interaction Marketing Association – March 18 – The New Deal: Recession-Era Marketing And The Rise Of Social Media – Recession? What recession? Yeah well you get a couple of down quarters and companies are becoming social media advocates. Perhaps it is because they all want to speak with a human voice, have tactical transparency, and not market to you. Oh and the fact that everyone is telling the CEO that it is low cost compared to what we are doing now, that has no bearing right? Right. So is social media low cost? Allied Public Relations Executives – March 19 & 20 – Is social media right for healthcare? – that is a definite maybe in my opinion, but surely new media is essential for providers in this industry and social media may well be the answer to the monumental question of rising costs. NewComm Forum & the Inbound Marketing Summit – April 27 – 29 – This is a comprehensive conference that will cover the why and how of social media in every aspect of a company. From marketing to PR, from customer service to product development, this setting is ideal for hearing presentations and meeting with practitioners in a one-on-one setting for specific ideas to business challenges. This podcast highlights one of the sponsors of the conference the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and what to expect at the conference. In this podcast we also highlight how to restructure your PR effort to capitalize on social media. It dovetails with the March book contest, in which we will have a drawing for the book 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp. If you want to enter the drawing email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net and put Expert in the subject line. Discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price. Time 25:45 With the last couple of blog posts about South by Southwest I’m getting anxious for conference season. You know it falls in line for the most part with the baseball season. I thought I’d highlight a few events that I’m participating in and the major questions that may be answered by attending. Social Media Breakfast Twin Cities – March 18 – What is the role of community manager? Connie Bensen will lead a discussion about this new role being created in larger companies, still vague enough to shape its direction. I believe it is better to call it community nurturer but that doesn’t fit last century’s HR boxes. Minnesota Interaction Marketing Association – March 18 – The New Deal: Recession-Era Marketing And The Rise Of Social Media – Recession? What recession? Yeah well you get a couple of down quarters and companies are becoming social media advocates. Perhaps it is because they all want to speak with a human voice, have tactical transparency, and not market to you. Oh and the fact that everyone is telling the CEO that it is low cost compared to what we are doing now, that has no bearing right? Right. So is social media low cost? Allied Public Relations Executives – March 19 & 20 – Is social media right for healthcare? – that is a definite maybe in my opinion, but surely new media is essential for providers in this industry and social media may well be the answer to the monumental question of rising costs. NewComm Forum & the Inbound Marketing Summit – April 27 – 29 – This is a comprehensive conference that will cover the why and how of social media in every aspect of a company. From marketing to PR, from customer service to product development, this setting is ideal for hearing presentations and meeting with practitioners in a one-on-one setting for specific ideas to business challenges. This podcast highlights one of the sponsors of the conference the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and what to expect at the conference. In this podcast we also highlight how to restructure your PR effort to capitalize on social media. It dovetails with the March book contest, in which we will have a drawing for the book 5 Steps to Expert by Paul Schempp. If you want to enter the drawing email me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net and put Expert in the subject line. Discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFFOS to get $200 off the listed price. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-17,24318391 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:06:51 -0700 no Marketing Edge marketing http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25369457-Jason-Falls-from-SXSW-%E2%80%93-Think-Visually Time 17:22 This podcast with the Social Media Explorer Jason Falls who is at South by Southwest highlights whether there is a new next big thing or not. Since SXSW is a place to unveil new technologies is there the next Twitter that will capture the fascination of early adopters. For Jason, his takeaways were inside the box and out in the cloud of computers sharing power around the world. He reports on exciting ways the chip manufacturer AMD is enhancing video and computer performance with new product sets. The impact for marketers is to think visually. It’s similar to the change from dial-up to broadband. As the ability to distribute more information is available both to the desktop and the mobile device your ability to tell a more powerful story and create interactivity is enhanced. This is an interview I found interesting with Charlie Rose and Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO Nvidia that paints, and I use that word almost literally if you can do such a thing, a future for the way society will... Time 17:22 This podcast with the Social Media Explorer Jason Falls who is at South by Southwest highlights whether there is a new next big thing or not. Since SXSW is a place to unveil new technologies is there the next Twitter that will capture the fascination of early adopters. For Jason, his takeaways were inside the box and out in the cloud of computers sharing power around the world. He reports on exciting ways the chip manufacturer AMD is enhancing video and computer performance with new product sets. The impact for marketers is to think visually. It’s similar to the change from dial-up to broadband. As the ability to distribute more information is available both to the desktop and the mobile device your ability to tell a more powerful story and create interactivity is enhanced. This is an interview I found interesting with Charlie Rose and Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO Nvidia that paints, and I use that word almost literally if you can do such a thing, a future for the way society will share knowledge. It is one where the visual sense dominates and computer graphics that enhances the user experience and share greater knowledge is pushed to greater usage. As a teenager when someone would say future, I interpreted that as a long time from the present. Today, when someone says future, especially when it involves technology, I think it’s couple of years and I’m going to have to deal with it. Now the ability to go from idea to usage is so fast that the things we are talking about in this podcast, are likely to be issues the typical marketer will need to address in the next two years. Hope to See You at the NewComm Forum and InBound Marketing Summit A terrific conference is scheduled for April 27-29 in San Francisco. It is a combination of the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and the marketing conference produced by Chris Brogan, Jason Falls, Paul Gillin and David Meerman Scott. Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFCOMBO2 to get $200 off the listed price. Time 17:22 This podcast with the Social Media Explorer Jason Falls who is at South by Southwest highlights whether there is a new next big thing or not. Since SXSW is a place to unveil new technologies is there the next Twitter that will capture the fascination of early adopters. For Jason, his takeaways were inside the box and out in the cloud of computers sharing power around the world. He reports on exciting ways the chip manufacturer AMD is enhancing video and computer performance with new product sets. The impact for marketers is to think visually. It’s similar to the change from dial-up to broadband. As the ability to distribute more information is available both to the desktop and the mobile device your ability to tell a more powerful story and create interactivity is enhanced. This is an interview I found interesting with Charlie Rose and Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO Nvidia that paints, and I use that word almost literally if you can do such a thing, a future for the way society will share knowledge. It is one where the visual sense dominates and computer graphics that enhances the user experience and share greater knowledge is pushed to greater usage. As a teenager when someone would say future, I interpreted that as a long time from the present. Today, when someone says future, especially when it involves technology, I think it’s couple of years and I’m going to have to deal with it. Now the ability to go from idea to usage is so fast that the things we are talking about in this podcast, are likely to be issues the typical marketer will need to address in the next two years. Hope to See You at the NewComm Forum and InBound Marketing Summit A terrific conference is scheduled for April 27-29 in San Francisco. It is a combination of the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and the marketing conference produced by Chris Brogan, Jason Falls, Paul Gillin and David Meerman Scott. Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFCOMBO2 to get $200 off the listed price. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-15,25369457 Sun, 15 Mar 2009 09:46:52 -0700 no Marketing Edge video, marketing, social media, Jason Falls, SXSW Reports http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24308626-Jason-Falls-from-SXSW-%E2%80%93-Think-Visually Time 17:22 This podcast with the Social Media Explorer Jason Falls who is at South by Southwest highlights whether there is a new next big thing or not. Since SXSW is a place to unveil new technologies is there the next Twitter that will capture the fascination of early adopters. For Jason, his takeaways were inside the box and out in the cloud of computers sharing power around the world. He reports on exciting ways the chip manufacturer AMD is enhancing video and computer performance with new product sets. The impact for marketers is to think visually. It’s similar to the change from dial-up to broadband. As the ability to distribute more information is available both to the desktop and the mobile device your ability to tell a more powerful story and create interactivity is enhanced. This is an interview I found interesting with Charlie Rose and Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO Nvidia that paints, and I use that word almost literally if you can do such a thing, a future for the way society will... Time 17:22 This podcast with the Social Media Explorer Jason Falls who is at South by Southwest highlights whether there is a new next big thing or not. Since SXSW is a place to unveil new technologies is there the next Twitter that will capture the fascination of early adopters. For Jason, his takeaways were inside the box and out in the cloud of computers sharing power around the world. He reports on exciting ways the chip manufacturer AMD is enhancing video and computer performance with new product sets. The impact for marketers is to think visually. It’s similar to the change from dial-up to broadband. As the ability to distribute more information is available both to the desktop and the mobile device your ability to tell a more powerful story and create interactivity is enhanced. This is an interview I found interesting with Charlie Rose and Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO Nvidia that paints, and I use that word almost literally if you can do such a thing, a future for the way society will share knowledge. It is one where the visual sense dominates and computer graphics that enhances the user experience and share greater knowledge is pushed to greater usage. As a teenager when someone would say future, I interpreted that as a long time from the present. Today, when someone says future, especially when it involves technology, I think it’s couple of years and I’m going to have to deal with it. Now the ability to go from idea to usage is so fast that the things we are talking about in this podcast, are likely to be issues the typical marketer will need to address in the next two years. Hope to See You at the NewComm Forum and InBound Marketing Summit A terrific conference is scheduled for April 27-29 in San Francisco. It is a combination of the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and the marketing conference produced by Chris Brogan, Jason Falls, Paul Gillin and David Meerman Scott. Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFCOMBO2 to get $200 off the listed price. Time 17:22 This podcast with the Social Media Explorer Jason Falls who is at South by Southwest highlights whether there is a new next big thing or not. Since SXSW is a place to unveil new technologies is there the next Twitter that will capture the fascination of early adopters. For Jason, his takeaways were inside the box and out in the cloud of computers sharing power around the world. He reports on exciting ways the chip manufacturer AMD is enhancing video and computer performance with new product sets. The impact for marketers is to think visually. It’s similar to the change from dial-up to broadband. As the ability to distribute more information is available both to the desktop and the mobile device your ability to tell a more powerful story and create interactivity is enhanced. This is an interview I found interesting with Charlie Rose and Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO Nvidia that paints, and I use that word almost literally if you can do such a thing, a future for the way society will share knowledge. It is one where the visual sense dominates and computer graphics that enhances the user experience and share greater knowledge is pushed to greater usage. As a teenager when someone would say future, I interpreted that as a long time from the present. Today, when someone says future, especially when it involves technology, I think it’s couple of years and I’m going to have to deal with it. Now the ability to go from idea to usage is so fast that the things we are talking about in this podcast, are likely to be issues the typical marketer will need to address in the next two years. Hope to See You at the NewComm Forum and InBound Marketing Summit A terrific conference is scheduled for April 27-29 in San Francisco. It is a combination of the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and the marketing conference produced by Chris Brogan, Jason Falls, Paul Gillin and David Meerman Scott. Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFCOMBO2 to get $200 off the listed price. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-15,24308626 Sun, 15 Mar 2009 08:46:52 -0700 no Marketing Edge video, marketing, social media, Jason Falls, SXSW Reports http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25369458-Music-Meets-Technology-Meets-Listeners Time 12:32 South by Southwest is the meeting of music, film, and interactive technologies. This makes it the perfect venue for Phil Wilson of Local Tone Radio in Minneapolis. The concept of Local Tone Radio is to feature local bands, allow website listeners to vote on the ones they like and essentially give greater exposure to bands who otherwise would have to work their way through the gatekeepers of radio stations. This concept of bypassing gatekeepers is something social media does very well. From using LinkedIn to by pass the regular screening of resumes to raising money without an ounce of ink or a single phone call, SXSW has an interactive track that discusses these disruptions. We chat with Phil Wilson who can be followed on Twitter or on Minnov8 about how he is navigating the conference. Social media is causing many industries to take notice, and the music industry was among the first to feel the pressure from social sharing and the wisdom of crowds. Now bands sell their son... Time 12:32 South by Southwest is the meeting of music, film, and interactive technologies. This makes it the perfect venue for Phil Wilson of Local Tone Radio in Minneapolis. The concept of Local Tone Radio is to feature local bands, allow website listeners to vote on the ones they like and essentially give greater exposure to bands who otherwise would have to work their way through the gatekeepers of radio stations. This concept of bypassing gatekeepers is something social media does very well. From using LinkedIn to by pass the regular screening of resumes to raising money without an ounce of ink or a single phone call, SXSW has an interactive track that discusses these disruptions. We chat with Phil Wilson who can be followed on Twitter or on Minnov8 about how he is navigating the conference. Social media is causing many industries to take notice, and the music industry was among the first to feel the pressure from social sharing and the wisdom of crowds. Now bands sell their songs on MYSpace, and DJs, like my Twitter friend DJIRIE are business entities spinning unique mixes and branching off into merchandise and apparel. The overriding issue that makes SXSW a “go to at least once” event is the integration of ideas, cultures, and innovation. From suits to shorts at the conference, new products and services are emerging from the synergies created in Austin, TX this week. But the irony here is that most of that knowledge is being shared online. Yeah, crazy I know, but much of the ideas in Austin on are online in discussions from Twitter, to Ustream, to blogs. Even more will fill the web in the coming weeks so stay tuned and connected to South by Southwest. Or follow the up to the Tweet action on this Twitter page using the SXSW keyword. How about the Insider’s Guide to SXSW on Twitter. Or better yet, if you are thinking about going to SXSW next year, join the SXSW community on Ning with more than 1500 members to get a feel for what’s in store when you go. Time 12:32 South by Southwest is the meeting of music, film, and interactive technologies. This makes it the perfect venue for Phil Wilson of Local Tone Radio in Minneapolis. The concept of Local Tone Radio is to feature local bands, allow website listeners to vote on the ones they like and essentially give greater exposure to bands who otherwise would have to work their way through the gatekeepers of radio stations. This concept of bypassing gatekeepers is something social media does very well. From using LinkedIn to by pass the regular screening of resumes to raising money without an ounce of ink or a single phone call, SXSW has an interactive track that discusses these disruptions. We chat with Phil Wilson who can be followed on Twitter or on Minnov8 about how he is navigating the conference. Social media is causing many industries to take notice, and the music industry was among the first to feel the pressure from social sharing and the wisdom of crowds. Now bands sell their songs on MYSpace, and DJs, like my Twitter friend DJIRIE are business entities spinning unique mixes and branching off into merchandise and apparel. The overriding issue that makes SXSW a “go to at least once” event is the integration of ideas, cultures, and innovation. From suits to shorts at the conference, new products and services are emerging from the synergies created in Austin, TX this week. But the irony here is that most of that knowledge is being shared online. Yeah, crazy I know, but much of the ideas in Austin on are online in discussions from Twitter, to Ustream, to blogs. Even more will fill the web in the coming weeks so stay tuned and connected to South by Southwest. Or follow the up to the Tweet action on this Twitter page using the SXSW keyword. How about the Insider’s Guide to SXSW on Twitter. Or better yet, if you are thinking about going to SXSW next year, join the SXSW community on Ning with more than 1500 members to get a feel for what’s in store when you go. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-14,25369458 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 17:02:38 -0700 no Marketing Edge music, SXSW, marketing, social media, Bands http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24306535-Music-Meets-Technology-Meets-Listeners Time 12:32 South by Southwest is the meeting of music, film, and interactive technologies. This makes it the perfect venue for Phil Wilson of Local Tone Radio in Minneapolis. The concept of Local Tone Radio is to feature local bands, allow website listeners to vote on the ones they like and essentially give greater exposure to bands who otherwise would have to work their way through the gatekeepers of radio stations. This concept of bypassing gatekeepers is something social media does very well. From using LinkedIn to by pass the regular screening of resumes to raising money without an ounce of ink or a single phone call, SXSW has an interactive track that discusses these disruptions. We chat with Phil Wilson who can be followed on Twitter or on Minnov8 about how he is navigating the conference. Social media is causing many industries to take notice, and the music industry was among the first to feel the pressure from social sharing and the wisdom of crowds. Now bands sell their son... Time 12:32 South by Southwest is the meeting of music, film, and interactive technologies. This makes it the perfect venue for Phil Wilson of Local Tone Radio in Minneapolis. The concept of Local Tone Radio is to feature local bands, allow website listeners to vote on the ones they like and essentially give greater exposure to bands who otherwise would have to work their way through the gatekeepers of radio stations. This concept of bypassing gatekeepers is something social media does very well. From using LinkedIn to by pass the regular screening of resumes to raising money without an ounce of ink or a single phone call, SXSW has an interactive track that discusses these disruptions. We chat with Phil Wilson who can be followed on Twitter or on Minnov8 about how he is navigating the conference. Social media is causing many industries to take notice, and the music industry was among the first to feel the pressure from social sharing and the wisdom of crowds. Now bands sell their songs on MYSpace, and DJs, like my Twitter friend DJIRIE are business entities spinning unique mixes and branching off into merchandise and apparel. The overriding issue that makes SXSW a “go to at least once” event is the integration of ideas, cultures, and innovation. From suits to shorts at the conference, new products and services are emerging from the synergies created in Austin, TX this week. But the irony here is that most of that knowledge is being shared online. Yeah, crazy I know, but much of the ideas in Austin on are online in discussions from Twitter, to Ustream, to blogs. Even more will fill the web in the coming weeks so stay tuned and connected to South by Southwest. Or follow the up to the Tweet action on this Twitter page using the SXSW keyword. How about the Insider’s Guide to SXSW on Twitter. Or better yet, if you are thinking about going to SXSW next year, join the SXSW community on Ning with more than 1500 members to get a feel for what’s in store when you go. Time 12:32 South by Southwest is the meeting of music, film, and interactive technologies. This makes it the perfect venue for Phil Wilson of Local Tone Radio in Minneapolis. The concept of Local Tone Radio is to feature local bands, allow website listeners to vote on the ones they like and essentially give greater exposure to bands who otherwise would have to work their way through the gatekeepers of radio stations. This concept of bypassing gatekeepers is something social media does very well. From using LinkedIn to by pass the regular screening of resumes to raising money without an ounce of ink or a single phone call, SXSW has an interactive track that discusses these disruptions. We chat with Phil Wilson who can be followed on Twitter or on Minnov8 about how he is navigating the conference. Social media is causing many industries to take notice, and the music industry was among the first to feel the pressure from social sharing and the wisdom of crowds. Now bands sell their songs on MYSpace, and DJs, like my Twitter friend DJIRIE are business entities spinning unique mixes and branching off into merchandise and apparel. The overriding issue that makes SXSW a “go to at least once” event is the integration of ideas, cultures, and innovation. From suits to shorts at the conference, new products and services are emerging from the synergies created in Austin, TX this week. But the irony here is that most of that knowledge is being shared online. Yeah, crazy I know, but much of the ideas in Austin on are online in discussions from Twitter, to Ustream, to blogs. Even more will fill the web in the coming weeks so stay tuned and connected to South by Southwest. Or follow the up to the Tweet action on this Twitter page using the SXSW keyword. How about the Insider’s Guide to SXSW on Twitter. Or better yet, if you are thinking about going to SXSW next year, join the SXSW community on Ning with more than 1500 members to get a feel for what’s in store when you go. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-14,24306535 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:02:38 -0700 no Marketing Edge music, SXSW, marketing, social media, Bands http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25369459-South-by-Southwest-is-a-Big-Deal The South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX which combines music, film, and Interactive media has become a major destination for trends and social interaction. Sure, it’s a social technology conference, but it’s a music festival and an arts venue. It’s the kind of event that represents more of what the future will be, collaboration and cross-pollination. Yes, the larger the show the more unwieldy it becomes, but the benefit of mixing the disciplines is a dynamic learning environment. I suggest it represents more of how our government, corporations, and schools are going to restructure for a society that wants less silos of information and more of web (and I don’t mean web-based) approach in the physical world as well. There is no replacement for being in Austin, TX right now, but there are ways to feel like you are there. Following the events and chatter is simple. There are RSS feeds from the SXSW conference Then there is the Twitter Feed for #SXSW Don’t think SXSW is on th... The South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX which combines music, film, and Interactive media has become a major destination for trends and social interaction. Sure, it’s a social technology conference, but it’s a music festival and an arts venue. It’s the kind of event that represents more of what the future will be, collaboration and cross-pollination. Yes, the larger the show the more unwieldy it becomes, but the benefit of mixing the disciplines is a dynamic learning environment. I suggest it represents more of how our government, corporations, and schools are going to restructure for a society that wants less silos of information and more of web (and I don’t mean web-based) approach in the physical world as well. There is no replacement for being in Austin, TX right now, but there are ways to feel like you are there. Following the events and chatter is simple. There are RSS feeds from the SXSW conference Then there is the Twitter Feed for #SXSW Don’t think SXSW is on the bleeding edge, it’s mainstream enough that National Public Radio has live SXSW coverage of the music venue There is plenty to see and hear from SXSW at Ustream TV and Blog Talk Radio just search SXSW to see those who are broadcasting live from the event. If you are attending SXSW what are your turn ons or offs about the festival. Use this widget from Beyond Polls to select from the menu or add to it in your own words. Here is a link to the poll http://qcwidget.com/widgets/5410a1ee2859 The South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX which combines music, film, and Interactive media has become a major destination for trends and social interaction. Sure, it’s a social technology conference, but it’s a music festival and an arts venue. It’s the kind of event that represents more of what the future will be, collaboration and cross-pollination. Yes, the larger the show the more unwieldy it becomes, but the benefit of mixing the disciplines is a dynamic learning environment. I suggest it represents more of how our government, corporations, and schools are going to restructure for a society that wants less silos of information and more of web (and I don’t mean web-based) approach in the physical world as well. There is no replacement for being in Austin, TX right now, but there are ways to feel like you are there. Following the events and chatter is simple. There are RSS feeds from the SXSW conference Then there is the Twitter Feed for #SXSW Don’t think SXSW is on the bleeding edge, it’s mainstream enough that National Public Radio has live SXSW coverage of the music venue There is plenty to see and hear from SXSW at Ustream TV and Blog Talk Radio just search SXSW to see those who are broadcasting live from the event. If you are attending SXSW what are your turn ons or offs about the festival. Use this widget from Beyond Polls to select from the menu or add to it in your own words. Here is a link to the poll http://qcwidget.com/widgets/5410a1ee2859 tag:odeo.com,2009-03-13,25369459 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:15:57 -0700 no Marketing Edge Technology, marketing, social media, blogs http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24302930-South-by-Southwest-is-a-Big-Deal The South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX which combines music, film, and Interactive media has become a major destination for trends and social interaction. Sure, it’s a social technology conference, but it’s a music festival and an arts venue. It’s the kind of event that represents more of what the future will be, collaboration and cross-pollination. Yes, the larger the show the more unwieldy it becomes, but the benefit of mixing the disciplines is a dynamic learning environment. I suggest it represents more of how our government, corporations, and schools are going to restructure for a society that wants less silos of information and more of web (and I don’t mean web-based) approach in the physical world as well. There is no replacement for being in Austin, TX right now, but there are ways to feel like you are there. Following the events and chatter is simple. There are RSS feeds from the SXSW conference Then there is the Twitter Feed for #SXSW Don’t think SXSW is on th... The South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX which combines music, film, and Interactive media has become a major destination for trends and social interaction. Sure, it’s a social technology conference, but it’s a music festival and an arts venue. It’s the kind of event that represents more of what the future will be, collaboration and cross-pollination. Yes, the larger the show the more unwieldy it becomes, but the benefit of mixing the disciplines is a dynamic learning environment. I suggest it represents more of how our government, corporations, and schools are going to restructure for a society that wants less silos of information and more of web (and I don’t mean web-based) approach in the physical world as well. There is no replacement for being in Austin, TX right now, but there are ways to feel like you are there. Following the events and chatter is simple. There are RSS feeds from the SXSW conference Then there is the Twitter Feed for #SXSW Don’t think SXSW is on the bleeding edge, it’s mainstream enough that National Public Radio has live SXSW coverage of the music venue There is plenty to see and hear from SXSW at Ustream TV and Blog Talk Radio just search SXSW to see those who are broadcasting live from the event. If you are attending SXSW what are your turn ons or offs about the festival. Use this widget from Beyond Polls to select from the menu or add to it in your own words. Here is a link to the poll http://qcwidget.com/widgets/5410a1ee2859 The South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX which combines music, film, and Interactive media has become a major destination for trends and social interaction. Sure, it’s a social technology conference, but it’s a music festival and an arts venue. It’s the kind of event that represents more of what the future will be, collaboration and cross-pollination. Yes, the larger the show the more unwieldy it becomes, but the benefit of mixing the disciplines is a dynamic learning environment. I suggest it represents more of how our government, corporations, and schools are going to restructure for a society that wants less silos of information and more of web (and I don’t mean web-based) approach in the physical world as well. There is no replacement for being in Austin, TX right now, but there are ways to feel like you are there. Following the events and chatter is simple. There are RSS feeds from the SXSW conference Then there is the Twitter Feed for #SXSW Don’t think SXSW is on the bleeding edge, it’s mainstream enough that National Public Radio has live SXSW coverage of the music venue There is plenty to see and hear from SXSW at Ustream TV and Blog Talk Radio just search SXSW to see those who are broadcasting live from the event. If you are attending SXSW what are your turn ons or offs about the festival. Use this widget from Beyond Polls to select from the menu or add to it in your own words. Here is a link to the poll http://qcwidget.com/widgets/5410a1ee2859 tag:odeo.com,2009-03-13,24302930 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:15:57 -0700 no Marketing Edge Technology, marketing, social media, blogs http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25369460-Measuring-Messages-As-You-Build-Relationships Time 25:48 When people ask me what is the ROI on a social media relationship I often think of my wife. Let’s see we are married 22 years, have 5 kids that have yet to complete college, braces, went through 2 Suburbans vehicles for the last 10 years, I mean there are not many cars that can hold a family of 7. I figure financially this relationship might not be the jackpot most CFOs would appreciate. I raise this point first because as the web becomes more social, the quantification that corporate America has come to rely on for every action seems a bit callous when it comes to time spent online. Long before the social web, plenty of sales managers said this to a less than stellar sales rep, “you seem to be playing a lot of golf with John, when is he going to sign a contract?” Perhaps the same phrase can apply when it comes to the time spent on twitter or in social communities, blogger sites, and Twitter, however, I suggest online relationships have a more complex nature than golfing ... Time 25:48 When people ask me what is the ROI on a social media relationship I often think of my wife. Let’s see we are married 22 years, have 5 kids that have yet to complete college, braces, went through 2 Suburbans vehicles for the last 10 years, I mean there are not many cars that can hold a family of 7. I figure financially this relationship might not be the jackpot most CFOs would appreciate. I raise this point first because as the web becomes more social, the quantification that corporate America has come to rely on for every action seems a bit callous when it comes to time spent online. Long before the social web, plenty of sales managers said this to a less than stellar sales rep, “you seem to be playing a lot of golf with John, when is he going to sign a contract?” Perhaps the same phrase can apply when it comes to the time spent on twitter or in social communities, blogger sites, and Twitter, however, I suggest online relationships have a more complex nature than golfing with a “targeted prospect.” In this episode of the Marketing Edge podcast, we discuss what to measure in a PR relationship with KD Paine, author of Measuring Public Relationships: The Data-Driven Communicator’s Guide to Success It is not just about the number of press clips. Today’s measurement equation, if you have the patience for it, goes deeper in both the measured topic, and with whom to cultivate relationships around your business objectives. Some of the tools KD uses are: Buzz Logic Twinfluence Xinureturns A Twitter Tip Twitter is most noted for being a great tool to promote your cause and otherwise build relationships that are primarily focused on externalizing a message. There are other ways Twitter can be used to learn more about the market and competitive information. One of them is creating key words in www.search.twitter.com or using hashtags to attempt to collect the tweets around a topic, conference or other category you select. Let me share a non-business example. When you are driving, do you ever go just a little bit faster when a certain song comes on? Yeah you know what I mean, so for the fun of it while on Twitter one night, I created a # (hashtag) called #Gofast which started a running dialogue about songs that make people Go Fast. I suspect a couple of insurance companies are monitoring this string right now and will update their applications to include this very question. In this podcast, I highlight another Twitter tactic that flies under the radar which may give greater insight into what competitors are doing. More Shout Outs I get just a tad over the top in responding to listener comments. Apologies in advance to any friends with Boston accents, but you gotta admit, the running battle between who speaks better Bostonians or New Yorkers is pretty funny. Thanks to Kevin Newnan for the sound files used in the podcast of Boston phrases, his website The Wicked Pissah is hilarious. It hasn’t been updated in 10 years, but it still ranks high in searches for Boston Accent sound files. Also a hat tip to the Guy’s Guide to Marketing to Women by Stephanie Holland a.k.a. Sheconomy on Twitter – I suspect this has both business and personal application (Mother’s Day is coming up and all). Hope to See You at the NewComm Forum and InBound Marketing Summit A terrific conference is scheduled for April 27-29 in San Francisco. It is a combination of the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and the marketing conference produced by Chris Brogan, Paul Gillin and David Meerman Scott. Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFCOMBO2 to get $200 off the listed price. Time 25:48 When people ask me what is the ROI on a social media relationship I often think of my wife. Let’s see we are married 22 years, have 5 kids that have yet to complete college, braces, went through 2 Suburbans vehicles for the last 10 years, I mean there are not many cars that can hold a family of 7. I figure financially this relationship might not be the jackpot most CFOs would appreciate. I raise this point first because as the web becomes more social, the quantification that corporate America has come to rely on for every action seems a bit callous when it comes to time spent online. Long before the social web, plenty of sales managers said this to a less than stellar sales rep, “you seem to be playing a lot of golf with John, when is he going to sign a contract?” Perhaps the same phrase can apply when it comes to the time spent on twitter or in social communities, blogger sites, and Twitter, however, I suggest online relationships have a more complex nature than golfing with a “targeted prospect.” In this episode of the Marketing Edge podcast, we discuss what to measure in a PR relationship with KD Paine, author of Measuring Public Relationships: The Data-Driven Communicator’s Guide to Success It is not just about the number of press clips. Today’s measurement equation, if you have the patience for it, goes deeper in both the measured topic, and with whom to cultivate relationships around your business objectives. Some of the tools KD uses are: Buzz Logic Twinfluence Xinureturns A Twitter Tip Twitter is most noted for being a great tool to promote your cause and otherwise build relationships that are primarily focused on externalizing a message. There are other ways Twitter can be used to learn more about the market and competitive information. One of them is creating key words in www.search.twitter.com or using hashtags to attempt to collect the tweets around a topic, conference or other category you select. Let me share a non-business example. When you are driving, do you ever go just a little bit faster when a certain song comes on? Yeah you know what I mean, so for the fun of it while on Twitter one night, I created a # (hashtag) called #Gofast which started a running dialogue about songs that make people Go Fast. I suspect a couple of insurance companies are monitoring this string right now and will update their applications to include this very question. In this podcast, I highlight another Twitter tactic that flies under the radar which may give greater insight into what competitors are doing. More Shout Outs I get just a tad over the top in responding to listener comments. Apologies in advance to any friends with Boston accents, but you gotta admit, the running battle between who speaks better Bostonians or New Yorkers is pretty funny. Thanks to Kevin Newnan for the sound files used in the podcast of Boston phrases, his website The Wicked Pissah is hilarious. It hasn’t been updated in 10 years, but it still ranks high in searches for Boston Accent sound files. Also a hat tip to the Guy’s Guide to Marketing to Women by Stephanie Holland a.k.a. Sheconomy on Twitter – I suspect this has both business and personal application (Mother’s Day is coming up and all). Hope to See You at the NewComm Forum and InBound Marketing Summit A terrific conference is scheduled for April 27-29 in San Francisco. It is a combination of the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and the marketing conference produced by Chris Brogan, Paul Gillin and David Meerman Scott. Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFCOMBO2 to get $200 off the listed price. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-11,25369460 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:47:48 -0700 no Marketing Edge twitter, marketing, public relations, NewComm Forum, PR, PR Measurement, KD Paine http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24287696-Measuring-Messages-As-You-Build-Relationships Time 25:48 When people ask me what is the ROI on a social media relationship I often think of my wife. Let’s see we are married 22 years, have 5 kids that have yet to complete college, braces, went through 2 Suburbans vehicles for the last 10 years, I mean there are not many cars that can hold a family of 7. I figure financially this relationship might not be the jackpot most CFOs would appreciate. I raise this point first because as the web becomes more social, the quantification that corporate America has come to rely on for every action seems a bit callous when it comes to time spent online. Long before the social web, plenty of sales managers said this to a less than stellar sales rep, “you seem to be playing a lot of golf with John, when is he going to sign a contract?” Perhaps the same phrase can apply when it comes to the time spent on twitter or in social communities, blogger sites, and Twitter, however, I suggest online relationships have a more complex nature than golfing ... Time 25:48 When people ask me what is the ROI on a social media relationship I often think of my wife. Let’s see we are married 22 years, have 5 kids that have yet to complete college, braces, went through 2 Suburbans vehicles for the last 10 years, I mean there are not many cars that can hold a family of 7. I figure financially this relationship might not be the jackpot most CFOs would appreciate. I raise this point first because as the web becomes more social, the quantification that corporate America has come to rely on for every action seems a bit callous when it comes to time spent online. Long before the social web, plenty of sales managers said this to a less than stellar sales rep, “you seem to be playing a lot of golf with John, when is he going to sign a contract?” Perhaps the same phrase can apply when it comes to the time spent on twitter or in social communities, blogger sites, and Twitter, however, I suggest online relationships have a more complex nature than golfing with a “targeted prospect.” In this episode of the Marketing Edge podcast, we discuss what to measure in a PR relationship with KD Paine, author of Measuring Public Relationships: The Data-Driven Communicator’s Guide to Success It is not just about the number of press clips. Today’s measurement equation, if you have the patience for it, goes deeper in both the measured topic, and with whom to cultivate relationships around your business objectives. Some of the tools KD uses are: Buzz Logic Twinfluence Xinureturns A Twitter Tip Twitter is most noted for being a great tool to promote your cause and otherwise build relationships that are primarily focused on externalizing a message. There are other ways Twitter can be used to learn more about the market and competitive information. One of them is creating key words in www.search.twitter.com or using hashtags to attempt to collect the tweets around a topic, conference or other category you select. Let me share a non-business example. When you are driving, do you ever go just a little bit faster when a certain song comes on? Yeah you know what I mean, so for the fun of it while on Twitter one night, I created a # (hashtag) called #Gofast which started a running dialogue about songs that make people Go Fast. I suspect a couple of insurance companies are monitoring this string right now and will update their applications to include this very question. In this podcast, I highlight another Twitter tactic that flies under the radar which may give greater insight into what competitors are doing. More Shout Outs I get just a tad over the top in responding to listener comments. Apologies in advance to any friends with Boston accents, but you gotta admit, the running battle between who speaks better Bostonians or New Yorkers is pretty funny. Thanks to Kevin Newnan for the sound files used in the podcast of Boston phrases, his website The Wicked Pissah is hilarious. It hasn’t been updated in 10 years, but it still ranks high in searches for Boston Accent sound files. Also a hat tip to the Guy’s Guide to Marketing to Women by Stephanie Holland a.k.a. Sheconomy on Twitter - I suspect this has both business and personal application (Mother’s Day is coming up and all). Hope to See You at the NewComm Forum and InBound Marketing Summit A terrific conference is scheduled for April 27-29 in San Francisco. It is a combination of the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and the marketing conference produced by Chris Brogan, Paul Gillin and David Meerman Scott. Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFCOMBO2 to get $200 off the listed price. Time 25:48 When people ask me what is the ROI on a social media relationship I often think of my wife. Let’s see we are married 22 years, have 5 kids that have yet to complete college, braces, went through 2 Suburbans vehicles for the last 10 years, I mean there are not many cars that can hold a family of 7. I figure financially this relationship might not be the jackpot most CFOs would appreciate. I raise this point first because as the web becomes more social, the quantification that corporate America has come to rely on for every action seems a bit callous when it comes to time spent online. Long before the social web, plenty of sales managers said this to a less than stellar sales rep, “you seem to be playing a lot of golf with John, when is he going to sign a contract?” Perhaps the same phrase can apply when it comes to the time spent on twitter or in social communities, blogger sites, and Twitter, however, I suggest online relationships have a more complex nature than golfing with a “targeted prospect.” In this episode of the Marketing Edge podcast, we discuss what to measure in a PR relationship with KD Paine, author of Measuring Public Relationships: The Data-Driven Communicator’s Guide to Success It is not just about the number of press clips. Today’s measurement equation, if you have the patience for it, goes deeper in both the measured topic, and with whom to cultivate relationships around your business objectives. Some of the tools KD uses are: Buzz Logic Twinfluence Xinureturns A Twitter Tip Twitter is most noted for being a great tool to promote your cause and otherwise build relationships that are primarily focused on externalizing a message. There are other ways Twitter can be used to learn more about the market and competitive information. One of them is creating key words in www.search.twitter.com or using hashtags to attempt to collect the tweets around a topic, conference or other category you select. Let me share a non-business example. When you are driving, do you ever go just a little bit faster when a certain song comes on? Yeah you know what I mean, so for the fun of it while on Twitter one night, I created a # (hashtag) called #Gofast which started a running dialogue about songs that make people Go Fast. I suspect a couple of insurance companies are monitoring this string right now and will update their applications to include this very question. In this podcast, I highlight another Twitter tactic that flies under the radar which may give greater insight into what competitors are doing. More Shout Outs I get just a tad over the top in responding to listener comments. Apologies in advance to any friends with Boston accents, but you gotta admit, the running battle between who speaks better Bostonians or New Yorkers is pretty funny. Thanks to Kevin Newnan for the sound files used in the podcast of Boston phrases, his website The Wicked Pissah is hilarious. It hasn’t been updated in 10 years, but it still ranks high in searches for Boston Accent sound files. Also a hat tip to the Guy’s Guide to Marketing to Women by Stephanie Holland a.k.a. Sheconomy on Twitter - I suspect this has both business and personal application (Mother’s Day is coming up and all). Hope to See You at the NewComm Forum and InBound Marketing Summit A terrific conference is scheduled for April 27-29 in San Francisco. It is a combination of the Society for New Communications Research of which I’m a senior fellow and the marketing conference produced by Chris Brogan, Paul Gillin and David Meerman Scott. Here is a $100 discount code for Marketing Edge readers and listeners, SNCRFRIEND if you only want to attend the New CommForum (see agenda) or if you want to attend the New CommForum and the InBound Marketing Summit use this code NCFCOMBO2 to get $200 off the listed price. tag:odeo.com,2009-03-11,24287696 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:47:48 -0700 no Marketing Edge twitter, marketing, public relations, NewComm Forum, PR, PR Measurement, KD Paine http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24157455-How-to-Help-a-Reporter-Out-Read-Connect-Follow Time 16:48 Public relations is changing before your eyes, don’t believe me, visit Help a Reporter Out a website where reporters post their inquiries for experts, guests, and story angles. Then, the site’s founder Peter Shankman emails those inquiries out morning, noon, and night. No, I’m not kidding, three times a day. In fact, I use his emails as a reminder to feed my dog. She gets a cup of food at each email and is pretty happy about it (see smiling photo). Shankman is also a pet lover who, on the HARO website, supports several animal non-profits including Best Friends Animal Society and the Search Dog Foundation, helping train dogs to locate disaster victims. Back to public relations, you may think HARO this is similar to ProfNet or other services, and you are right, but the world of social media is changing business models and Shankman is adding value at less cost. The way PR is changing requires change on the part of companies buying PR services and delivering those services. P... Time 16:48 Public relations is changing before your eyes, don’t believe me, visit Help a Reporter Out a website where reporters post their inquiries for experts, guests, and story angles. Then, the site’s founder Peter Shankman emails those inquiries out morning, noon, and night. No, I’m not kidding, three times a day. In fact, I use his emails as a reminder to feed my dog. She gets a cup of food at each email and is pretty happy about it (see smiling photo). Shankman is also a pet lover who, on the HARO website, supports several animal non-profits including Best Friends Animal Society and the Search Dog Foundation, helping train dogs to locate disaster victims. Back to public relations, you may think HARO this is similar to ProfNet or other services, and you are right, but the world of social media is changing business models and Shankman is adding value at less cost. The way PR is changing requires change on the part of companies buying PR services and delivering those services. Practicing PR for 25 years, I’ve found the equation of PR firm and client interesting. A firm is paid by a client to advise and implement services the success of which is on a third party, reporter or blogger. In that equation I’ve always considered the journalist very similar to a client in their own unique way. They, at times had a specific need for information or at other times just a general curiosity of information I might have. Finding the match of client information and journalist need is the Golden Ticket. Here are some points for both buyer and provider of public relations services during these changing times. For buyers of PR services Think about PR before you have a problem Be a resource before you want to pitch Technology speeds distribution not necessarily learning about reporters Don’t just measure clips, measure the real-time way people respond to company For PR professionals No substitute for learning about reporters by studying their work (this includes bloggers!) Don’t rely on any one list, (purchased or otherwise), search for journalists using social media Your value is not just in pitching, nor some ancient relationship, it’s the knowledge of what will interest said reporter/blogger. Don’t be afraid to advise your client to expose their talents/expertise directly to reporters via social media. Thanks to Peter Shankman for your time, Provident Partners just donated to Best Friends – see social media does work. HR The Marketing Edge book contest for February is The Perfection of Marketing by James Connor, to enter the contest email me at marketingedge AT provident partners dot net and in the subject line put the word perfection. You can get on the podcast with your questions or comments by calling 206-600-6887, we’d like to hear from you. That will make us smile. Time 16:48 Public relations is changing before your eyes, don’t believe me, visit Help a Reporter Out a website where reporters post their inquiries for experts, guests, and story angles. Then, the site’s founder Peter Shankman emails those inquiries out morning, noon, and night. No, I’m not kidding, three times a day. In fact, I use his emails as a reminder to feed my dog. She gets a cup of food at each email and is pretty happy about it (see smiling photo). Shankman is also a pet lover who, on the HARO website, supports several animal non-profits including Best Friends Animal Society and the Search Dog Foundation, helping train dogs to locate disaster victims. Back to public relations, you may think HARO this is similar to ProfNet or other services, and you are right, but the world of social media is changing business models and Shankman is adding value at less cost. The way PR is changing requires change on the part of companies buying PR services and delivering those services. Practicing PR for 25 years, I’ve found the equation of PR firm and client interesting. A firm is paid by a client to advise and implement services the success of which is on a third party, reporter or blogger. In that equation I’ve always considered the journalist very similar to a client in their own unique way. They, at times had a specific need for information or at other times just a general curiosity of information I might have. Finding the match of client information and journalist need is the Golden Ticket. Here are some points for both buyer and provider of public relations services during these changing times. For buyers of PR services Think about PR before you have a problem Be a resource before you want to pitch Technology speeds distribution not necessarily learning about reporters Don’t just measure clips, measure the real-time way people respond to company For PR professionals No substitute for learning about reporters by studying their work (this includes bloggers!) Don’t rely on any one list, (purchased or otherwise), search for journalists using social media Your value is not just in pitching, nor some ancient relationship, it’s the knowledge of what will interest said reporter/blogger. Don’t be afraid to advise your client to expose their talents/expertise directly to reporters via social media. Thanks to Peter Shankman for your time, Provident Partners just donated to Best Friends – see social media does work. HR The Marketing Edge book contest for February is The Perfection of Marketing by James Connor, to enter the contest email me at marketingedge AT provident partners dot net and in the subject line put the word perfection. You can get on the podcast with your questions or comments by calling 206-600-6887, we’d like to hear from you. That will make us smile. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-19,24157455 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:38:18 -0800 no Marketing Edge public relations, PR, HARO, Peter Shankman http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24032265-A-Buddhist-Marketer-%E2%80%93-Really-Come-On Time 22:32 True story, I get a pitch about a marketer who is getting ready to leave the hustle of the rat race to go on a Buddhist retreat next year. I’ve got to tell you that I was a bit skeptical, I think the two disciplines, marketing and Buddhism are about a contrary as you can get. The marketer, James Connor is the author of the book the Perfection of Marketing. It’s a quick read and told though the eyes of Connor as he weaves a story around a typical discussion with a CEO about marketing. It certainly is a different narrative than most business books, and I recommend it to every marketer as a gift to a skeptical CEO. So I write back that I’d like to interview James not just about the book but what I see as the contradictions in the idea of being a marketer and a Buddhist. This is part two of my conversation with James Connor. We focus on the spiritual aspect of his journey in life and business. Did he completely convince me that marketing and Buddhism are made for each other? ... Time 22:32 True story, I get a pitch about a marketer who is getting ready to leave the hustle of the rat race to go on a Buddhist retreat next year. I’ve got to tell you that I was a bit skeptical, I think the two disciplines, marketing and Buddhism are about a contrary as you can get. The marketer, James Connor is the author of the book the Perfection of Marketing. It’s a quick read and told though the eyes of Connor as he weaves a story around a typical discussion with a CEO about marketing. It certainly is a different narrative than most business books, and I recommend it to every marketer as a gift to a skeptical CEO. So I write back that I’d like to interview James not just about the book but what I see as the contradictions in the idea of being a marketer and a Buddhist. This is part two of my conversation with James Connor. We focus on the spiritual aspect of his journey in life and business. Did he completely convince me that marketing and Buddhism are made for each other? No, but Connor opened my eyes to a different perspective, and for that I’m very grateful. As a participant of social media, Connor’s spirituality is insightful and shows the beauty and peace of giving. These insights give him a unique perspective on human nature and that perspective is an asset as a marketer. A premise of Buddhism is the concept of giving, and taking care of others. The best way to succeed is to help others, and I believe that is a principle of social media. Those that understand this principle and live by it will get back more than than give. Comment & Give to Others Leave a comment below or better yet, call the comment line 206-600-6887. Enter the contest to win the book The Perfection of Marketing by email marketingedge AT providentpartners.net put the word perfection in the subject line. Time 22:32 True story, I get a pitch about a marketer who is getting ready to leave the hustle of the rat race to go on a Buddhist retreat next year. I’ve got to tell you that I was a bit skeptical, I think the two disciplines, marketing and Buddhism are about a contrary as you can get. The marketer, James Connor is the author of the book the Perfection of Marketing. It’s a quick read and told though the eyes of Connor as he weaves a story around a typical discussion with a CEO about marketing. It certainly is a different narrative than most business books, and I recommend it to every marketer as a gift to a skeptical CEO. So I write back that I’d like to interview James not just about the book but what I see as the contradictions in the idea of being a marketer and a Buddhist. This is part two of my conversation with James Connor. We focus on the spiritual aspect of his journey in life and business. Did he completely convince me that marketing and Buddhism are made for each other? No, but Connor opened my eyes to a different perspective, and for that I’m very grateful. As a participant of social media, Connor’s spirituality is insightful and shows the beauty and peace of giving. These insights give him a unique perspective on human nature and that perspective is an asset as a marketer. A premise of Buddhism is the concept of giving, and taking care of others. The best way to succeed is to help others, and I believe that is a principle of social media. Those that understand this principle and live by it will get back more than than give. Comment & Give to Others Leave a comment below or better yet, call the comment line 206-600-6887. Enter the contest to win the book The Perfection of Marketing by email marketingedge AT providentpartners.net put the word perfection in the subject line. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-03,24032265 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:21:59 -0800 no Marketing Edge marketing, brand management, business marketing, brand, Albert Maruggi, James Connor, buddhist marketer http://www.odeo.com/episodes/24019819-Brand-Buy-In-Matters-No-Matter-What-Size-Company Time 21:52 I’ve always found it interesting that many company CEOs view marketing as an after thought. Their concept of brand begins with a logo rather than a culture. Some may believe that brand is only for large companies that have time and money for a brand strategy and its execution. I take a different view. Brand is rooted in a company’s belief system and value proposition, so while you are thinking about why a company should exist, it is also thinking about its brand. So when you think of service in the hospitality industry Ritz Carlton comes to mind, and when it comes to automobile safety it’s no accident that you think of Volvo. When a company views a brand as part of its core, part of its reason to exist and the major quality that motivates people to purchase their product or service, then it is much easier to execute the messages that will flow from their brand position. Just as Stephen Covey refers to True North as the ethical and moral direction for personal growth, I th... Time 21:52 I’ve always found it interesting that many company CEOs view marketing as an after thought. Their concept of brand begins with a logo rather than a culture. Some may believe that brand is only for large companies that have time and money for a brand strategy and its execution. I take a different view. Brand is rooted in a company’s belief system and value proposition, so while you are thinking about why a company should exist, it is also thinking about its brand. So when you think of service in the hospitality industry Ritz Carlton comes to mind, and when it comes to automobile safety it’s no accident that you think of Volvo. When a company views a brand as part of its core, part of its reason to exist and the major quality that motivates people to purchase their product or service, then it is much easier to execute the messages that will flow from their brand position. Just as Stephen Covey refers to True North as the ethical and moral direction for personal growth, I think True North for a company is its core brand value. James Connor, author of The Perfection of Marketing believes you can drive sales in three steps to brand building. We get into the details in this podcast the first of a two part conversation. Tomorrow we chat about Connor being a Buddhist and a marketer, a seeming contradiction for me. Enter the contest to giveaway Connor’s book by emailing me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net and in the subject line put the word Perfection. Every entry, every comment on the blog or on the Marketing Edge comment line 206-600-6887, Provident Partners will give a food item to a St. Paul, Minnesota food shelter. The Marketing Edge podcast is celebrating its fourth anniversary this month, gives us a call and we’ll get you on the next show. Also check out a new show I am hosting Social Media Throwdown First show is a discussion about the merits of personal branding with Hajj Flemings and Geoff Livingston Time 21:52 I’ve always found it interesting that many company CEOs view marketing as an after thought. Their concept of brand begins with a logo rather than a culture. Some may believe that brand is only for large companies that have time and money for a brand strategy and its execution. I take a different view. Brand is rooted in a company’s belief system and value proposition, so while you are thinking about why a company should exist, it is also thinking about its brand. So when you think of service in the hospitality industry Ritz Carlton comes to mind, and when it comes to automobile safety it’s no accident that you think of Volvo. When a company views a brand as part of its core, part of its reason to exist and the major quality that motivates people to purchase their product or service, then it is much easier to execute the messages that will flow from their brand position. Just as Stephen Covey refers to True North as the ethical and moral direction for personal growth, I think True North for a company is its core brand value. James Connor, author of The Perfection of Marketing believes you can drive sales in three steps to brand building. We get into the details in this podcast the first of a two part conversation. Tomorrow we chat about Connor being a Buddhist and a marketer, a seeming contradiction for me. Enter the contest to giveaway Connor’s book by emailing me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net and in the subject line put the word Perfection. Every entry, every comment on the blog or on the Marketing Edge comment line 206-600-6887, Provident Partners will give a food item to a St. Paul, Minnesota food shelter. The Marketing Edge podcast is celebrating its fourth anniversary this month, gives us a call and we’ll get you on the next show. Also check out a new show I am hosting Social Media Throwdown First show is a discussion about the merits of personal branding with Hajj Flemings and Geoff Livingston tag:odeo.com,2009-02-02,24019819 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:59:41 -0800 no Marketing Edge marketing, brand management, business marketing, brand, Albert Maruggi, Marketing Edge Podcast, James Connor http://www.odeo.com/episodes/23846850-Doctors%E2%80%99-Grades-Help-Patients-Decide-on-Healthcare Time 20:53 As more consumers use the web to research their medical needs and choices, the greater the demand for some type of performance metrics in healthcare delivery. This dynamic taking place in healthcare is causing greater competition among providers, and more healthcare marketers to look for ways to tell their story. Healthgrades dot com is one of several sites that provide detailed reporting on physician performance, legal issues, and hospital outcomes. Within the last year, surveys of hospital outcomes mandated by Medicare are now available to the public. These points of data are piling up to create a mountain of information for patients to sort through as they make a decision on healthcare. To be sure, reliance on a general physician and friends and family are important, but checking that information against a report card gives a bit more substance behind a decision. Other physician rating sites include Find a Doc, Vitals, and RateMDs In this podcast with Christopher Boyer... Time 20:53 As more consumers use the web to research their medical needs and choices, the greater the demand for some type of performance metrics in healthcare delivery. This dynamic taking place in healthcare is causing greater competition among providers, and more healthcare marketers to look for ways to tell their story. Healthgrades dot com is one of several sites that provide detailed reporting on physician performance, legal issues, and hospital outcomes. Within the last year, surveys of hospital outcomes mandated by Medicare are now available to the public. These points of data are piling up to create a mountain of information for patients to sort through as they make a decision on healthcare. To be sure, reliance on a general physician and friends and family are important, but checking that information against a report card gives a bit more substance behind a decision. Other physician rating sites include Find a Doc, Vitals, and RateMDs In this podcast with Christopher Boyer of Healthgrades.com , we explore some of the reasons why millions of people are using these sites. We get into what tactics hospital marketers should be evaluating to tap into the stream of information patients and their families are accessing. The most important indicator to examine social media and understand the impact of rating sites is the powerful element of “intended search” in healthcare. Those searching for healthcare information are usually doing so because of a need. It is more than likely it is an urgent need. Healthcare is different in this regard that many other industries. People can causally shop around a vacation destination or a car without a making a purchase, it’s unlikely that people are casually browsing hiatal hernia or slip disk remedies. Another good resource is Boyer’s social network for healthcare marketers hosted on Ning. I’ve posted Marketing Edge podcast interviews on healthcare on a dedicated healthcare and social media page. www.providentpartners.net/healthcare Call us with your comments or questions that we can chat about on the show, 206-600-6887. Provident Partners donates a food item for every comment we received. Time 20:53 As more consumers use the web to research their medical needs and choices, the greater the demand for some type of performance metrics in healthcare delivery. This dynamic taking place in healthcare is causing greater competition among providers, and more healthcare marketers to look for ways to tell their story. Healthgrades dot com is one of several sites that provide detailed reporting on physician performance, legal issues, and hospital outcomes. Within the last year, surveys of hospital outcomes mandated by Medicare are now available to the public. These points of data are piling up to create a mountain of information for patients to sort through as they make a decision on healthcare. To be sure, reliance on a general physician and friends and family are important, but checking that information against a report card gives a bit more substance behind a decision. Other physician rating sites include Find a Doc, Vitals, and RateMDs In this podcast with Christopher Boyer of Healthgrades.com , we explore some of the reasons why millions of people are using these sites. We get into what tactics hospital marketers should be evaluating to tap into the stream of information patients and their families are accessing. The most important indicator to examine social media and understand the impact of rating sites is the powerful element of “intended search” in healthcare. Those searching for healthcare information are usually doing so because of a need. It is more than likely it is an urgent need. Healthcare is different in this regard that many other industries. People can causally shop around a vacation destination or a car without a making a purchase, it’s unlikely that people are casually browsing hiatal hernia or slip disk remedies. Another good resource is Boyer’s social network for healthcare marketers hosted on Ning. I’ve posted Marketing Edge podcast interviews on healthcare on a dedicated healthcare and social media page. www.providentpartners.net/healthcare Call us with your comments or questions that we can chat about on the show, 206-600-6887. Provident Partners donates a food item for every comment we received. tag:odeo.com,2009-01-08,23846850 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:52:33 -0800 no Marketing Edge twitter, Facebook, marketing, social media, search, hospital, healthcare, Health Care, mayo http://www.odeo.com/episodes/23829848-The-Single-Best-PR-Advice-for-2009-%E2%80%93-Think-Like-a-News-Organization Time 27:53 The problem with many companies trying to get PR and media coverage is they think like a company. They need to think like a news organization about themselves, their industry, and the communities in which they play. In the first Marketing Edge episode for 2009 we talk with Kevin Dugan, co-author of the Bad Pitch Blog. The Bad Pitch Blog is a must read for any PR or corporate communications professional, and more importantly, clients of PR organizations. Why clients? Because you don’t want to put your organization or your firm in a situation where the pitch becomes the news. We get into how not to craft a bad pitch and approaching PR with a different perspective in part because social media has changed the landscape of public relations Meanwhile here’s an old PR versus new PR list for 2009, Kind of like a PR fashionista list. Old PR Thinking News is only when the company has a new product, version or customer. News is something you distribute to the news media Avoid discus... Time 27:53 The problem with many companies trying to get PR and media coverage is they think like a company. They need to think like a news organization about themselves, their industry, and the communities in which they play. In the first Marketing Edge episode for 2009 we talk with Kevin Dugan, co-author of the Bad Pitch Blog. The Bad Pitch Blog is a must read for any PR or corporate communications professional, and more importantly, clients of PR organizations. Why clients? Because you don’t want to put your organization or your firm in a situation where the pitch becomes the news. We get into how not to craft a bad pitch and approaching PR with a different perspective in part because social media has changed the landscape of public relations Meanwhile here’s an old PR versus new PR list for 2009, Kind of like a PR fashionista list. Old PR Thinking News is only when the company has a new product, version or customer. News is something you distribute to the news media Avoid discussion of controversial subjects that impact the company No discussion of company strategy or internal debate Limit most of communication to print or text New PR Thinking Evaluate potential news items as if you were an editorial board of a multimedia publishing company monthly if not more frequently. Consider information as it is perceived by a variety of communities impacted by your company, that’s who really determines news. News can be targeted by community participation, posted to a blog, included in a podcast and a variety of other means, you don’t need to blanket the world Use the right medium, audio, video, print, mash-up, others to convey the story Get involved in issues that matter to your industry, whether you take a position or participate in the debate, don’t sit on the sidelines. You are your own media outlet, create a channel like blip.tv, blog, podcast, slide share, and make it easy for users to share with others. Video is not limited to TV, fully integrated multimedia news organizations may well be the right target for a pitch that was previously considered the realm of television. That’s just a few, we can always talk more, start with a comment either below or at 206-600-6887. Provident Partners donates a food item to a St. Paul, MN food shelter for every comment we receive. Happy New Year! Time 27:53 The problem with many companies trying to get PR and media coverage is they think like a company. They need to think like a news organization about themselves, their industry, and the communities in which they play. In the first Marketing Edge episode for 2009 we talk with Kevin Dugan, co-author of the Bad Pitch Blog. The Bad Pitch Blog is a must read for any PR or corporate communications professional, and more importantly, clients of PR organizations. Why clients? Because you don’t want to put your organization or your firm in a situation where the pitch becomes the news. We get into how not to craft a bad pitch and approaching PR with a different perspective in part because social media has changed the landscape of public relations Meanwhile here’s an old PR versus new PR list for 2009, Kind of like a PR fashionista list. Old PR Thinking News is only when the company has a new product, version or customer. News is something you distribute to the news media Avoid discussion of controversial subjects that impact the company No discussion of company strategy or internal debate Limit most of communication to print or text New PR Thinking Evaluate potential news items as if you were an editorial board of a multimedia publishing company monthly if not more frequently. Consider information as it is perceived by a variety of communities impacted by your company, that’s who really determines news. News can be targeted by community participation, posted to a blog, included in a podcast and a variety of other means, you don’t need to blanket the world Use the right medium, audio, video, print, mash-up, others to convey the story Get involved in issues that matter to your industry, whether you take a position or participate in the debate, don’t sit on the sidelines. You are your own media outlet, create a channel like blip.tv, blog, podcast, slide share, and make it easy for users to share with others. Video is not limited to TV, fully integrated multimedia news organizations may well be the right target for a pitch that was previously considered the realm of television. That’s just a few, we can always talk more, start with a comment either below or at 206-600-6887. Provident Partners donates a food item to a St. Paul, MN food shelter for every comment we receive. Happy New Year! tag:odeo.com,2009-01-02,23829848 Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:07:45 -0800 no Marketing Edge marketing, public relations, PR, Albert Maruggi, Kevin Dugan, Bad Pitch Blog http://www.odeo.com/episodes/23829849-Best-PR-and-SEO-Tactics Time 28:49 What’s in a word? Plenty. Not just a word, but the right word at the right time in the right places can catapult your company to the top of the Google heap. As a former journalist, I’m always thinking about the news angle, whether it’s for clients, this podcast, or the pure enjoyment of staying on top of the issue. The beauty of this is, search engines think like news people as well. The major search engines pick up trends across the net, reward in-bound links to your page, and give recognition to first movers. Having a focus and priorities for your marketing and SEO objectives can level the playing field against larger competitors. For example a small, and excellent company VigiLanz, develops infection control software that helps clinical pharmacies comply with a specific Federal mandate called National Patient Safety Goal 3E. With the goal of being focused on this very important aspect of their product, the objective was to produce a high Goggle ranking. The strategy of... Time 28:49 What’s in a word? Plenty. Not just a word, but the right word at the right time in the right places can catapult your company to the top of the Google heap. As a former journalist, I’m always thinking about the news angle, whether it’s for clients, this podcast, or the pure enjoyment of staying on top of the issue. The beauty of this is, search engines think like news people as well. The major search engines pick up trends across the net, reward in-bound links to your page, and give recognition to first movers. Having a focus and priorities for your marketing and SEO objectives can level the playing field against larger competitors. For example a small, and excellent company VigiLanz, develops infection control software that helps clinical pharmacies comply with a specific Federal mandate called National Patient Safety Goal 3E. With the goal of being focused on this very important aspect of their product, the objective was to produce a high Goggle ranking. The strategy of copy changes to their website and clear editorial intent in news release topics garnered a top rank in Goggle on the search of NSPG 3e software This success, however, can be short lived if there is not a dedicated effort to continue producing content that supports and I contend advances the conversation of your focused topic. (VigiLanz is a client) Another tactic is to piggyback on the news cycles of topics in your objective. For example, say your area is financial risk management in commodities, when the government announces a new policy, the markets move a certain way, or the monthly trade report references movement in commodity, there should be blog posts, news releases, and copy changes on specific areas of your website to capitalize on the coverage of the topic. To the extent you can get a jump on the topic momentum by using social media trending tools like Radian 6 or Trackur to mention two options at either end of the sophistication spectrum. In this podcast, I chat with Lee Odden, a nationally recognized SEO consultant. Lee and I share ideas on SEO, PR, and affiliate marketing tactics. Odden also writes the Top Rank Blog, one of the better blogs on the web. Odden will be speaking on a panel at the Affiliate Summit Jan 11-13 along with Andy Beal of Marketing Pilgrim. YOU COMMENT WE GIVE FOOD For every comment we get at 206-600-6887 or on this blog, Provident Partners will buy a food item for a local food shelter. So give someone a hot meal by giving us your opinion. Happy New Year. Time 28:49 What’s in a word? Plenty. Not just a word, but the right word at the right time in the right places can catapult your company to the top of the Google heap. As a former journalist, I’m always thinking about the news angle, whether it’s for clients, this podcast, or the pure enjoyment of staying on top of the issue. The beauty of this is, search engines think like news people as well. The major search engines pick up trends across the net, reward in-bound links to your page, and give recognition to first movers. Having a focus and priorities for your marketing and SEO objectives can level the playing field against larger competitors. For example a small, and excellent company VigiLanz, develops infection control software that helps clinical pharmacies comply with a specific Federal mandate called National Patient Safety Goal 3E. With the goal of being focused on this very important aspect of their product, the objective was to produce a high Goggle ranking. The strategy of copy changes to their website and clear editorial intent in news release topics garnered a top rank in Goggle on the search of NSPG 3e software This success, however, can be short lived if there is not a dedicated effort to continue producing content that supports and I contend advances the conversation of your focused topic. (VigiLanz is a client) Another tactic is to piggyback on the news cycles of topics in your objective. For example, say your area is financial risk management in commodities, when the government announces a new policy, the markets move a certain way, or the monthly trade report references movement in commodity, there should be blog posts, news releases, and copy changes on specific areas of your website to capitalize on the coverage of the topic. To the extent you can get a jump on the topic momentum by using social media trending tools like Radian 6 or Trackur to mention two options at either end of the sophistication spectrum. In this podcast, I chat with Lee Odden, a nationally recognized SEO consultant. Lee and I share ideas on SEO, PR, and affiliate marketing tactics. Odden also writes the Top Rank Blog, one of the better blogs on the web. Odden will be speaking on a panel at the Affiliate Summit Jan 11-13 along with Andy Beal of Marketing Pilgrim. YOU COMMENT WE GIVE FOOD For every comment we get at 206-600-6887 or on this blog, Provident Partners will buy a food item for a local food shelter. So give someone a hot meal by giving us your opinion. Happy New Year. tag:odeo.com,2008-12-29,23829849 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:17:50 -0800 no Marketing Edge marketing, public relations, SEO, PR, odden, PR Tactics, SEO Tactics http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25083652-Marketing-%E2%80%93-It%E2%80%99s-Not-Who-You-Know-It%E2%80%99s-Who-Knows-You Time 16:43 About 15 years ago at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium, I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt with the following slogan – It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You – Right there and then I thought “That’s it, that’s marketing.” All the other words on this blog help address that single slogan. Chuck Hester, communications director of iContact, a large email solutions provider, and nationally recognized Linkedin expert is the guest on this Marketing Edge podcast Hester is as good as it gets about living the slogan It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You. He has more than 6000 contacts on LinkedIn, and they all know him. Hester lives and breathes the principles of social networking, among them: 1. Giving to the community 2. Introducing people 3. Proactively listening to others (Chuck will never eat alone at any of the hundreds of conferences and meetings he attends) 4. Always willing to help This simple philosophy, the Pay it Forward philosophy, helps him in all aspects of his life... Time 16:43 About 15 years ago at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium, I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt with the following slogan – It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You – Right there and then I thought “That’s it, that’s marketing.” All the other words on this blog help address that single slogan. Chuck Hester, communications director of iContact, a large email solutions provider, and nationally recognized Linkedin expert is the guest on this Marketing Edge podcast Hester is as good as it gets about living the slogan It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You. He has more than 6000 contacts on LinkedIn, and they all know him. Hester lives and breathes the principles of social networking, among them: 1. Giving to the community 2. Introducing people 3. Proactively listening to others (Chuck will never eat alone at any of the hundreds of conferences and meetings he attends) 4. Always willing to help This simple philosophy, the Pay it Forward philosophy, helps him in all aspects of his life. Yes that includes business relationships, leads and contacts. Is there a quantifiable return on this investment? Sure there is, and those that are really good with numbers can fascinate themselves with all kinds of formulas and algorithms to achieve their desired result. Hester prefers to focus on the relationships, when you do that, everything falls into place. It’s a wonderful story not just appropriate during Christmas. In this episode of the Marketing Edge podcast on social media, Hester highlights the Pay It Forward approach in social media and in the physical world. His LinkedIn profile is his window to others and visa versa, He created a physical world networking format called LinkedIn Live which celebrated its first anniversary in 2008. We recorded this conversation this summer. Hester is working on a book due out in the first quarter of 2009,about his philosophy for using LinkedIn. Keep an eye out for the Pay it Forward Chronicles (working Title) We’ll have Hester back when the book is out. What Are Your Thoughts? Send us your thoughts on how you use LinkedIn or how you get others to Know You. Every comment on the blog or voice mails left on our comment line 206-600-6887 will provide a food item to a local St. Paul, MN food shelf. On Monday, December 29 drop by the office of Provident Partners to celebrate my 50th birthday, from 12:30pm – 2:30pm at 790 Cleveland Avenue South, Suite 221 St. Paul, MN – hope to see our twin cities listeners if you have time. Time 16:43 About 15 years ago at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium, I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt with the following slogan – It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You – Right there and then I thought “That’s it, that’s marketing.” All the other words on this blog help address that single slogan. Chuck Hester, communications director of iContact, a large email solutions provider, and nationally recognized Linkedin expert is the guest on this Marketing Edge podcast Hester is as good as it gets about living the slogan It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You. He has more than 6000 contacts on LinkedIn, and they all know him. Hester lives and breathes the principles of social networking, among them: 1. Giving to the community 2. Introducing people 3. Proactively listening to others (Chuck will never eat alone at any of the hundreds of conferences and meetings he attends) 4. Always willing to help This simple philosophy, the Pay it Forward philosophy, helps him in all aspects of his life. Yes that includes business relationships, leads and contacts. Is there a quantifiable return on this investment? Sure there is, and those that are really good with numbers can fascinate themselves with all kinds of formulas and algorithms to achieve their desired result. Hester prefers to focus on the relationships, when you do that, everything falls into place. It’s a wonderful story not just appropriate during Christmas. In this episode of the Marketing Edge podcast on social media, Hester highlights the Pay It Forward approach in social media and in the physical world. His LinkedIn profile is his window to others and visa versa, He created a physical world networking format called LinkedIn Live which celebrated its first anniversary in 2008. We recorded this conversation this summer. Hester is working on a book due out in the first quarter of 2009,about his philosophy for using LinkedIn. Keep an eye out for the Pay it Forward Chronicles (working Title) We’ll have Hester back when the book is out. What Are Your Thoughts? Send us your thoughts on how you use LinkedIn or how you get others to Know You. Every comment on the blog or voice mails left on our comment line 206-600-6887 will provide a food item to a local St. Paul, MN food shelf. On Monday, December 29 drop by the office of Provident Partners to celebrate my 50th birthday, from 12:30pm – 2:30pm at 790 Cleveland Avenue South, Suite 221 St. Paul, MN – hope to see our twin cities listeners if you have time. tag:odeo.com,2008-12-26,25083652 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:32:32 -0800 no Marketing Edge networking, marketing, social network, LinkedIn, personal brand, Chuck Hester, Hester http://www.odeo.com/episodes/23815152-Marketing-It%E2%80%99s-Not-Who-You-Know-It%E2%80%99s-Who-Knows-You Time 16:43 About 15 years ago at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium, I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt with the following slogan – It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You – Right there and then I thought “That’s it, that’s marketing.” All the other words on this blog help address that single slogan. Chuck Hester, communications director of iContact, a large email solutions provider, and nationally recognized Linkedin expert is the guest on this Marketing Edge podcast Hester is as good as it gets about living the slogan It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You. He has more than 6000 contacts on LinkedIn, and they all know him. Hester lives and breathes the principles of social networking, among them: 1. Giving to the community 2. Introducing people 3. Proactively listening to others (Chuck will never eat alone at any of the hundreds of conferences and meetings he attends) 4. Always willing to help This simple philosophy, the Pay it Forward philosophy, helps him in all aspects of his life... Time 16:43 About 15 years ago at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium, I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt with the following slogan – It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You – Right there and then I thought “That’s it, that’s marketing.” All the other words on this blog help address that single slogan. Chuck Hester, communications director of iContact, a large email solutions provider, and nationally recognized Linkedin expert is the guest on this Marketing Edge podcast Hester is as good as it gets about living the slogan It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You. He has more than 6000 contacts on LinkedIn, and they all know him. Hester lives and breathes the principles of social networking, among them: 1. Giving to the community 2. Introducing people 3. Proactively listening to others (Chuck will never eat alone at any of the hundreds of conferences and meetings he attends) 4. Always willing to help This simple philosophy, the Pay it Forward philosophy, helps him in all aspects of his life. Yes that includes business relationships, leads and contacts. Is there a quantifiable return on this investment? Sure there is, and those that are really good with numbers can fascinate themselves with all kinds of formulas and algorithms to achieve their desired result. Hester prefers to focus on the relationships, when you do that, everything falls into place. It’s a wonderful story not just appropriate during Christmas. In this episode of the Marketing Edge podcast on social media, Hester highlights the Pay It Forward approach in social media and in the physical world. His LinkedIn profile is his window to others and visa versa, He created a physical world networking format called LinkedIn Live which celebrated its first anniversary in 2008. We recorded this conversation this summer. Hester is working on a book due out in the first quarter of 2009,about his philosophy for using LinkedIn. Keep an eye out for the Pay it Forward Chronicles (working Title) We’ll have Hester back when the book is out. What Are Your Thoughts? Send us your thoughts on how you use LinkedIn or how you get others to Know You. Every comment on the blog or voice mails left on our comment line 206-600-6887 will provide a food item to a local St. Paul, MN food shelf. On Monday, December 29 drop by the office of Provident Partners to celebrate my 50th birthday, from 12:30pm - 2:30pm at 790 Cleveland Avenue South, Suite 221 St. Paul, MN - hope to see our twin cities listeners if you have time. Time 16:43 About 15 years ago at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium, I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt with the following slogan – It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You – Right there and then I thought “That’s it, that’s marketing.” All the other words on this blog help address that single slogan. Chuck Hester, communications director of iContact, a large email solutions provider, and nationally recognized Linkedin expert is the guest on this Marketing Edge podcast Hester is as good as it gets about living the slogan It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You. He has more than 6000 contacts on LinkedIn, and they all know him. Hester lives and breathes the principles of social networking, among them: 1. Giving to the community 2. Introducing people 3. Proactively listening to others (Chuck will never eat alone at any of the hundreds of conferences and meetings he attends) 4. Always willing to help This simple philosophy, the Pay it Forward philosophy, helps him in all aspects of his life. Yes that includes business relationships, leads and contacts. Is there a quantifiable return on this investment? Sure there is, and those that are really good with numbers can fascinate themselves with all kinds of formulas and algorithms to achieve their desired result. Hester prefers to focus on the relationships, when you do that, everything falls into place. It’s a wonderful story not just appropriate during Christmas. In this episode of the Marketing Edge podcast on social media, Hester highlights the Pay It Forward approach in social media and in the physical world. His LinkedIn profile is his window to others and visa versa, He created a physical world networking format called LinkedIn Live which celebrated its first anniversary in 2008. We recorded this conversation this summer. Hester is working on a book due out in the first quarter of 2009,about his philosophy for using LinkedIn. Keep an eye out for the Pay it Forward Chronicles (working Title) We’ll have Hester back when the book is out. What Are Your Thoughts? Send us your thoughts on how you use LinkedIn or how you get others to Know You. Every comment on the blog or voice mails left on our comment line 206-600-6887 will provide a food item to a local St. Paul, MN food shelf. On Monday, December 29 drop by the office of Provident Partners to celebrate my 50th birthday, from 12:30pm - 2:30pm at 790 Cleveland Avenue South, Suite 221 St. Paul, MN - hope to see our twin cities listeners if you have time. tag:odeo.com,2008-12-26,23815152 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:32:32 -0800 no Marketing Edge networking, marketing, social network, LinkedIn, personal brand, Chuck Hester, Hester http://www.odeo.com/episodes/23780758-Five-Ways-PR-Will-Adapt-to-the-Next-Generation-Newsroom Time 30:05 What would a newsroom look like if you built it from scratch today? That was the question answered by a project sponsored by the Knight Foundation and conducted at the Chronicle, the student newspaper of Duke University. It was led by Chris O’Brien, who in addition to being project manager for the Next Generation Newsroom, is a business columnist for the San Jose Mercury News. The beauty of this project is that it’s not just research and concept; the blueprint of the next newsroom is now a proposal being considered by Duke University. In this interview with Chris, we discuss the five principles their research identified for what a newsroom will look like. As I reviewed the principles for this interview, it struck me that they reflect the characteristics that make social media so powerful. Below are the Next Newsroom principles and, in italics after each one, I’ve outlined how PR professionals can adapt their role to be a valued resource for these next newsrooms. These wou... Time 30:05 What would a newsroom look like if you built it from scratch today? That was the question answered by a project sponsored by the Knight Foundation and conducted at the Chronicle, the student newspaper of Duke University. It was led by Chris O’Brien, who in addition to being project manager for the Next Generation Newsroom, is a business columnist for the San Jose Mercury News. The beauty of this project is that it’s not just research and concept; the blueprint of the next newsroom is now a proposal being considered by Duke University. In this interview with Chris, we discuss the five principles their research identified for what a newsroom will look like. As I reviewed the principles for this interview, it struck me that they reflect the characteristics that make social media so powerful. Below are the Next Newsroom principles and, in italics after each one, I’ve outlined how PR professionals can adapt their role to be a valued resource for these next newsrooms. These would be either PR managers and specialists inside corporate departments or PR associates in a firms representing clients. Give us your thoughts at 206-600-6887 or in the comment section below. For every comment you provide, Provident Partners will provide a food item to a St. Paul, MN, food shelter. Five principles for the ideal newsroom So rather than start by trying to create a single “ideal,” we decided to identify the big themes. This led to the establishment of five principles we think any newsroom of the future should embrace: *Community: The community should be at the center of a newsroom. That can mean physical spaces for training, spaces for public events, and social spaces. But it also means making the community an integral part of the news and information gathering, discussions and production. For the PR professional, Community means: Identify all of the communities your staff participates in. For example, an employee that is active in professional associations, local government. These people can be resources for news. *Multi-platform: The ideal newsroom should embrace all platforms — online, print, broadcast, mobile — on an equal footing. Any newsroom that organizes around a single platform, and considers the others to be secondary, risks becoming stagnant as those platforms change and new ones emerge. For the PR professional, Multi-platform means: I’m a big proponent of the right medium for the story. Some stories are most powerful when told by video, while others may be more appropriate for audio. Pitching stories to television because they are good video stories is now limiting. Every media is multi-media, and your video story should be pitched to the outlets most appropriate for that content. Just because a network doesn’t like your pitch for X story, you should look at the same video story for The New York Times because they have a fully integrated multi-media newsroom. Consider ways your information might appeal to a mobile audience and devise ways to deliver information there. *Innovation: We’re entering an era of increasingly rapid change. The ideal newsroom today won’t be the ideal newsroom of 2012. So any newsroom needs to make innovation a priority and find ways to create the capacity for constant experimentation. For the PR professional, Innovation means: Stay on top of the changes in the media that cover your company and topics of interest. They may be looking for ways to cover issues at less cost, accept bylined articles (I’m not talking about product shilling here; I’m talking thoughtful discussion of issues. If a person in your organization can do that, then be on the look-out for opportunities as newsrooms evolve.) New marketing and PR will be about testing and adapting, not doing what worked for 100 other companies. By that time, you’ve lost the creative edge and audiences will have moved on to something else. There is no longer safety in numbers. Safety is a figment of your imagination; innovation is critical to sustained growth. *Collaboration: Because any newsroom will be one among many in its community, it’s critical that it figure out how to work with others in the news and information ecosystem, whether that’s linking, teaming up on strategic stories, or finding other ways to cooperate when its strategic. For the PR professional, Collaboration means: Companies need to think and act like newsrooms. When issues of concern take center stage, your company needs to react as if you were covering breaking news. What is your company’s opinion of a trade embargo, the price of oil, the health care proposal, or [insert relevant issue here]. You need to either have an opinion or be a conduit for discussion. You can’t just sit around and wait for your new product improvement to issue a “news” release. Why? Because it likely isn’t news. When you realize that most companies don’t make news, they are part of the news, then you’ll start to be included in the real news. *Transparency: The explosion of information and news creates an enormous challenge for people to figure out which sources they can trust. The best way for a news organization to approach this problem is to become as transparent as possible. In the case of some new newsrooms we examined, that meant a transparent structure that allowed the public to see inside and invited them in. But in terms of content, that also means being as open as possible about your processes, sources, decisions and content. For the PR professional, Transparency means: This is my favorite. I’d love to see companies conduct editorial meetings every month and treat their organization as a news source. Please stop. Do not submit the following, “Well, we have a company newsletter…” No, that’s a marketing brochure in a layout that looks like a newspaper. Let’s start by identifying conflict as a part of the issues you cover about the topics in your company’s interest. There must be conflict because conflict makes for interesting stories. So in health care, is there conflict between access and cost? In the finance industry, is there conflict between regulation and growth? In manufacturing, is there conflict between using certain types of raw materials? Of course, and you have plenty of thoughtful ways to discuss issues that are debated in your industry everyday. That is what transparency is all about. It’s not about revealing your secret, patented manufacturing process, or your boss’ stash of Johnny Walker Black in her desk. It’s about being a forum for discussion in most cases about issues in your industry and less about the greatness of your latest widget. In this podcast, I mention one of my favorite sites, The Frontline Club, an independent journalist organization in London. It is brilliant, raw journalism at its best. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Provident Partners donates a food item to a St. Paul, MN food shelter for every comment we receive on this blog or on the comment line 206-600-6887. Time 30:05 What would a newsroom look like if you built it from scratch today? That was the question answered by a project sponsored by the Knight Foundation and conducted at the Chronicle, the student newspaper of Duke University. It was led by Chris O’Brien, who in addition to being project manager for the Next Generation Newsroom, is a business columnist for the San Jose Mercury News. The beauty of this project is that it’s not just research and concept; the blueprint of the next newsroom is now a proposal being considered by Duke University. In this interview with Chris, we discuss the five principles their research identified for what a newsroom will look like. As I reviewed the principles for this interview, it struck me that they reflect the characteristics that make social media so powerful. Below are the Next Newsroom principles and, in italics after each one, I’ve outlined how PR professionals can adapt their role to be a valued resource for these next newsrooms. These would be either PR managers and specialists inside corporate departments or PR associates in a firms representing clients. Give us your thoughts at 206-600-6887 or in the comment section below. For every comment you provide, Provident Partners will provide a food item to a St. Paul, MN, food shelter. Five principles for the ideal newsroom So rather than start by trying to create a single “ideal,” we decided to identify the big themes. This led to the establishment of five principles we think any newsroom of the future should embrace: *Community: The community should be at the center of a newsroom. That can mean physical spaces for training, spaces for public events, and social spaces. But it also means making the community an integral part of the news and information gathering, discussions and production. For the PR professional, Community means: Identify all of the communities your staff participates in. For example, an employee that is active in professional associations, local government. These people can be resources for news. *Multi-platform: The ideal newsroom should embrace all platforms — online, print, broadcast, mobile — on an equal footing. Any newsroom that organizes around a single platform, and considers the others to be secondary, risks becoming stagnant as those platforms change and new ones emerge. For the PR professional, Multi-platform means: I’m a big proponent of the right medium for the story. Some stories are most powerful when told by video, while others may be more appropriate for audio. Pitching stories to television because they are good video stories is now limiting. Every media is multi-media, and your video story should be pitched to the outlets most appropriate for that content. Just because a network doesn’t like your pitch for X story, you should look at the same video story for The New York Times because they have a fully integrated multi-media newsroom. Consider ways your information might appeal to a mobile audience and devise ways to deliver information there. *Innovation: We’re entering an era of increasingly rapid change. The ideal newsroom today won’t be the ideal newsroom of 2012. So any newsroom needs to make innovation a priority and find ways to create the capacity for constant experimentation. For the PR professional, Innovation means: Stay on top of the changes in the media that cover your company and topics of interest. They may be looking for ways to cover issues at less cost, accept bylined articles (I’m not talking about product shilling here; I’m talking thoughtful discussion of issues. If a person in your organization can do that, then be on the look-out for opportunities as newsrooms evolve.) New marketing and PR will be about testing and adapting, not doing what worked for 100 other companies. By that time, you’ve lost the creative edge and audiences will have moved on to something else. There is no longer safety in numbers. Safety is a figment of your imagination; innovation is critical to sustained growth. *Collaboration: Because any newsroom will be one among many in its community, it’s critical that it figure out how to work with others in the news and information ecosystem, whether that’s linking, teaming up on strategic stories, or finding other ways to cooperate when its strategic. For the PR professional, Collaboration means: Companies need to think and act like newsrooms. When issues of concern take center stage, your company needs to react as if you were covering breaking news. What is your company’s opinion of a trade embargo, the price of oil, the health care proposal, or [insert relevant issue here]. You need to either have an opinion or be a conduit for discussion. You can’t just sit around and wait for your new product improvement to issue a “news” release. Why? Because it likely isn’t news. When you realize that most companies don’t make news, they are part of the news, then you’ll start to be included in the real news. *Transparency: The explosion of information and news creates an enormous challenge for people to figure out which sources they can trust. The best way for a news organization to approach this problem is to become as transparent as possible. In the case of some new newsrooms we examined, that meant a transparent structure that allowed the public to see inside and invited them in. But in terms of content, that also means being as open as possible about your processes, sources, decisions and content. For the PR professional, Transparency means: This is my favorite. I’d love to see companies conduct editorial meetings every month and treat their organization as a news source. Please stop. Do not submit the following, “Well, we have a company newsletter…” No, that’s a marketing brochure in a layout that looks like a newspaper. Let’s start by identifying conflict as a part of the issues you cover about the topics in your company’s interest. There must be conflict because conflict makes for interesting stories. So in health care, is there conflict between access and cost? In the finance industry, is there conflict between regulation and growth? In manufacturing, is there conflict between using certain types of raw materials? Of course, and you have plenty of thoughtful ways to discuss issues that are debated in your industry everyday. That is what transparency is all about. It’s not about revealing your secret, patented manufacturing process, or your boss’ stash of Johnny Walker Black in her desk. It’s about being a forum for discussion in most cases about issues in your industry and less about the greatness of your latest widget. In this podcast, I mention one of my favorite sites, The Frontline Club, an independent journalist organization in London. It is brilliant, raw journalism at its best. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Provident Partners donates a food item to a St. Paul, MN food shelter for every comment we receive on this blog or on the comment line 206-600-6887. tag:odeo.com,2008-12-19,23780758 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:40:50 -0800 no Marketing Edge marketing http://www.odeo.com/episodes/23718953-Word-of-Mouth-Beats-Out-Comparison-Shopping-for-Health-Care Time 28:43 Health care is going through some growing pains when it comes to social media. Word of mouth, especially from friends and family, is the leading resource for consumers selecting a primary care physician, according to a study from the Center for Studying Health System Change.(CSHSC) The concept that consumers would aggressively seek out performance information and cost comparisons from sites like HealthGrades and Carol is not taking place as many predicted. In Minnesota company that bet on their advertising concept in a phrase - if men and women shopped for a ties and purses they would shop for medical care. After a huge PR splash, consumers weren’t buying the concept proving that PR without audience effective buy-in tactics doesn’t drive the bottom line. The Edelman Health Engagement Barometer echoes the findings of the CSHCS study in that physicians and, friends, family, and peers are the leading trusted sources of information about healthcare. When it comes to consumers... Time 28:43 Health care is going through some growing pains when it comes to social media. Word of mouth, especially from friends and family, is the leading resource for consumers selecting a primary care physician, according to a study from the Center for Studying Health System Change.(CSHSC) The concept that consumers would aggressively seek out performance information and cost comparisons from sites like HealthGrades and Carol is not taking place as many predicted. In Minnesota company that bet on their advertising concept in a phrase - if men and women shopped for a ties and purses they would shop for medical care. After a huge PR splash, consumers weren’t buying the concept proving that PR without audience effective buy-in tactics doesn’t drive the bottom line. The Edelman Health Engagement Barometer echoes the findings of the CSHCS study in that physicians and, friends, family, and peers are the leading trusted sources of information about healthcare. When it comes to consumers selecting a provider. Where does this put social media in healthcare? Squarely in the middle. Here’s how. Consumers do not feel confident enough to select a complex purchase without some guidance according to the CSHSC study. This guidance, I believe, comes in two forms, 1) peer to peer, including friends and family as well as patients who share their real-life experience. There are several sites picking up traction that provide anecdotal real-life insights Healthcare scoop and CareSeek are among them. You can even learn about Maruggi’s kidney stone surgery at St. Joe’s Hospital with Dr. Portis. This “someone like you” information gives patients comfort . In the study more than 50% of consumers use information from friends and family in their decision to select a physician. I would aggregate patient experience blogs in a similar category. 2) Professional information from a physician is also a highly valued component in this study. Nearly 40% of healthcare consumers consulted with a physician about from whom they should seek care. I believe this expert-to-patient exchange provides confidence in the selection. It is essentially a check and balance on the consumers leanings based on peer-to-peer information. We interviewed one of the leading healthcare bloggers, author of Health Populi Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. She highlights how social media is working its way into one of the last holdouts of web 2.0 implementations, the healthcare industry. While it is slow going, Sarasohn-Kahn says there are many aspects of social media in healthcare, only one of which is the “shopping” aspect. For example, healthcare improvement through greater transparency as demonstrated by Paul Levy, CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and Nick Jacobs, President of Windber Medical Center is an area of social media that is noticed at the highest levels of the profession and media. Among the community of physicians Sermo is a fast growing social network with more than 70,000 licensed physicians. The web 2.0 community in healthcare is huge, its leading conference produced by Matthew Holt was overflowing this Fall, no economic crisis was keeping members of this community away from the conversation. Sarasohn-Kahn talks in this podcast about the relationship consumers have with social media in their healthcare decisions. She also touches on how the once antagonist political entities of universal healthcare may well be ready to reach a constructive solution just in time for the Obama Administration. Her advice, read Critical by Tom Daschle What does this mean for marketers and PR professionals in healthcare? While comparing Doctor Smith and Doctor Jones along with the cost of an MRI may be a way off in the distance, tapping in to communities and conversation are here today. Whether it is driving health plan members to use online services or a hospital using video to highlight their latest surgery procedures, consumers are willing participants in the learning phase of healthcare decision making. In the area of public relations, podcasts are used to increasing effectiveness as a source for news reporting, and consumer information tools, Johns Hopkins Medicine podcasts are a classic example. Baby steps in social media is just fine for healthcare for now, 2009 we expect to see further growth as patients, physicians and healthcare journalists are plugging into the budding movement of healthcare transparency. Jane spoke to the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement in Minnesota in late November, highlighting how social media is slowing being implemented in healthcare. Reminder all comments to the Marketing Edge podcast comment line 206-600-6887 or Marketing Edge blog will result in a food item being donated to a Twin Cities food shelter. Your opinion is worth a meal to someone in need, so tell us what you think. December Drawing: Use Giftag, www.giftag.com the website for all your gift ideas and whish lists, and tag your gifts that are up to $25 with Marketing Edge. On December 20 we will pick one gift and purchase it for that Giftag user. Time 28:43 Health care is going through some growing pains when it comes to social media. Word of mouth, especially from friends and family, is the leading resource for consumers selecting a primary care physician, according to a study from the Center for Studying Health System Change.(CSHSC) The concept that consumers would aggressively seek out performance information and cost comparisons from sites like HealthGrades and Carol is not taking place as many predicted. In Minnesota company that bet on their advertising concept in a phrase - if men and women shopped for a ties and purses they would shop for medical care. After a huge PR splash, consumers weren’t buying the concept proving that PR without audience effective buy-in tactics doesn’t drive the bottom line. The Edelman Health Engagement Barometer echoes the findings of the CSHCS study in that physicians and, friends, family, and peers are the leading trusted sources of information about healthcare. When it comes to consumers selecting a provider. Where does this put social media in healthcare? Squarely in the middle. Here’s how. Consumers do not feel confident enough to select a complex purchase without some guidance according to the CSHSC study. This guidance, I believe, comes in two forms, 1) peer to peer, including friends and family as well as patients who share their real-life experience. There are several sites picking up traction that provide anecdotal real-life insights Healthcare scoop and CareSeek are among them. You can even learn about Maruggi’s kidney stone surgery at St. Joe’s Hospital with Dr. Portis. This “someone like you” information gives patients comfort . In the study more than 50% of consumers use information from friends and family in their decision to select a physician. I would aggregate patient experience blogs in a similar category. 2) Professional information from a physician is also a highly valued component in this study. Nearly 40% of healthcare consumers consulted with a physician about from whom they should seek care. I believe this expert-to-patient exchange provides confidence in the selection. It is essentially a check and balance on the consumers leanings based on peer-to-peer information. We interviewed one of the leading healthcare bloggers, author of Health Populi Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. She highlights how social media is working its way into one of the last holdouts of web 2.0 implementations, the healthcare industry. While it is slow going, Sarasohn-Kahn says there are many aspects of social media in healthcare, only one of which is the “shopping” aspect. For example, healthcare improvement through greater transparency as demonstrated by Paul Levy, CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and Nick Jacobs, President of Windber Medical Center is an area of social media that is noticed at the highest levels of the profession and media. Among the community of physicians Sermo is a fast growing social network with more than 70,000 licensed physicians. The web 2.0 community in healthcare is huge, its leading conference produced by Matthew Holt was overflowing this Fall, no economic crisis was keeping members of this community away from the conversation. Sarasohn-Kahn talks in this podcast about the relationship consumers have with social media in their healthcare decisions. She also touches on how the once antagonist political entities of universal healthcare may well be ready to reach a constructive solution just in time for the Obama Administration. Her advice, read Critical by Tom Daschle What does this mean for marketers and PR professionals in healthcare? While comparing Doctor Smith and Doctor Jones along with the cost of an MRI may be a way off in the distance, tapping in to communities and conversation are here today. Whether it is driving health plan members to use online services or a hospital using video to highlight their latest surgery procedures, consumers are willing participants in the learning phase of healthcare decision making. In the area of public relations, podcasts are used to increasing effectiveness as a source for news reporting, and consumer information tools, Johns Hopkins Medicine podcasts are a classic example. Baby steps in social media is just fine for healthcare for now, 2009 we expect to see further growth as patients, physicians and healthcare journalists are plugging into the budding movement of healthcare transparency. Jane spoke to the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement in Minnesota in late November, highlighting how social media is slowing being implemented in healthcare. Reminder all comments to the Marketing Edge podcast comment line 206-600-6887 or Marketing Edge blog will result in a food item being donated to a Twin Cities food shelter. Your opinion is worth a meal to someone in need, so tell us what you think. December Drawing: Use Giftag, www.giftag.com the website for all your gift ideas and whish lists, and tag your gifts that are up to $25 with Marketing Edge. On December 20 we will pick one gift and purchase it for that Giftag user. tag:odeo.com,2008-12-07,23718953 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:34:44 -0800 no Marketing Edge marketing, social media, healthcare, Health Care, consumer healthcare, Healthcare 2.0