Let me admit upfront. This isn't my idea at all. I'm lifting it wholesale from Virginia Miracle of OgilvyPR who has a brands worthy of a weekend category. Why? Because I think it is a great litmus test for the value you are delivering. It's a good one for you as a consumer and your relationship to brands...

Make yourself a Tweetcloud ( here's mine ). Good chance to take a look at HOW you are communicating using twitter. Are your words adding value? Making an impact? Or just making noise?

If we're truly in the "attention economy," then a book like Hypnotic Writing could definitely be a competitive advantage for any of us. I liked the concrete suggestions on how to improve your writing, the recognition that it's not a "quick fix" to do it, and that there are MANY complex parts to a well...

The book Wikinomics offers up the idea that Internet technologies will enable companies to more closely collaborate with customers in product development. I don't know if they had yogurt in mind, but why the heck not? The Stonyfield guys have done a nice job of an integrated campaign that will build...

Because she listens. I posted a review of her book, Brazen Careerist, on my personal blog (as well as this one) and she wrote a comment. You know what that says to me? She's scanning the net for discussions about her. She's listening to what people are saying. She's participating in the conversation...

There's a lot of debate in the blogosphere about the value of a recommendation on LinkedIn. Are they fluff pieces? Are they valuable? Obviously, you should take them with a grain of salt (but that's true of traditional references as well, I suppose), but here's another thought... The recommendation you...

By now, you've been on the receiving end (and perhaps the sending end) of someone's vacation photo album. The sites are so easy now that with a few clicks, you can upload 300 pictures. But, because it's easy for you to do it, doesn't mean it's easy for me to view them all. In fact, at a certain point...

And I'm talking to myself on that one. In this attention economy , when the headline of my blog posts are syndicated via twitterfeed , to Twitter and then on to FB, Skype, and Plaxo, the key is to have a good headline (and now I've added FriendFeed to the mix ) If you are an RSS reader person, you know...

    Is doing the right thing for the wrong reason ok? Let's take T-mobile for example. I've been a customer for 10 years (since they were VoiceStream) and very satisfied. For whatever reason, I've been getting a paper bill in the mail all these years (though most of my life is paperless). Anyhow...

I know I said that the purpose of a status update is to stimulate conversation , but, I am going to modify that slightly. The purpose of the status update is to build your online brand. Or, as Hugh MacLeod might say, your " global micro-brand " So, how do you do that? Just some thoughts. You've got 140...

At least one part of the ad inventory that MS has purchased on Facebook seems to be directed at existing MS employees on Facebook. Good for them. In building a community of passionate evangelists/advocates, one of the best (if not the best) place to start is with your existing employees. So, I see the...

Community marketing in a nutshell: Find the people who are naturally interested in your product/service. Reach out to them. Inform them (don't sell them). Excite them They will take it from there. A little bit of work and a big impact. Here's the evidence to back it up. Ian Ayres is the NYT best-selling...

My dad used to say to us growing up: "Act as if what you are doing will be on the front page of the New York Times." In an analog era, there was some, but not much risk of that happening. In a digital era, the exposure opportunity on the scale (or beyond) of the NYT is omni-present...and it is...

People often say something to the effect of "networks are dead, we're in a billion channel world now," when referring to Internet/YouTube, etc. I'm going to postulate that the universe of channels is actually much, much larger than that. Why? Because the person is the channel. The tools are at the point...

Ok,this isn't really a commercial. You can't buy endorsements on this blog. I value my rep too much. However, you can make an offer of "check out this product and, if you like it, tell your readers what you think." Of course, there are no guarantees. Authenticity is my hallmark. Now, I'm a technophile...

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times..."The #1 reason why people go to events is to meet other people." It's not about the (often boring) powerpoint presentation. It's about your ability as a host to create an environment that is a social lubricant and helps people meet each other. This...

The BEST analysis I've read thus far of how branding must adapt/evolve to an Internet-enabled world. Just first rate. If you are in marketing, advertising, communication, or PR (and who isn't?)... The Elongating Tail of Brand Communication

When I interview people for a position, I often ask them about their passions outside of work. You know why? I like to find people like me. People who, in their own free time, pursue activities that are similar to what they get paid to do. On my own time (after the kids are in bed and the usual "life...

In Microsoft parlance, a BOM (Bill of Materials) is a set of documents/presentations/demos that we deliver to our partners to help them execute marketing campaigns. Typically, these are a combination of Word docs, PowerPoints, and PDF's that are all encompassing in the information they provide. I know...

Took another step in the evolution of our Public Sector Partner community today. I hosted the first "Planning for the Remarkable Event" call today. The objective is to raise the game of all of us who execute customer-focused events to make them truly " remarkable ." But, it's not about my broadcasting...

It's been said by Seth and Andy , "Do something worth talking about..." (Part 2 is: 'make it easy for people to tell their friends.") Now this is Creative and Amazing Advertising! (thanks to my Aunt Susan for the forward) More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail !

When I hear the term "Business Intelligence," I think of the idea of using data to make better, smarter decisions about your business. This is Microsoft's take . But, not everyone's. Met a new neighbor who told me he does "Business Intelligence." Thing is, for him, it means that he helps US companies...

Are you an expert? You'd better be. Otherwise, why would people pay for your services? And how do people know that you are an expert? Well, you tell them, of course. But not straight out...by demonstrating in a non-intrusive, permission based way, that you know what the hell you are talking about. And...

I can't stand blogs where the RSS feed is only partial. I don't want to go to the website to read the rest of the article. Want to read it in the RSS reader. So, I was embarrassed in a big way when I met with loyal blog reader, Marc Sanders , and he said: "I've stopped reading your blog because of the...

Microsoft won't be the same Video: Bill Gates Last Day CES Clip Now, if we at MSFT can take this attitude and ability to laugh at ourselves and extend it out through all parts of our organization, I think the relationship we have with customers and partners will be revolutionized.