tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28011248900953973962024-03-19T02:48:22.284-06:00Denver Public Relations: Pushkin PRPushkin Public Relations is a public relations firm located in Denver, Colorado. Providing Colorado with public relations services such as media relations, media placement, strategic planning, and community relations.Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-22218469382512466822014-06-06T09:56:00.004-06:002014-06-06T09:57:52.932-06:00Commemorating D-Day, Remembering the HeroesToday marks the 70th anniversary of the WWII D-day invasion of Normandy, France.<br /><br />Recently, a member of our team visited Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial and the D-day Beaches. It was a moving experience.<br /><br />Here are some photos from the trip.<div class="MsoNormal">
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There are 9,387 marble
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: Cambria;">At the museum, exhibits show the rations
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The bravery of the service men and women in the face of death is unfathomable. Many sacrificed themselves for the greater good. The museum showcased some of their stories. Here are a few.<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-41302936819923073122014-05-22T06:32:00.000-06:002014-05-22T15:42:38.364-06:00Creating a Search Engine Optimization Strategy: An Interview with an SEO Pro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahCDQLxUNdB8jxTz6cHdnGUHiaev973bUd92idYEmblmFNTsJ4zeP0Jly1JXn0QX_m54sSP5XQ1E8UJ2jkpi7P3J5Fsdk0mRDcd6jLRAYRwv8oM7HXof0joIlc36b3NuMFnU6Sl1CIxUf/s1600/seo-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahCDQLxUNdB8jxTz6cHdnGUHiaev973bUd92idYEmblmFNTsJ4zeP0Jly1JXn0QX_m54sSP5XQ1E8UJ2jkpi7P3J5Fsdk0mRDcd6jLRAYRwv8oM7HXof0joIlc36b3NuMFnU6Sl1CIxUf/s1600/seo-2.jpg" height="383" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
By Maribeth Neelis</div>
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Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is integral to a successful digital marketing strategy. When your website achieves a search ranking on the first page of results above your competitors, it's like receiving a recommendation from Google, or one of the other search engines. </div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">With a high ranking, search engines are telling users your company is the authority on whatever subject they are searching.</span><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Just like working to become an authority in real life, creating a website that is deemed an authority takes patience, persistence and knowledge. So we interviewed Brittany Heidtke who, after nearly a decade in the digital marketing field, has quite a bit of all three, and who we, and many others, consider an authority on the subject.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Brittany has specialized in everything: paid search advertising (Google Adwords, Bing,
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter), email marketing strategy, social media
strategy, and of course, SEO. She has worked to grow five-person start-ups to
75, consulted for Fortune 500 companies and everyone in between. Currently, she runs <a href="http://clarkstreetconsulting.com/" target="_blank">Clark Street Consulting</a>, a marketing firm that helps small and medium size businesses take their digital marketing to the next level.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>PPR: Most people have heard about SEO and understand that it
influences a website's search ranking. Can you describe, at a basic level, how
it works? </b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>BH:</b> SEO stands for search engine optimization. What it means
is that you’re doing everything you can in order for Google (and the other
search engines), to understand what content you have on your site and when it
should call up your site within the search results.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The things that Google, and others, look for are a combination
of how relevant the content on your site is to what a user is actually looking
for, how recent that content is, how many inbound links are pointing to your
site from other quality sites that are similar to yours, among a variety of
other “secret algorithm” factors that they don’t like sharing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Really what it comes down to at the end of the day is that
Google is trying to give users the results that will help them with their search. So, you should concentrate on creating good, quality content that will give searchers the best experience and answer their questions. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: purple;">PPR: Do SEO rules and guidelines apply to all search engines, or does
each search engine employ a different algorithm? </span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>BH:</b> Each search engine has their own “unique” algorithm, but
they are all very similar. Because ultimately, they are all trying to give users content that is the most relevant to their search. They all have that same goal. What people normally say is optimize for
Google (since they have the biggest market share of searches) and you’re most
likely optimizing for Yahoo/Bing as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">PPR: When you are hired by a company, what is the first thing
that you typically do for them?</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>BH: </b>The first thing that we normally do is figure out what
its goals are and then figure out what it has done previously to obtain
those goals. That gives us a good jumping off point. From there, we’ll do a
deep dive into the organic and/or paid traffic coming into the site and how
it’s getting there. Based on the keywords already driving traffic and the
company’s goal keywords, we can decide how to optimize the site to get the
most traffic. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: purple;">PPR: What are some of the most common SEO issues you see? </span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>BH:</b> Something we saw in the past was companies who were talked into buying links from scammy sites, because it
was a quick win. Google laid down the hammer last year, and websites were penalized in the rankings for doing this. The biggest challenge those companies now face is
that they must disavow those links within their Google Webmaster
Tools and try to build again. So they’re basically at square one. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When it comes
to SEO, you always have to think <i>“Is what I’m doing good for the end user?”</i> If the answer is no, more than likely, Google will eventually penalize you for doing it. Even
if it gives you a short-term gain, it will come back to bite you in the long
term. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: purple;">PPR: What are the worst SEO mistakes companies make on their
websites?</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>BH:</b> I think one of the worst mistakes a company can make is to
create a home page entirely of images without any text. SEO is all about telling
Google what your site is about. By just giving them images, they’re not able
to gain any insight into why they should show your site in the search results. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: purple;">PPR: We know that SEO is not an exact science, but what is one thing a company can do to improve its search ranking and start driving
more traffic to its website?</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>BH:</b> I would say to always be adding new, relevant content to your
site. Google's algorithm takes recency into account, so having
fresh content is one quick and easy way you can improve your ranking. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: purple;">PPR: Content and social media marketing are real buzzwords right
now. Should these be considered separately from an SEO strategy?
Or, are they all part of a broader online marketing strategy?</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>BH:</b> All of these pieces should be considered together in a holistic
marketing strategy. Everything you do online will have some affect on SEO, good or bad. Adding fresh content is key to an ongoing SEO
strategy, so content marketing and SEO go hand-in-hand. And having a social presence that attracts visitors by sharing that content helps spread the word about your site and may earn you inbound links to your site from the new connections. Everything plays a part and everything really works together. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: purple;">PPR: When does it make sense to create a paid search campaign?
Or, should every company be using paid search?</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>BH:</b> It makes sense to have a paid search campaign when you have the budget to spend on paid traffic and you have the time to work
on both paid and organic traffic at once. Paid search is a quick way to drive traffic to your site, but you need to have the time to spend on it daily to make sure you’re getting the correct traffic and that traffic is behaving how you want in your conversion path. If you don’t have time to optimize these things, it
will be a waste of money, and you’ll sour on the idea of paid search.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: purple;">PPR: You also help companies run email campaigns. What is the most important thing to remember when creating an email campaign?</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>BH: </b>The single most important thing to remember when
thinking about sending an email is what you want the user to do after they read your email. Do you have clear call to action? Is it simple for them
to understand? Most likely, you want them to visit your website
and order or read something, so make that easy for them to do. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Use a button or
a well defined link to direct them where you want. And
remember, people like to skim, so don’t get too wordy! And of course, always run
tests, because what you think is the best way is not always what will resonate with users.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a burning question about SEO? Leave us a comment, and we will find you the answer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com215tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-72799262527570509762014-04-11T09:45:00.001-06:002014-04-11T09:49:45.910-06:00Get to the Point: Why Sound Bites Rule the Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVP1rSb4cktle4HKEwNdPKmet2CPBTHfnina0jiw5-bh98ABJQ60Z-uwPXfBWu3dyMzhMqo69cccH6F2uUegWix6y5rPDr-1Dmpriqs015CIJdgFUJX_UV2WBwfY2AxFvI4PPfQEJWa0ji/s1600/soundbite-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVP1rSb4cktle4HKEwNdPKmet2CPBTHfnina0jiw5-bh98ABJQ60Z-uwPXfBWu3dyMzhMqo69cccH6F2uUegWix6y5rPDr-1Dmpriqs015CIJdgFUJX_UV2WBwfY2AxFvI4PPfQEJWa0ji/s1600/soundbite-9.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
by Maribeth Neelis</div>
<br /><b></b>
<b>
: </b>a succinct recorded statement (as by a public figure) broadcast especially on a television news program; also: a brief catchy comment or saying.<br />
<h3>
<b>A Brief History</b></h3>
<div>
<i><b>In politics</b></i><br />
<div>
The term, coined in the 1970s in media circles, is said to have gained traction during the Reagan administration, as the President was known for his short, memorable phrases, like:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tear_down_this_wall!" target="_blank">“Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”</a><br />
<br />
<i><b>In the media</b></i></div>
<div>
The first known printed citations come from that period.<br />
<br />
"Remember that any editor watching needs a concise, 30-second sound bite. Anything more than that, you're losing them."<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>--The Washington Post</i>, June 1980<br />
<br />
"TV's formula these days is perhaps 100 words from the reporter, and a ‘sound bite’ of 15 or 20 words from the speaker."<br />
<br />
<i> --Time</i>, June 1983<br />
<br />
<i><b>In marketing and PR</b></i><br />
Social media has taken the sound bite to new levels, compelling companies and individuals to boil down ideas into short, catchy phrases, driving them to <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/why-are-upworthy-headlines-suddenly-everywhere/282048/" target="_blank">cheap tricks to get our attention</a>.<br />
<h3>
<b>Sound Bites and Reductionism</b></h3>
</div>
<div>
Even when they click, readers can’t stay focused. It's the age of skimming, and data suggests, the more words on the page, the less likely a reader will make it to the bottom. What’s more, <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2013/06/how_people_read_online_why_you_won_t_finish_this_article.html" target="_blank">many people share articles they haven’t fully read. </a></div>
<div>
Maria Popova discusses this <a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/07/20/susan-sontag-on-aphorisms/" target="_blank">issue that concerns her daily</a> on her website <a href="http://brainpickings.org/">brainpickings.org</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>“the reckless reduction of complex ideas into sticky sound bites and catchphrases, a practice that … has become not merely an accepted cultural standard, but a profitable business model in the 'ideas economy.' Under such commodification of thought, after a while, all these bite-sized ideas begin to sound, look and, eventually, act the same."</b></span></blockquote>
<br />
You have probably experienced this first hand searching for information online. Despite different titles and URLs, articles often contain very similar information, sometimes sharing entire paragraphs verbatim.<br />
<h3>
<b>The Value of a Sound Bite</b></h3>
Despite some drawbacks, a well-crafted sound bite can be a marketing or PR professional's secret weapon. Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, recounts how he discovered the value of the sound bite and how to whip up one that whets your audience's appetite.<br />
<br />
Its anatomy: three sentences that tell something informative, make you smile and contain something so tasty, you might want to tell it to someone else.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lLT1xpbTvZw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Why do you think we call them bites?"</span></div>
<br />
deGrasse Tyson reminds us:<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>“don’t think that sound bites aren’t useful if they don’t contain a curriculum. A sound bite is useful because it triggers interest in someone, who then goes and puts in the effort to learn more. … Take the moment to stimulate interest, and upon doing that you have set a learning path into motion that becomes self-driven because that sound bite was so tasty — why do you think we call them bites?”</b></span></blockquote>
<br />
His sentiment is relevant to anyone engaged in the art of communication, (or those of us who have ever been asked what we do for a living at a dinner party.)<br />
<h3>
<b>How to Craft a Sound Bite</b></h3>
<i><b>Consider your audience.</b></i><br />
For deGrasse Tyson, this a-ha moment came after ABC aired just a piece of his extensive interview about the discovery of the first planet orbiting a star that was not the sun. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This piece:<br />
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<a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tyson.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tyson.gif" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
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He realized that although they were interviewing him in his area of expertise, it was actually for them in their place, where sound bites rule.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>“Rather than have them sound bite me, why don’t I hand them a sound bite that's already condensed. They can’t edit that.”</b></span></blockquote>
<br />
<i><b>Boil it down.</b></i><br />
deGrasse Tyson begins by stating the main concepts he wants to articulate and then paring them down to three sentences that are informative, make you smile and contain something so tasty that you might want to share it with someone else.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>“You trim, you carve the words such that all that’s left is the most important concept communicated in the simplest, most direct way.”</b></span></blockquote>
<br />
<i><b>Be an artist.</b></i><br />
Poetic techniques that work in literature can make a simple phrase more memorable. You can get ideas from popular advertising slogans, but don’t ignore the classics. Pick up a famous novel and read it paying attention to word choice, metaphors, contrast, rhyme, rhythm, and repetition.<br />
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Pay attention to sentence construction. A long, meandering sentence will dull your point. Short choppy ones can interrupt flow and rhythm.<br />
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deGrasse Tyson likens this process of whittling down an idea for social media to sculpting. <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>“When I compose a tweet, I feel like [Rodin] who said, “When I make a sculpture, I just cut away everything that isn’t the man or the woman, and then that’s what’s left.”</b></span></blockquote>
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If you just skimmed through until the end of this post, here’s the sound bite:</div>
</div>
<b><br />Part of the evolution of communication, sound bites aim to distill ideas into pithy, persuasive packages. In our multi-tasked, content-crammed culture, they may be the most effective means to control a message, trigger interest and set a learning path in motion.</b><br />
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Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-2993678376025230372014-03-13T14:56:00.002-06:002014-03-13T15:01:15.592-06:00How to Create a Social Media Plan Using the POST Method<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4V0jQfJj0-Z8x5R42HdeDyL9rcFUO1rNvisw8Tzpsn1QVRs9GQTPpfkjSPN6qqJVEq_BIEZ3MPw9tnKvxqax4LELLGE7FK_oEO9fiy9ATUsYKmD-ALbQQAhAemm6P24-fNTw1O5o48-BK/s1600/shutterstock_113362825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4V0jQfJj0-Z8x5R42HdeDyL9rcFUO1rNvisw8Tzpsn1QVRs9GQTPpfkjSPN6qqJVEq_BIEZ3MPw9tnKvxqax4LELLGE7FK_oEO9fiy9ATUsYKmD-ALbQQAhAemm6P24-fNTw1O5o48-BK/s1600/shutterstock_113362825.jpg" height="320" width="305" /></a></div>
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By Maribeth Neelis</div>
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I am working on a social media strategy for one of our clients, so I thought I'd share one of the ways I do this called the POST Method.</div>
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The number of social mediums can be overwhelming, and while it’s important to create content and engage with clients and prospects somewhere online, it’s not necessary (or even feasible) to be everywhere.</div>
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Before you begin using social, it’s important to create a plan. But, it's never too late to re-evaluate the way you are currently doing things. And there is no shame in saying, "(Fill in the social medium here) just doesn't make sense for our business." It's better to do this than waste your time on an approach that isn't working.<br />
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There are many ways to do develop a plan. The POST Method, from Forrester Research, is a fairly quick and simple way.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">People: Get to know your audience (clients and prospects) and how they use the internet and behave online.</strong></div>
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NEED IDEAS?</div>
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1. Look at the demographic (age, gender, occupation) and psychographic (values, beliefs, motivations) characteristics of your customers and prospects.</div>
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2. Think about what your clients and prospects do online. Do they fall into any of these <a href="http://empowered.forrester.com/tool_consumer.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; outline: none 0px;" target="_blank">six overlapping categories of social technology participation</a>?</div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Creators</strong>: posting photos and creating videos</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Critics</strong>: reviewing products and services, commenting in forums</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Collectors</strong>: gathering photos, products and ideas they like and sharing with their network</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Joiners</strong>: actively participating in groups and pages, providing feedback and offering solutions</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Spectators</strong>: using and watching social media without contributing</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Inactives</strong>: not using social media</li>
</ul>
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3. Follow customers and competitors on various social media. Listen to what they are saying, and look at how they are using the various technologies. This will help you brainstorm what might work for you.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Objective: What are you trying to accomplish through social media? Figure this out before you begin. Then, figure out how you will measure it.</strong></div>
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At least initially, focus narrowly and choose one main goal, such as,</div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Build awareness</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Improve retention</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Increase sales</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Boost loyalty</li>
</ul>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Strategy: In the POST model, strategy means the result of your activity. How will your relationship with your customers have changed? Knowing this ahead of time will help you create an action plan.</strong></div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Do you want to improve your relationship with your best customers?</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Do you want to more people talking about your products and/or services?</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Do you want a place where people will test your products, provide feedback and offer up new ideas?</li>
</ul>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Technology: Based on the people you want to reach, your objective and your strategy (or end game) decide what social technologies to use and how much time it will take.</strong></div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Should you start a blog?</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Do you want to develop your Facebook or Google+ community?</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Should you be more active on Twitter?</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Should you be posting photos and videos to Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest?</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Should you start an email newsletter?</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">And finally, how will you measure your success—Google analytics, Facebook insights, Hootsuite, blog subscribers?</li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The deluge of content and slew of social media options can be overwhelming. But, the great thing about these uber-social times: there is a plan that will work for you, as long as you are thoughtful and strategic in your execution.</span></span></div>
Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-84001548333475150872014-03-05T09:24:00.004-07:002014-03-05T09:24:37.856-07:00The Case for Google+<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7d32IX9mvnn-bEwpa7MuMo4PQ1UVhD7RKgsKxk6xCctGPBKyzTNtVaciv8CCbwqKIRYHrQwQBKQCtouGd3rs7PcOacO-9WsHQPe1vHAJ_EmmSJ-MNGd54MjooFsP8XAodCQoTb6WeaJWO/s1600/G+.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7d32IX9mvnn-bEwpa7MuMo4PQ1UVhD7RKgsKxk6xCctGPBKyzTNtVaciv8CCbwqKIRYHrQwQBKQCtouGd3rs7PcOacO-9WsHQPe1vHAJ_EmmSJ-MNGd54MjooFsP8XAodCQoTb6WeaJWO/s1600/G+.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
By Maribeth Neelis</div>
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Once upon a time (like six months ago), most of us thought of Google+ as a ghost town. Maybe we had a profile, as a result
of having a Gmail account. But we didn’t click on that “View Profile” button at
the top right corner of the page very often.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes we would be alerted to the fact that someone
had added us into a circle. We usually ignored this notification and checked
our Facebook newsfeed for the 47th time that day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But listen up, folks, Google (per usual) is making moves. They
are integrating several Google products (YouTube, Drive, Gmail,
Maps) into Google+ and thus increasing the number of G+ users worldwide.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ultimately, this integration will lead to a better user
experience. Imagine a version of Yelp where your friends’ reviews or places
nearby move to the top. Picture a video chat with your friend or potential
client. Except, you don’t have to download Skype. It can all be set up through
Gmail and then stored on your YouTube channel afterward.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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For businesses using G+, this integration means access to
more prospects across several mediums. It can also serve as a way for companies
using G+ to communicate amongst themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The low-down on some Google+ features:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>Circles</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>When you add a contact, you assign them to one or
more circles (in-store customers; online customers; partners; industry leaders;
business friends; coworkers; etc.). You can create targeted messages for
each of your circles.</li>
<li>You can share circles publicly or
privately. Publicly, you could share a circle of team members on Google+
to help customers. Privately, you could share a circle of people to attended a
recent webinar or event, so they can then all follow each other. You can also
invite an entire circle to a Hangout to collaborate.</li>
<li>You can literally create whatever circles you want. And
no one can see what circle they fall into. So “People who talk too much” will
never know how you really feel.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aTvWy1Qu_-ut0ouNpXDCehUng6AvBDSyHkLqHPT6JmFStQS-Z4n7ZzM7Sa-9yNrulvQ8EvCrtlL_Dh7S3NBg3aMRsCNAcpBum_21FpweJ7-QRU1CdESe4kZNYXCI2o1Z4VErHUPXO1Js/s1600/circles.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aTvWy1Qu_-ut0ouNpXDCehUng6AvBDSyHkLqHPT6JmFStQS-Z4n7ZzM7Sa-9yNrulvQ8EvCrtlL_Dh7S3NBg3aMRsCNAcpBum_21FpweJ7-QRU1CdESe4kZNYXCI2o1Z4VErHUPXO1Js/s1600/circles.png" height="400" width="350" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>Communities</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>There are public and private communities that allow
you to join or create groups around interests, or even brands. Unlike on
Facebook, you can join a G+ community as a brand and interact with influencers
and experts, as well as current and potential customers.</li>
<li>A great example: Ford Motor Company has a <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/115887553251595657403" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">Ford Photo Community </span></a>where members can
share their Ford-related images.</li>
</ul>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg695LSnWl5jRNEFPftBGSCK9i4pFJciva10iJ6bhNl7m4yrdXP3rOkPQX0IYNru1JSKXcDbIqu9kTQODLaIVH6IHkpvzSrekOSOZ_H8BcGBQnQLCiIO3u3TULUKNLzf5UZqhWRW8hqxBsj/s1600/ford.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg695LSnWl5jRNEFPftBGSCK9i4pFJciva10iJ6bhNl7m4yrdXP3rOkPQX0IYNru1JSKXcDbIqu9kTQODLaIVH6IHkpvzSrekOSOZ_H8BcGBQnQLCiIO3u3TULUKNLzf5UZqhWRW8hqxBsj/s1600/ford.png" height="195" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>Hangouts</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>You can hold video chat sessions with an unlimited number
of people, broadest in real time and saved to your YouTube channel. You
can slide share, collaborate with clients and colleagues and broadcast
events and interviews. </li>
<li>A great example: <a href="https://plus.google.com/+VeteransUnited/about" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">VeteransUnited</span></a> uses Hangouts to educate veterans on how to use their VA
benefit to get a home loan. It also partners with a nonprofit to create
“virtual walks” where able-bodied citizens record their visit to different
locations acting as the virtual eyes and ears for disabled vets.</li>
<li>Ready to get started? <a href="http://maribethneelis.tumblr.com/post/71225324340/how-to-make-the-most-google" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">Read about how to set up your profile</span></a>,
create a business page and optimize your account to reach the greatest
number of people.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Ready to get started? Begin by creating a profile, adding your info and finding people you know. And, stay tuned for more about how people and companies are using Google+.</div>
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Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-59681570430678584522014-01-17T12:05:00.000-07:002014-01-17T12:05:02.231-07:00Pinspiration: Learn to Use Pinterest Successfully<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCT3k8p2uWcIyRBNvCQ8bltaZafJVj6FzZe7TOPZ7MnRj-mdsRsdWXxhbp_AtUD9yHoaelX_FmimjsyE9Vctsj6-1YaAjf0Kln4JfUmz9jyTbOoBmLiO44ycjmptTcnmZ8Z3JckoK4eCeB/s1600/pinterest-pinboard-600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCT3k8p2uWcIyRBNvCQ8bltaZafJVj6FzZe7TOPZ7MnRj-mdsRsdWXxhbp_AtUD9yHoaelX_FmimjsyE9Vctsj6-1YaAjf0Kln4JfUmz9jyTbOoBmLiO44ycjmptTcnmZ8Z3JckoK4eCeB/s1600/pinterest-pinboard-600.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sure, Pinterest started out as the place where (mostly) women pinned DIY projects, inventive recipes and home decor ideas. To a large degree, it still is. But that's changing as more big name brands are harnessing the power of pinning.<div>
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If the site's vivid, attractive images haven't lured you down the rabbit hole toward the dream of a more marvelous life, here's the gist.<br /><br />Users, called "pinners," create and manage pinboards around certain themes, browse other users’ boards and repin or like images they fancy.<br /><ul>
<li>When you share an image, it’s called a pin.</li>
<li>When you share someone else’s pin, it’s called a repin.</li>
<li>You can pin images you find online or upload them from your computer.</li>
<li>After <a href="http://about.pinterest.com/goodies/" target="_blank">installing the Pinit button</a>, you can share images from any website directly from your browser.</li>
<li>You can also share pins on Facebook and Twitter.</li>
<li>When you follow another pinner's board, you'll see her (or his) latest pins on your homepage. Kind of like the Facebook newsfeed. </li>
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So, why is Pinterest relevant to you or your business?<br /><br /><b>It's growing.</b> The company was recently valued at $3.8 billion and had 50 million unique visitors in September 2013. <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2012/04/09/pinterest-drives-more-revenue-per-click-than-twitter-or-facebook/#jTDeSZy2YJB157wc.99" target="_blank">It drives more revenue than Twitter or Facebook.</a><br /><br /><b>It is transforming into a visual search engine.</b> As more people use the site, it's becoming a place people go to find more specific results. Do a Google or Bing search for garage organization; you will get a list of products and stores where you can find them. A Pinterest search displays an <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=garage%20organization" target="_blank">inspiring, visual catalog of resources and ideas. </a> </div>
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<br /><b>It's a top of funnel marketing source. </b>It can introduce new customers to your website, if they click on an image you post. Not only that, your customers and clients can share your pins, directing their followers to your website or Pinterest page.<br /></div>
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Check out these <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/04/04/pinterest-creative-uses/#gallery/10-creative-uses-of-pinterest/520c853f97b2f866ce0002a1" target="_blank">10 innovative uses of Pinterest</a>. <br /><br />OK, you say, but my company sells insurance or blenders, or I do people's taxes. The ways to use Pinterest are more obvious, if you're an interior decorator or work for a company that sells apparel. But, when you think creatively, Pinterest can be an effective marketing tool for any brand. Bonus: it's fun to use.<br /><br />Check out these boards from companies that have found interesting ways to develop or adapt content to be successful on Pinterest.</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/lowes/build-it/">Lowe’s: Build It</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcrW1mVaA1HKduLKkdHCFwa4ZZ9JuPNwaCRrb6-TlgPTYUV1QBq-KVmAUsb03QH4zKO8bC3VrF2CBrWi7BqNhXNeh8YqNHqbEpCJMYXhE7tK24Jgk645O4gR3HYmHceMd-RLxSxXrPKsj/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.48.07+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcrW1mVaA1HKduLKkdHCFwa4ZZ9JuPNwaCRrb6-TlgPTYUV1QBq-KVmAUsb03QH4zKO8bC3VrF2CBrWi7BqNhXNeh8YqNHqbEpCJMYXhE7tK24Jgk645O4gR3HYmHceMd-RLxSxXrPKsj/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.48.07+AM.png" height="345" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Lowe's pins DIY projects from bloggers that can be made from products found at Lowe’s.</div>
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<b>Why is works: </b>This is an example or a company using Pinterest to drive traffic to its site and sell products. The board contains helpful content, much of it user-generated, which makes it more sharable. But it also piques customers' interest and gives them a reason to come into the store.</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/wsjgraphics/wsj-graphics/">WSJ: WSJ Graphics</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72TWvQdSJYd68NKV-7pTQDmoUPOMvE_rA8owkTo7lAKAJohI39w1iKRTI0XOS5TE6Q58AQxL4Ue5MnTpSoiuuod4yeo0NcRE3jkv0QU1Tj706bovTEvkh-8nyFQbAErJKcAxEIaqt80rA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.48.23+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72TWvQdSJYd68NKV-7pTQDmoUPOMvE_rA8owkTo7lAKAJohI39w1iKRTI0XOS5TE6Q58AQxL4Ue5MnTpSoiuuod4yeo0NcRE3jkv0QU1Tj706bovTEvkh-8nyFQbAErJKcAxEIaqt80rA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.48.23+AM.png" height="350" width="640" /></a></div>
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WSJ pins original graphics.</div>
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<b>Why it works: </b>The board creates something compelling and informative from dense subject matter. It's a great example of how you can repurpose content you have already created into something pin-worthy. (It would be even better, if the images linked to the WSJ website.)</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/generalelectric/that-s-genius/">GE: That’s Genius</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vHqJ9s4HvffdJh-dtZDpJFnN_uLKJeR_wukXXM3XAcGS7B5VaqTt5gSq48exKm4MZuBJsaHf4XDoVKgCAUVY-Ac8avxdrTtBGqUG7FL86MBNt9GciYzByW-FS8f-080jWh31nfXiWzpN/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.48.39+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vHqJ9s4HvffdJh-dtZDpJFnN_uLKJeR_wukXXM3XAcGS7B5VaqTt5gSq48exKm4MZuBJsaHf4XDoVKgCAUVY-Ac8avxdrTtBGqUG7FL86MBNt9GciYzByW-FS8f-080jWh31nfXiWzpN/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.48.39+AM.png" height="348" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />GE pins inspirational quotes from GE founder Thomas Edison.</div>
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<b>Why it works: </b>The pins are uplifting and visually appealing. This board proves that even a B2B company can recast itself for this medium. A Pinterest board doesn't have to be all about products. It can be about showcasing your brand and building awareness.</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/sephora/nailspotting/">Sephora: Nailspotting</a><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WgkiqFbEM9Qm9vPn4BKc7n8v3M7Pt8H0MG9zL6qDAO9GCbonvdsHR27oFGsKW0DVWmJgCDQ0VjCWQH9WxsP8ZlR3Bt8pK8LuDYhDfUhISK_CW6RcZ3bl5FMEsx-58Rp9Y3fXh4AHZeiW/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.48.57+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WgkiqFbEM9Qm9vPn4BKc7n8v3M7Pt8H0MG9zL6qDAO9GCbonvdsHR27oFGsKW0DVWmJgCDQ0VjCWQH9WxsP8ZlR3Bt8pK8LuDYhDfUhISK_CW6RcZ3bl5FMEsx-58Rp9Y3fXh4AHZeiW/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.48.57+AM.png" height="348" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /><div>
<br />Sephora pins helpful tutorials from its community.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Why it works: </b>The pins are helpful, attractive and, in many cases, from the Sephora community. Sephora understands its customers and has designed a board around their passions, making them more likely to contribute and repin.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/chobani/fit-with-it/">Chobani: Fit With It</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kiWUPRA-CLl8R3Ma39lGx9RUtwbiVoJA9ZI1lSWYGhUEC8_S2BHU0Ys4Azw2UKFrFFETcnGmPiRb1i6nfRYcBI8BUe92KLZcfeOd0ghAJq6qOgU-uvgz9w7fK9V3iyi-2jOBBmhf7gex/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.49.12+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kiWUPRA-CLl8R3Ma39lGx9RUtwbiVoJA9ZI1lSWYGhUEC8_S2BHU0Ys4Azw2UKFrFFETcnGmPiRb1i6nfRYcBI8BUe92KLZcfeOd0ghAJq6qOgU-uvgz9w7fK9V3iyi-2jOBBmhf7gex/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.49.12+AM.png" height="352" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />Chobani pins workouts, fitness tips and health information from across the web.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Why it works:</b> It provides valuable information targeted toward the interests of Chobani's community. It's an excellent example of how a Pinterest board can be themed around a concept other than your product or service.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/mcngmarketing/social-media-marketing/" target="_blank">MCNG Marketing: Social Media Marketing</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC8KX6S_fbh43THka0_FiRVIHmBnC7Rc3ScsRF8ZA8sBseduhje2MrLyrgcevdptt51AS4bjCd-TgefxAR67Ab16WrqjRtaX3F2qzRq-PMvsMKcK4zJ9C8W3UiMLYUOgDfSvgEn5MRoZg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.50.10+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC8KX6S_fbh43THka0_FiRVIHmBnC7Rc3ScsRF8ZA8sBseduhje2MrLyrgcevdptt51AS4bjCd-TgefxAR67Ab16WrqjRtaX3F2qzRq-PMvsMKcK4zJ9C8W3UiMLYUOgDfSvgEn5MRoZg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-17+at+11.50.10+AM.png" height="348" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
MCNG pins infographics about social media.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Why it works: </b>The pins are illustrative and helpful. MCNG demonstrates that even a company selling a service, instead of a product, can create dynamic Pinterest boards.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you haven't thought of at least one cool way your company can use Pinterest, let me know, and I will help you brainstorm.</div>
Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-9920376073901429032013-12-19T13:58:00.001-07:002013-12-19T19:58:56.791-07:00The Stream and Four Online Media Trends to Look for in 2014<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5m22_XdMN1vdLsuwq159YkuA8heN2hJpeD-RHynP_TMFdqoRIVE6dAD094El1Y6pWLbEo-LYBAJSw-S0Fc9DUN_4iQcx_bDASi30ndVVPEXZJItsnw-2yWEEi8Ka7a9RHhwJMQhmiLSL/s1600/bigstock-tranquil-morning-in-the-Great--46786732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5m22_XdMN1vdLsuwq159YkuA8heN2hJpeD-RHynP_TMFdqoRIVE6dAD094El1Y6pWLbEo-LYBAJSw-S0Fc9DUN_4iQcx_bDASi30ndVVPEXZJItsnw-2yWEEi8Ka7a9RHhwJMQhmiLSL/s640/bigstock-tranquil-morning-in-the-Great--46786732.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
By Maribeth Neelis<br />
<br />
The Stream, <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/2013-the-year-the-stream-crested/282202/" target="_blank">described in detail by Alexis Madrigal of The Atlantic</a>, has been
the organizing metaphor of the internet since 2009. Think about how a blog is
structured. Content is placed in reverse chronological
order—newest is at the top, and recency is rewarded by the search engines. That is The Stream, and like a flowing waterway, The Stream is never ending.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In an internet where the content is infinite, The Stream
offered order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, for some, the flood of content to our inboxes, Facebook
and Twitter feeds and news aggregators has become a bit of a burden. And it is not slowing down; the indexed web now has 1.66 billion pages.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Madrigal suggests a change
is on the horizon, that the internet may be in a period of flux, beginning to
rebalance and start making more durable things.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He sites some big product and service ideas from 2013 that suggest a shift.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>The emergence of SnapChat, an ephemeral photo sharing app</li>
<li>The launch of Medium, a site designed around collections of
work</li>
<li>The popularity of Reddit, which he describes as more like a
hive than a stream</li>
<li>The rise of paywalls by newspapers and magazines that are,
in essence, removing themselves from The Stream, at least for non-subscribers</li>
<li>The viral successes, Upworthy, ViralNova, TwentyTwoWords,
FaithIt, that take advantage of the structure of the stream, <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/why-are-upworthy-headlines-suddenly-everywhere/282048/" target="_blank">creating idealized stories with a beginning, middle and end</a></li>
<li>The changes to Facebook’s newsfeed algorithm that have started giving more
attention to older, better performing posts</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Several other trends have emerged. Some attempt to manage or counter the effects of The Stream; others are departing from the model altogether, attempting to create something evergreen and valuable, rather than churn out content.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Longform Renaissance</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the advent and proliferation of smartphones,
tablets and readers, longfrom, narrative journalism, the kind that takes 10,000
plus words to unfold, appears to be making a comeback. Last October, Pew Research Center found that 73 percent of tablet owners access longform content
either regularly or sometimes; 19 percent do so each day. Meanwhile, prominent newspapers,
like New York Times, and newer outfits, like <a href="https://www.atavist.com/" target="_blank">Atavist</a> and <a href="http://narrative.ly/" target="_blank">Narratively</a>
are <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek" target="_blank">pairing compelling narrative with multimedia embellishments</a>. (Seriously, check this out!)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Simplicity Reigns</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The sheer amount of content available is overwhelming. So it
stands to reason that consumers are putting a higher value on
simplicity. Whether it’s your website, social media presence, or brand
messaging, simpler is better.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As an article by <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/thesba/2013/01/23/5-surprising-marketing-trends-for-2013/" target="_blank">Forbes</a> explained: “There is a sense that
from the hyper-connectivity of our highly-digitized lives to the bright,
flashy, complicated sensory input we’re fed everyday, there is no way to
continue at this pace. As a result, 2013 is likely to be a year where the most
successful marketing strategies will be ones that are not only simple in
nature, but promote goods and services that serve to simplify the consumer’s
life, or even just their customer experience.”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Like this VIP fridge magnet from Dubai's Red Tomato Pizza that allows customers to order a pizza with the touch of a button.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Image-Centric Content</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many marketers are standing out
with image and video content that is quickly and easily digestible. Social
media sites, like Buzzfeed and Pinterest, have seen success by adopting this
model from the beginning. And successful blog posts with the most social shares
usually incorporate some visual element.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSut74sAF5dFfsuf6RuRV1B47lMbX_DTp-vQ3QQRsI60dnzHFZuU4-pBfQQE3MuFUs3J2QrGeuLLNS3gkJPyU1BvUzYt5NFhFD1utjOPLZrHeg-1MR35yboWeV4kQaCwZ0tlKG4LFw-tvx/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-19+at+1.31.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSut74sAF5dFfsuf6RuRV1B47lMbX_DTp-vQ3QQRsI60dnzHFZuU4-pBfQQE3MuFUs3J2QrGeuLLNS3gkJPyU1BvUzYt5NFhFD1utjOPLZrHeg-1MR35yboWeV4kQaCwZ0tlKG4LFw-tvx/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-12-19+at+1.31.35+PM.png" height="299" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Free People on Pinterest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>The Diversification of Social Media</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With more and varied content, it makes sense that new
social media will arise to organize and share it. Most marketers focus their
energy on Facebook and Twitter, a solid strategy. But as different sites
(Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, Tumblr) gain popularity, it’s worthwhile to
diversify your social media efforts and produce content in a variety of forms,
<a href="http://www.audiencebloom.com/2013/05/how-to-determine-which-social-media-network-fits-your-business/" target="_blank">depending on which network best fits your business</a>.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
What other trends have you noticed out there?</div>
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Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-33059950209579958602013-11-25T11:29:00.004-07:002013-11-25T11:29:40.463-07:00Celebrate the Season: Think Abundantly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JRoxYvTgKhCKJOG1LDTVKTRMHpfRgxd22TtzqMsKQYhGb1Hgso0Y9bqav1ZU22azdOcFGrYn9vflRWcFiCOa0jgIB8UBUEHTSFvDGAwcBEOzs8H0mpfNE5fEmH78h7MYsVT0Gc1IZjVK/s1600/bigstock-Gratitude-22724237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JRoxYvTgKhCKJOG1LDTVKTRMHpfRgxd22TtzqMsKQYhGb1Hgso0Y9bqav1ZU22azdOcFGrYn9vflRWcFiCOa0jgIB8UBUEHTSFvDGAwcBEOzs8H0mpfNE5fEmH78h7MYsVT0Gc1IZjVK/s1600/bigstock-Gratitude-22724237.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By Maribeth Neelis<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Around this time of year, we're reminded to appreciate what
we have. But even though we may be grateful, in this digital age, it’s
difficult not to compare ourselves to others and determine that we’re coming up
short. There is a related philosophy that suggests the existence of two polar
views: abundance and scarcity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Originally based off of an economic principle and later
adopted by the field of organizational development, the concept of abundance
vs. scarcity can also be viewed as a personal philosophy that you can apply to
your own life. Some say maintaining an abundant mental model will actually help
you become more successful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A mentality of scarcity reveals the overwhelming lack in
life; one person’s success is another’s failure and there are few chances
allotted to each person.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scarcity sounds like: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><o:p> </o:p>“I’ll never be as successful as the people I read about in
magazines.”</li>
<li>“My company will never have enough clients to compete with
the big guys.”</li>
<li>“There are just no new ideas left to have. Everything
creative has already been thought of.”</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you might expect, this outlook provokes fear, anxiety,
and desperation. On the other hand, the model of abundance suggests there are
many opportunities afforded to all and we can prosper together.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Abundance sounds like: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>“I’m excited for the challenge of creating my own success
and good fortune.”</li>
<li>“There are plenty of potential clients out there who I can
help.”</li>
<li>“The potential for new ideas is limitless.”</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This way of thinking lifts pressure and inspires courage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Focus on Scarcity and You Will Find It</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can often hear people trying to disprove abundance by
giving examples of the lack around them. Sometimes it can certainly seem as
though you have to work really hard just to make ends meet, or that life isn’t
fair for you compared to others, but this mindset fails to take into account
one very important thing: you usually see what you are looking for.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are searching for scarcity, you will surely find it.
By focusing on all the things you lack, you are inviting more of the same into
your life. Conversely, abundance as a mindset creates a different path where
you focus on the things you have in plenty and the amazing experiences that you
keep coming across.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This outlook is not meant to deny that there is hardship,
merely that there is no reason to prepare yourself for hardship by focusing on
it daily in the form of all the things you don’t have or all the ways things
might go wrong. This doesn’t actually help you avoid a negative outcome; in
fact, it ensures its likelihood all the more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From the abundant view, life is fun and worth living; we’re
not competing with everyone, we’re all in it together, and mistakes aren't
catastrophic because they help us better ourselves and continue after our
objectives. From this standpoint, focusing on the good areas of life and on
their goals, people start to see more of the possibilities available to them.
Not to mention, if someone is just enjoying the ride, they don’t have to take
every misstep so seriously.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How to Develop an Abundant Mindset</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Focus on abundance, rather than lack.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What you focus on in your world is what you will see. Turn
the areas in which you see lack into opportunities for abundance. For example,
don’t stress out about not having enough work or an unfulfilling job. Instead,
focus on all the possible ways there are to build your business or expand your
skillset. Brainstorm all the ways you can do what you are passionate about
outside of work. The more you place your energy here, the more likely it is
that you will see things you had previously missed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Develop an attitude of gratitude.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When it’s hard to be grateful, start small. Every day, make
a point to notice the little things that you enjoy. This allows you to see the
abundance in your world. Unlike scarcity, which makes you pull in, a grateful
demeanor creates space in which to see opportunities.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Pick up on good vibrations.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If commercials and social media can cause you to think in
terms of lack, then you can change your input in order to think abundantly
instead. Be selective with what you take into your mind. Surround yourself with
optimistic people, read up on ways to increase your own positivity, and
cultivate happiness by celebrating others’ success instead of just your own.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Share what you have.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you feel you don’t have enough of something, give some of
it away. Not enough money? Donate $5 to a local charity. Not enough love? Do
something nice for a friend. While seemingly counter-intuitive, giving away the
thing you feel you lack, will demonstrate how you actually have it in abundance
and help you feel more appreciative.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy Thanksgiving week!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Additional Reading:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Covey, S. R. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective
people: Restoring the character ethic. New York: Free Press.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Orman, S. (2001). The courage to be rich: Creating a life of
material and spiritual abundance. New York: Riverhead Trade.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-24730092961152747052013-11-23T08:10:00.001-07:002013-11-23T08:10:43.133-07:00What's in a Brand? Everything.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGRR9xusPP1Xo0d14YzI3bUS-S8VyGJIN7AdgD2yE8qujAQ8obFUfTUyZzR5Mp_FURneb2fzNh7U8Wd8yPT9N-cUs2k2zJEGBzb0L2zMrZz_jSZW4WnyCuRoYocv8zlIXMuBpXPFV_UIt/s1600/bigstock-brand-word-in-vintage-letterpr-34110860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGRR9xusPP1Xo0d14YzI3bUS-S8VyGJIN7AdgD2yE8qujAQ8obFUfTUyZzR5Mp_FURneb2fzNh7U8Wd8yPT9N-cUs2k2zJEGBzb0L2zMrZz_jSZW4WnyCuRoYocv8zlIXMuBpXPFV_UIt/s1600/bigstock-brand-word-in-vintage-letterpr-34110860.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By Jon Pushkin<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your brand is your promise. It defines what you stand for,
but it only retains its value if you are committed to delivering on that
promise. Successful brands connect with their audience through authenticity,
and audiences tend to be very loyal to brands that represent their own values.
Cross an audience and you’ve lost them. Maybe forever.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A tagline is a short summary of your brand. It’s typically a
few words that accompanies your logo and encapsulates your brand promise. We’ve
recently gone through a process of defining a tagline with several of our
clients. Taglines are subjective. It’s hard to please everyone and everyone has
an opinion about what works or not.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are two types of taglines. One is a positioning
statement. It differentiates you from your competitors. It stakes out your turf
and claims your position in the marketplace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other type of tagline is a slogan. It’s your battle cry. It’s what
your army shouts as it is running downhill toward the enemy. Here are some
familiar taglines. Can you determine which of these are positioning statements
and which ones are slogans? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hertz: We’re Number 1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
VW: Think Small<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nike: Just Do It<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Budweiser: The King of Beers<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kaiser: Thrive<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: The best cancer
care. Anywhere. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
KFC: Finger Lickn’ Good<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like designing a logo, the process of choosing a tagline can
be contentious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are some ways to
make it easier:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Make the process inclusive. Involve staff, board members or
other stakeholders. Encourage their input and participation.</li>
<li>Begin by identifying the most important attributes that
define the brand. Look for areas of consensus.</li>
<li>Determine if a positioning statement or a slogan will be
most effective. Test three to five possibilities to see which ones feel
best. </li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A good tagline can help define your brand and build loyalty
for your target audience. But like a handshake, it is a promise that is only as
good as your ability to stand behind it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-38614659587899334882013-10-15T11:41:00.001-06:002013-10-15T12:06:21.205-06:00Expand Your Mind and Pass the Time with a Podcast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Oy8j8Ax6kvLWlgDDCoBIn8Q2nXFK4Avz72ewd9fru1hG-oO180lpBe6qQSh_IrSKwMwkcTS62bj9t7UogzAqp8LxzL0EM4bKHFmIYJW2zxLXT7BT60KX0cNRBhOvlkZYjl_F8OGN9Tnu/s1600/bigstock-Podcast-23086970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Oy8j8Ax6kvLWlgDDCoBIn8Q2nXFK4Avz72ewd9fru1hG-oO180lpBe6qQSh_IrSKwMwkcTS62bj9t7UogzAqp8LxzL0EM4bKHFmIYJW2zxLXT7BT60KX0cNRBhOvlkZYjl_F8OGN9Tnu/s1600/bigstock-Podcast-23086970.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
By Maribeth Neelis<br />
<br />
Now ubiquitous, the podcast has only been around about a decade becoming popular along with the advent of the iPod and other portable media devices. While the term podcast encompasses any digital media presented in an episodic format and subscribed to or streamed on a computer or mobile device, it is usually in an audio format, like a radio program that is tailored to your interests.<br />
<br />
There are now over 100,000 podcasts out there to choose from on a wide range of subject matter. They are a great diversion for a long commute, a gym session or a day of household chores.<br />
<br />
In celebration of their almost 10th birthday, here’s a list of some that are worth checking out. Also, browse the list of free podcasts on <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or the <a href="http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php" target="_blank">NPR Podcast Directory</a>; you are bound to find something that strikes your fancy.<br />
<br />
<b>Science and Tech</b><br />
<br />
RadioLab<br />
Radiolab is sort of about science, but also philosophy and humanity. Recent topics include: why people aren’t afraid of quicksand anymore, an examination of blame and why it’s necessary, and blood—everything you ever wanted to know.<br />
<br />
Neuropod<br />
This monthly podcast covers the latest brain research. Have you ever wondered how the brain imagines new experiences, like nutella pesto, how hypnosis works (or doesn’t), or what genes are behind Alzheimer’s? This show is for you.<br />
<br />
Berkman Center for Internet and Society<br />
MediaBerkman is produced by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. It features conversations with leading scholars, entrepreneurs, activists, and policymakers as they discuss topics like, knowledge creation and distribution in the digital age and the implication of the internet on things like art, education and surveillance and security.<br />
<br />
Find more <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/" target="_blank">science podcasts</a> here.<br />
<br />
<b>Culture</b><br />
<br />
Bulleseye<br />
This podcast is a collection of interviews, cultural picks and discussion of current topics. Recently, the host, Jesse Thorn, interviewed writer/director Nicole Holofcener about her latest film <i>Enough Said </i>staring Julia Louis Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini.<br />
<br />
Studio 360<br />
Studio 360 delves into our dynamic cultural landscape looking at what’s happening in pop culture and the arts each week. Need to know what movie to see this weekend, what new book to read or what song you have to hear? Have a listen.<br />
<br />
To the Best of Our Knowledge<br />
This podcast, abbreviated TTBOOK, produces two-hour shows each week revolving around themes, like "Are Humans Innately Good" or "Revenge of the Nerds." Shows include interviews, stories, debates and scientific facts and stats.<br />
<br />
Ten more <a href="http://www.popmatters.com/post/133274-ten-pop-culture-podcasts-worth-the-time/" target="_blank">culture podcasts</a> to consider.<br />
<br />
<b>History and General Interest</b><br />
<br />
Stuff You Should Know<br />
Curious about Jack the Ripper, how handwriting analysis works, or the lowdown on diplomatic immunity? Co-hosts Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark educate listeners on all kinds of things they never knew they wanted to know.<br />
<br />
On Being<br />
On Being examines life’s big questions on topics, like religion, ethics, spirituality, and finding purpose and meaning. In recent shows, the host, Krista Tippett, interviewed Thich Nhat Hanh about Mindfulness, Suffering, and Engaged Buddhism, and explored the joy of math with Stanford University’s Keith Devlin.<br />
<br />
99% Invisible<br />
<div>
This show is about design, architecture and the 99 percent invisible activity that shapes our world, such as bubble houses or the broadcast clock.<br />
<br />
Want more options, give these news and <a href="http://www.divergio.com/blog/2011/09/29/the-joy-of-podcasts-general-interest/" target="_blank">general interest podcasts</a> a listen.<br />
<br />
<b>How to Listen</b><br />
<br />
You can find all these podcasts online and listen or subscribe via RSS. Or, download a podcast app on your mobile device, and search for and download podcasts directly onto your phone or tablet. Most podcast apps will update automatically, so you will always have the latest episode.</div>
Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-24601362237601854142013-09-26T13:16:00.002-06:002013-09-26T13:16:34.996-06:005 Websites Leading the Way in Online Publishing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKtoKbxcPKJnnEaTJeR-3AydLuuEnVJlhxCokRCKL-UyFz_6ow0PwnMdapjS3SauEMG6WpNjzL15aEXLan-DD6-QfjF4PcnBs0IZHbi55yesuysmxUasfNPMO2YzKVksSt1tge4Lh0AOh/s1600/bigstock-Composition-With-Books-On-The--41069416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKtoKbxcPKJnnEaTJeR-3AydLuuEnVJlhxCokRCKL-UyFz_6ow0PwnMdapjS3SauEMG6WpNjzL15aEXLan-DD6-QfjF4PcnBs0IZHbi55yesuysmxUasfNPMO2YzKVksSt1tge4Lh0AOh/s1600/bigstock-Composition-With-Books-On-The--41069416.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
By Maribeth Neelis</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post, we all asked how will this change the world of publishing. But the truth is publishing is already undergoing major transformations, becoming more collaborative and emphasizing quality over quantity, and these websites are leading the way and worth it to check out.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://medium.com/">Medium</a> is a publishing platform from the creators of Blogger and Twitter. While it is still figuring itself out, its clean design makes it easy on the eyes. The content is interesting and varied, and readers can comment throughout the articles, creating dialogues with the writer and other visitors, making reading an interactive affair.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://epicmagazine.com/">Epic Magazine</a> is the brainchild of two fantastic narrative nonfiction writers Joshuah Bearman and Joshua Davis. Currently, they are the only writers, and the site has just a handful of longform stories about all kinds of crazy and true adventures. Think the kind of pieces that are optioned into movies. In fact, Bearman wrote the article that became Argo. And they have big plans for growing this new publishing platform.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://longform.org/">Longform</a> recommends new and classic nonfiction and fiction from around the web, which can be read immediately in your browser or saved for later. The site is all about celebrating well reported, longer-form writing. P.S. for any writer-types, they have a great podcast.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.atavist.com/" target="_blank">Atavist</a> wants to pave the way for the next generation of multimedia storytelling and reach readers on any device. These nonfiction, longform pieces are peppered with audio, video and photographs that give the stories a cinematic feel. They are available for purchase on the site for $2.99. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://buzzfeed.com/longform," target="_blank">Buzz Reads</a>, is the longform arm of the website Buzzfeed, famous for bringing funny lists to your Facebook feed. The nonfiction pieces on Buzz Reads are on interesting topics, like searching for sunk treasure in the Great Lakes and python hunting in the Everglades.</div>
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What do you like to read online?</div>
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Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-7418303163281636742013-09-17T14:50:00.000-06:002013-09-17T14:50:37.612-06:00Behind the Scenes With Cheyenne Frontier Days' Marketing Director Nicole Gamst<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVvkg6JJzcL2cZZdeNUbH52FYlh6g9dlkGa4bR3l4ZuPk0zMUFGj1gyEwOBXcJNZ1ci3bcCuk3805OFXsHkC5pkt-d_J9NAserfBhcz2OIUGjQ3DvA_KZ8pHusVxmQJjz8o5XEE8a86Xn/s1600/e41d5f0b-a705-4e18-b9be-e28ad9bec3f7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVvkg6JJzcL2cZZdeNUbH52FYlh6g9dlkGa4bR3l4ZuPk0zMUFGj1gyEwOBXcJNZ1ci3bcCuk3805OFXsHkC5pkt-d_J9NAserfBhcz2OIUGjQ3DvA_KZ8pHusVxmQJjz8o5XEE8a86Xn/s1600/e41d5f0b-a705-4e18-b9be-e28ad9bec3f7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
By Maribeth Neelis<br />
<br />
Cheyenne Frontier Days Marketing Director Nicole Gamst is an east coaster. Well, she used to be. Born in Texas and raised in Boston, the western lifestyle always appealed to her. So in 1999 when Cheyenne Frontier Days called, she packed her bags and headed west, something she always envisioned herself doing.<br />
<br />
What drew her to Cheyenne Frontier Days in particular: its celebration of the western lifestyle, heritage and culture.<br />
<br />
That, and the fact that she gets to wear many hats.<br />
<br />
"I like the variety," she says. "I get to do everything from research to social media to advertising. I get to see the full scope of the marketing function, not just a sliver."<br />
<br />
Nicole is pretty much always on call during the event, which runs mid-summer every year. But her work is cyclical; there's never much downtime, even after the event ends.<br />
<br />
Currently, she's outlining the 2014 strategy. In late fall, she will announce the artists for next year and promote them through events and press releases. The winter months are dedicated to developing advertising. In the spring, they shift to executing their strategy, hitting consumers with advertising and web features as they are starting to think about their summer entertainment.<br />
<br />
"That's one aspect I enjoy the most," Nicole says, "There is always something new."<br />
<br />
She also appreciates the event's historical significance for Cheyenne. "It is a well established event in the community. I get to work with volunteers who have been involved in producing this show for generations."<br />
<br />
Come check <a href="http://www.cfdrodeo.com/home" target="_blank">Cheyenne Frontier Days</a> next year July 18-27, 2014.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-32000740368662569902013-09-05T14:18:00.000-06:002013-09-05T14:40:25.251-06:00Everyone, Meet Healthcare Reform<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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By Maribeth Neelis<br />
<br />
Until recently, I kind of put healthcare reform on the back burner in my mind, filed it with The General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics under <i>things I am definitely going to sit down and figure out one day</i>.<br />
<br />
Well, that day has arrived, at least for the healthcare part.<br />
<br />
Just like physics theories, healthcare reform is not incredibly intuitive. But we have access to a whole division of experts who haven't been procrastinating like we have, The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI).<br />
<br />
<b>Colorado Is the Best</b><br />
In addition to sunshine and mountains, Coloradans have one more thing to brag about: a state government that has been proactively planning for healthcare reform.<br />
<br />
Communications Manager at the Colorado Division of Insurance Vince Plymell says, "Coloradans are lucky, because our state is adjusting to healthcare reform in a positive way, trying to communicate to citizens their choices, creating a state exchange instead of allowing the feds to create one, as other states are doing."<br />
<br />
To see the latest health plan choices offered through the exchange, check out <a href="http://www.connectforhealthco.com/" target="_blank">Connect for Health Colorado.</a><br />
<br />
<b>Getting the Word Out</b><br />
The task of preparing consumers for the changes they may face over the next few years is daunting. First of all, health insurance isn't necessarily riveting subject matter.<br />
<br />
"It's a complex subject to communicate, so people procrastinate and don't deal with it until they absolutely must," Vince says. "Just engaging people on this topic is difficult."<br />
<br />
But time is on the DOI's side. Love it or hate it, Obamacare is becoming a reality.<br />
<br />
"Just the march of time is helping us to get the information out. This is happening, and people are starting to realize that, as we get closer to 2014. People must have health insurance or they will be fined."<br />
<br />
And with a decidedly consumerist angle, health insurance has piqued the media's interest as well, which never hurts.<br />
<br />
<b>What Vince and the DOI Want Consumers to Know</b><br />
<br />
<b>The DOI is here for you.</b><br />
The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) regulates the insurance industry and helps consumers with insurance issues. First and foremost, they are here for you.<br />
<br />
<b>Healthcare reform is going to be OK.</b><br />
People will have options and choices, and should explore them. The DOI can help those dealing with health insurance for the first time. Its goal is to help educate consumers to ask the right questions and find answers about terms, benefits, and the truth about those rumors they heard around the water cooler.<br />
<br />
<b>There are advantages.</b><br />
Now, no one can be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions or health history. And, individuals can get much more affordable coverage through the health insurance exchanges.<br />
<br />
<b>Please, use the DOI as a resource.</b><br />
There is a ton of information on the DOI <a href="http://cdn.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/DORA-HealthIns/CBON/DORA/1251615908885" target="_blank">website</a>. But Vince also encourages people to call and speak with an expert at 303-894-7490 or toll free at 800-930-3745.<br />
<br />
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<br />Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-82076730336126177992013-08-21T17:42:00.001-06:002013-08-22T06:51:26.293-06:00The New Wave of Social Media<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQbYu3NCEy91YF0Zrzi0l4PcXNX1UgmDgPN-OAdMILJO53ZWKl_O9DKD-NAHAOTJwo9D0PCvkpJG1DqCu0hHpNfRkP7YPWJN25iPPe-JA-K8a6GeTo9Q3nTdy8svSDNpZ1QB_49dv43hh/s1600/bigstock-Girl-with-tablet-43710394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQbYu3NCEy91YF0Zrzi0l4PcXNX1UgmDgPN-OAdMILJO53ZWKl_O9DKD-NAHAOTJwo9D0PCvkpJG1DqCu0hHpNfRkP7YPWJN25iPPe-JA-K8a6GeTo9Q3nTdy8svSDNpZ1QB_49dv43hh/s1600/bigstock-Girl-with-tablet-43710394.jpg" height="279" width="320" /></a></div>
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By Maribeth Neelis<br />
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When my dad begrudgingly set up a Facebook account “to keep track of what you kids are up to,” I thought, social media has finally reached critical mass. <br />
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According to The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, 72 percent of online adults now use social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter. And those 65+ have tripled their use in the past four years—from 13 percent in 2009 to 43 percent in 2013. <br />
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But while we were figuring out how use hashtags, wrapping our heads around Facebook’s new timeline layout or asking the teens in our lives how to hide annoying status updates from our newsfeeds, they were moving on to new social media platforms. <br />
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TechCrunch reports, interest in Facebook is declining among teens. The new cool tools among the younger demog: Wanelo, Vine, SnapChat, Kik and 4chan. <br />
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This cohort not only has unprecedented online influence, they are generally the early adopters of trends and tools later embraced by the masses. (Remember when Facebook was exclusive to college students and recent alums?) So whether you want to be in the know for professional reasons or pick up some conversation fodder for your teenage niece, here’s the scoop on these emerging social apps and sites. <br />
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<b><a href="http://wanelo.com/" target="_blank">Wanelo</a></b>, a portmanteau of Want, Need, Love, is a community for shoppers. <br />
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<b>How It Works </b><br />
It merges stores, products and people into a sort of giant internet mall curated by its users. Every item posted links back to the original product for easy purchasing. It’s kind of like an RSS feed of products the users you follow are buying. <br />
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<b>Why It’s Cool </b><br />
The site taps into the human desire to see what our friends and acquaintances are buying and where. Who hasn’t uttered the words, “Love that shirt. Where’d you get it?” <br />
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<b>Stats</b> <br />
<ul>
<li>Over 8 million users as of May 2013</li>
<li>Over 6 million products saved 8 million times a day </li>
<li>Products from over 200,000 stores, from major retailers to small independent shops </li>
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<b><a href="http://vine.co/" target="_blank">Vine</a></b> is Twitter’s video app that allows users to create looping videos and share them on Vine as well as Twitter and Facebook. <br />
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<b>How It Works</b> <br />
Just download the app, create a profile, find something to record and start filming. <br />
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<b>Why It’s Cool </b><br />
Follow Editors Picks, spend a few minutes watching the videos, and you’ll see some impressive work and probably wonder where these people find the time. The skill level and content choices vary greatly, but it's a fun creative outlet and innovative way to share scenes from your day.<br />
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<b>Stats</b> <br />
<ul>
<li>14 million users in just six months </li>
<li>Five Vine videos tweeted every second </li>
</ul>
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<b><a href="http://www.snapchat.com/" target="_blank">SnapChat</a></b> is the digital equivalent of passing a note in class, explains the company's co-founder Bobby Murphy. Well, a note that self-destructs after a few seconds.<br />
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<b>How It Works </b><br />
Snap a picture with the app, add a caption and send it to a friend, or a group. After they view it for a few seconds, the message disappears…(as long as the recipient doesn’t take a screenshot.) <br />
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<b>Why It’s Cool </b><br />
My first thought: teenagers don't want their risqué shenanigans broadcast for all to see. But the app's co-founders assure (maybe concerned parents) of its more wholesome intent.<br />
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They say, younger social media users are growing tired of the uber-polished profiles and contrived images shared on many social media platforms. And SnapChat, in its ephemerality, is more akin to a real conversation. Either way, SnapChat is the antithesis to an online world where each photo, update and comment lives on in perpetuity.<br />
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<b>Stats </b><br />
<ul>
<li>More than 60 million photos or messages sent each day </li>
<li>$13.5 million raised in venture capital funding </li>
</ul>
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<b><a href="http://kik.com/" target="_blank">Kik Messenger</a></b> is an instant messenger app for smart phones. <br />
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<b>How It Works </b><br />
Like iMessage, Kik uses a smartphone’s data plan or Wi-Fi to send and receive messages, allowing users to avoid the text messaging rates set by service providers. <br />
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<b>Why It’s Cool </b><br />
In addition to free messaging across operating systems, users can share photos, sketches, voice messages, and other content. Kik Messenger requires users to register a username as form of identification. <br />
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<b>Stats</b> <br />
<ul>
<li>Reached 1 million user registrations in 15 days </li>
<li>50 million unique users registered as of April 2013 </li>
</ul>
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<b><a href="http://www.4chan.org/" target="_blank">4chan</a></b> makes me feel old, slightly confused and kind of grouchy.<br />
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<b>How It Works </b><br />
The website is just a simple, image-based bulletin board where people can post on various topics, like Japanese animation, music and photography. Browsing the forums feels like hanging out with a group of teenaged boys all laughing about an inside joke I don’t understand. <br />
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<b>Why It’s Cool </b><br />
It may look like a chat room from the mid-nineties, but it's one of the internet’s most trafficked image boards, according to the Los Angeles Times. And its users are behind some very popular Internet memes, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolcat" target="_blank">LOLcats</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickrolling" target="_blank">Rickrolling</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_Rain" target="_blank">Chocolate Rain</a>, as well as countless others. I guess teenaged boys can be pretty funny sometimes.<br />
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<b>Stats </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Over 25,000,000 unique visitors per month </li>
<li>One of the highest-trafficked US sites, according to Alexa</li>
</ul>
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It's hard to see how this new wave of social media will be relevant to businesses or any of us born before 1995. But then again, I never thought I'd see my dad on Facebook.</div>
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Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-5469371102361398222013-08-09T12:44:00.000-06:002013-08-09T13:47:23.431-06:00Cowboy PR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihimoqx3b2XBiQaAb9GKfPXYj3qag3Lqb5PTcysQ1cq_u5dRYbl3bIWPSINzaBCrAaRmWEkKF6zY8bTTrM0yxntn2cbYS9ZoMXRdXDvb6aU0Vnp1OgItBcxBOhCA9qRHXwClpvn-lJ6Wa3/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihimoqx3b2XBiQaAb9GKfPXYj3qag3Lqb5PTcysQ1cq_u5dRYbl3bIWPSINzaBCrAaRmWEkKF6zY8bTTrM0yxntn2cbYS9ZoMXRdXDvb6aU0Vnp1OgItBcxBOhCA9qRHXwClpvn-lJ6Wa3/s320/IMG_0013.JPG" /></a></div>
Last month I had breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The waitress suggested the breakfast buffet. I asked what was in the breakfast buffet. She said “Well, we’ve got ham, bacon, sausage…’’ “Hmm, I don’t eat those,” I said suspiciously. “She said, “Well, we have fruit, cereal, eggs…” So I ordered the breakfast buffet. <o:p></o:p><br />
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The truth is, we all have to make adjustments sometimes. When things don’t go your way, when a client doesn’t agree with everything you recommend, and especially when people look at you like you must be from Mars because you don’t eat bacon, ham or sausage. That ability to adjust your saddle or even change horses in midstream when you need to find some common ground is a lost art these days. That’s one thing that really impressed me about the people who run <a href="http://www.cfdrodeo.com/">Cheyenne Frontier Days</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Cowboy Way is no bull. These people really practice the art of <a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/about/cowboy-pr.html">Cowboy PR</a>. They are straight shootin’ communicators who say what they think and mean what they say. Their core values include honor, respect and courtesy. It might sound old fashioned, but that culture is fundamentally what PR is all about. You may not agree with them, but at least they will respect you enough to let you voice your opinion, as long as you do it in a respectful way. If you choose to be ornery about it, they’ll just get up and leave until you calm down. In Cowboy PR, there is no time for showboating. They are too busy rounding up the truth. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For too long, Cheyenne Frontier Days let other people tell the story of how animals are treated at rodeos. Often that story has been negative. It’s been told by people who truly believe that their perspective is the only one that matters. They make a lot of noise and they fire a lot of cheap shots. Now, CFD tells its own story in its own words and lets whoever wants to decide which story they like best.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In just three years, CFD has built a loyal following on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cheyennefrontierdays">Facebook</a></div>
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with over 77,000 fans. They have dozens of their own videos on YouTube and over 6,000 people following them on Twitter. Instead of only negative attacks, the media coverage also includes features on CFD’s commitment to keeping rodeo livestock healthy and safe. Most of all, the 2,500 volunteers who run the organization feel better because they are finally being listened to instead of just hollered at. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Honor. Respect. Courtesy. That’s straight shootin’ communications. That’s Cowboy PR.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-86007213896983697012013-06-27T10:35:00.000-06:002013-06-27T10:35:36.486-06:00Serenity Now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every day I walk my dogs in a beautiful park near my house. It’s in the city, but there are areas of the park that make you feel like you are out in the country. It’s secluded, quiet, green and peaceful. Until some idiot comes along talking on their headset, smart phone in hand, poor neglected dog by their side, unaware that they are missing their only opportunity to enjoy a perfectly serene moment in an otherwise chaotic, stressful day.<br />
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Technology makes us smarter and also dumber. It makes our lives easier and also much more complicated. It frees us and also makes us slaves. It allows us to be everywhere but present. <br />
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The <a href="http://www.today.com/money/americans-hate-their-jobs-even-perks-dont-help-6C10423977">2013 Gallup State of the American Workplace Report</a> found that only 30 percent of employees said they were engaged and inspired at work. Out of 150,000 full and part-time workers surveyed, more than half said they were not very excited at work, and 18 percent said they were actively disengaged, or in the words of Gallup CEO Jim Clifton, they “roam the halls spreading discontent.”<br />
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Now, I love my iPhone as much as the next guy, and I have no idea how I survived so long without the ESPN Score Center app, but I don’t think it’s a huge leap to connect the fact that the more we connect to technology the more we disconnect from the people we should be relating to every day. While technology has opened up our world, it has also confined us to a world devoid of human interaction. A world where employees never leave work. <br />
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<a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/">Public relations</a> by definition depends on relationships. If we lose our ability to relate, to develop relationships, to have conversations with other humans, then don’t we also lose our ability to communicate? If we never disconnect from work and enjoy some down time, is it any wonder so many of us are disengaged at work, roaming the halls spreading discontent? <br />
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As I pass those people in the park with smart phone in hand, I imagine their dogs are telepathically communicating an important message on my behalf: “Put down your phone. Put it down now and no one gets hurt! Put it down now of that guy over there with the Mets hat is going to come over here and slap you silly.” <br />
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<br />Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-2967977897617538092013-05-24T15:50:00.001-06:002013-05-28T15:00:02.132-06:00Song For My FatherI love City Slickers. It’s got cattle drives, lots of talk about baseball, and Billy Crystal wears a Mets hat. What’s not to like? One of my favorite lines from the movie is when Daniel Stern’s character, Phil, talks about his father.<br />
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“When I was about 18 and my dad and I couldn't communicate about anything at all, we could still talk about baseball.” <br />
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Like Phil, I also had a period when my father would refer to me as “the contrary son.” I was rebelling, he hated my attitude, and we didn’t have much to talk about. Except of course, for baseball. My best childhood memories are the days my Dad took me to a Mets game in New York. He’d buy me a hotdog and a hat, we’d keep score and it was heaven. Even in the worst of times we could watch a game together and find some common ground. Love of baseball is just one of the many gifts my father left me.<br />
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My father died on Memorial Day in 1991, which was fitting because like other members of the Greatest Generation, the thing that most shaped his life was his service in the Big War. He never talked much about his experience in the Battle of the Bulge. I only learned the details after he died. But one of his proudest moments was years later at a reunion of his battalion, when he and many of his band of brothers got the Bronze Star they earned in Europe during the brutal winter of 1944-45.<br />
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For as much effort as I spent tuning my father out, he would be pleased to know that a few valuable lessons he taught me managed to sink in. Work hard. Pay your bills. Always treat people with respect. Never stop learning. Nothing is more important than family and friends. Be honest. Pick your battles. Be proud but not prideful. Stick with your team, even when they suck. <br />
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As Steve Goodman sang, “Now the old man’s gone, and I’d give all I own, to hear what he said when I wasn’t listening to my old man.” <br />
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Happy Memorial Day, Dad. This song’s for you.Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-78068145165336419432013-04-03T15:48:00.002-06:002013-04-03T15:48:35.817-06:00Back to SchoolRutgers, my alma mater, is the state university of New Jersey. For many years, the school had a perception problem. While <a href="http://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers </a>enjoyed a strong reputation academically, athletes from New Jersey often went out of state. That began to change in the past decade or two. Recently the school has taken a huge leap in its ability to attract the state’s top student athletes. <br />
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All that progress is now threatened by the mishandling of the current crisis involving head basketball coach <a href="http://snyrutgers.com/">Mike Rice</a>. Clearly, the administration failed to understand the seriousness of the problem when it first came to light months ago. Rutgers made some classic crisis communications mistakes. Now its reputation will endure long-term damage unless it takes some important steps to manage the crisis.<br />
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To review, last November the Rutgers athletic director received a video from a former athletic department employee showing Rice physically and verbally abusing players at practice. The AD suspended the coach for three games and fined him $50,000. He also required Rice to attend anger management training. In March, the AD said that the coach would be back next season. <br />
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Last night, ESPN’s <a href="http://search.espn.go.com/outside-the-lines/">Outside the Lines </a>played the video. Viewers were shocked. Politicians (Rutgers gets state funding) were outraged. Sportswriters demanded the firing of the coach, the AD and the school president amid questions about why parents would send their kids to Rutgers after this. <br />
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The crisis might have been avoided if Rutgers had handled it better months ago. Letting it linger only made it worse. If the administration had conducted a more thorough investigation, handed the coach a stronger punishment, and made significant changes in the athletic program, it might have avoided the situation it finds itself in today. Which is scrambling to put out the fire that threatens to hurt its recruiting as it prepares to enter the big time Big 10 conference in 2014. <br />
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Because Rutgers wanted to protect the reputation of its athletic program, it allowed the reputation of the university to suffer serious damage that could take years to repair. Today the school fired Mike Rice. More heads are certain to roll. The crisis is far from under control. And it all could have been avoided.<br />
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Every organization is vulnerable to a crisis. Every organization needs an effective crisis communications plan that is adaptable and frequently updated. <a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/services/reputation-management.html">Crisis communications</a> training should be practiced regularly. But even if those steps are taken, all of that will fail unless the organization is determined to act quickly, responsibly, ethically, honestly and transparently. <br />
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The educators at Rutgers learned some valuable lessons this week. The test will be seeing if they take those lessons to heart<br />
<br />Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-47271865904870478802013-03-05T17:21:00.000-07:002013-03-05T17:21:12.091-07:00Changes Upon Changes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsXfI_9coKmPSqUku7AeaAZD0sdAKJiPMrBAIbxcWCSbQNEcarMePnKbKbP8_B9tAeG08YYi9gCiA4t2MogUfa02uyvmKjV44X_a_IBORTpqs2zhoc0IycIlTG7DZoblU_LfDHnQ9NiED/s1600/bigstock-Journalist-With-Microphone-2189196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsXfI_9coKmPSqUku7AeaAZD0sdAKJiPMrBAIbxcWCSbQNEcarMePnKbKbP8_B9tAeG08YYi9gCiA4t2MogUfa02uyvmKjV44X_a_IBORTpqs2zhoc0IycIlTG7DZoblU_LfDHnQ9NiED/s320/bigstock-Journalist-With-Microphone-2189196.jpg" width="213" /></a>Ask any Denver public relations pro to list the five things their clients need most and you’re bound to see social media services at the top of most lists. They might also identify <a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/services/strategicplanning.html">strategic communications planning</a>, <a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/services/commrelations.html">community relations,</a> <a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/services/crisiscommunications.html">crisis communications,</a> <a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/services/branding.html">brand awareness a</a>nd <a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/services/branding.html">message development</a> as key ingredients of an integrated communications program. <br />
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But as much as the PR profession likes to focus on social media channels and technologies as the future, at <a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/index.html">Pushkin PR</a>, many of our clients continue to equate media relations with public relations. Because what most clients really want is a good story told by traditional media. That’s not to say that they would be unhappy with a huge following on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PushkinPR?v=wall">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/Jon_Pushkin">Twitter</a>. It’s just that media relations remains the heart of what they expect us to produce. Blogs are cool but a good story on local TV or in the daily paper is better. <br />
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As much as we love the future, the tools of our trade remain rooted in the fundamentals. We still need to build relationships and we still need to tell a good story. While social media is great for encouraging conversation and engagement, effective communication often requires the sort of depth and credibility that mainstream media can provide. Clients still crave the ink and they still expect us to deliver. <br />
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As Paul Simon said, “After changes upon changes we are more or less the same.” So while we are all busy making sure our teams learn the latest skills and master the newest tools, let’s make sure they also have good understanding of the basics. Let’s make sure that media relations maintains an important position near the top of our list. <br />
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<br />Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-81921787870434369372013-01-26T16:29:00.000-07:002013-01-26T16:30:47.431-07:00Trust Me. Really. Sports fans know all too well that it’s hard to trust anyone. Just when you fall in love with a player he gets traded. Just when you get attached to your team they hold a fire sale. Billionaire owners squabble with millionaire players and the NHL even cancels half the season regardless of the impact on fans, employees or business that depend on the games for survival. <br />
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This month we learned that Lance doped and Te’o was duped. While Mantai’s fans felt mostly mystified, Lance’s story stirred up feelings of anger and betrayal. Both are also good examples of the difference between crisis communication and reputation management. <br />
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A crisis is immediate. It needs an immediate response. Penn State, Newtown, Aurora, BP, and Hurricane Sandy make headlines, but everyday, <a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/services/crisiscommunications.html">crisis communications </a>pros are managing serious situations at banks, hospitals, schools or businesses that call for a rapid response. If a crisis plan is in place, the organization should be ready to handle nearly any situation confidently and quickly. The crisis team follows the plan, communicates clearly to stakeholders, minimizes the damage, restores public safety and gets things under control as soon as possible. <br />
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<a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/services/reputation-management.html">Reputation management </a>is different. Solid reputations are built over long periods of time but they can be damaged in an instant. Once damaged, repairing them is a long, difficult process. It takes time to rebuild trust and restore credibility. It can be done, but it’s not easy. Whether the reputation in question is personal or corporate, the process is the same. Own up to the mistake. Respond sincerely and honestly. Take steps to restore public trust. Be committed to change. Give stakeholders a reason to give you a second chance. <br />
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As we have seen many times recently, public sentiment can turn quickly. Yesterday’s hero is today’s demon. Attacks can get personal and the damage can linger for weeks or months. Repairing the damage can take years. Can Te’o repair his reputation? Probably. Can Lance? Maybe. The media can be harsh, but public can be forgiving if someone is sincerely trying to make amends. We’ve seen it with Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Bill Clinton and others. <br />
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<a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/index.html">Pushkin PR</a> and other reputation management pros help clients understand that nothing is more valuable than their reputation. We help clients manage a crisis but we also help them develop a long-term plan to enhance, protect and if necessary, to repair a damaged reputation. Whether your business involves herding cats or cattle, you can be sure that the value of your brand depends on the strength of your reputation. That’s a lesson that we hope you don’t have to learn the hard way. Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-87522580037298551682012-12-27T16:18:00.000-07:002012-12-27T16:18:42.124-07:00Fresh StartIt’s been another long year. We’ve seen a bitter election fight, an economy struggling to recover in stops and starts, and a series of horrific mass murders committed by unbalanced people with easy access to assault weapons. In 2012, to quote Jack Kerouac, “smart went crazy.” Was it a tipping point? We can only hope.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_5gaJ5-dR7awzEdnyd4me_vyh5PzKxSo8Kl71WLA20IZUnaCwLVEa4OjfD4CNytP3ioNxsdSGm0oUyLnBaXaWBxbmNzA4T3KooWIQHTiK897ySpc0LOz0U7-XBxp5uOSv1RGlgney0_9/s1600/bigstock-Happy-New-Year-Hat-2278293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_5gaJ5-dR7awzEdnyd4me_vyh5PzKxSo8Kl71WLA20IZUnaCwLVEa4OjfD4CNytP3ioNxsdSGm0oUyLnBaXaWBxbmNzA4T3KooWIQHTiK897ySpc0LOz0U7-XBxp5uOSv1RGlgney0_9/s320/bigstock-Happy-New-Year-Hat-2278293.jpg" width="254" /></a>We heard a lot of talk about uncertainty in 2012. It was uncertainty about the election, uncertainty about health reform, uncertainty about the economy. All of it used as a rationale to sit on the sidelines waiting to see how things turned out. Now the election is over, health reform is here to stay, and the economy is beginning to recover. We even survived the Mayan apocalypse. But still nobody is moving. <br />
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Now we have a new reason to hesitate. The fiscal cliff is looming. We can’t plan, we can’t hire, we can’t move. The children in Congress remain in their corner pouting and once more, uncertainty keeps us frozen in place. <br />
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Enough! No more excuses! It’s time we realized that the only thing keeping us from innovating and hiring again is the lame excuse that we have no idea what the future will bring. When did we become so afraid of risk? Financial institutions are sitting on huge piles of cash waiting for clarity. If they want clarity, let them try lending again. Let businesses try growing their companies and workforce again. Let educational institutions, nonprofits and local governments try investing in their communities again. <br />
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Denver public relations pros have a responsibility to encourage our clients, employers, colleagues and elected officials to get over their fear of uncertainty and take advantage of the fresh start that the New Year represents. Let’s resolve to look forward, not back. To stay positive and seize opportunities. To remember what is important in life and not worry about what we can’t control. To conduct our business ethically. To never stop learning. To add new clients, develop new strategic partnerships and continue to grow our business. <br />
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Here’s to a bright, happy, healthy and prosperous 2013. <br />
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<br />Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-69279710180105065222012-11-12T15:28:00.003-07:002012-11-12T15:28:58.414-07:00Election ReflectionsNow that the election is behind us, can business owners finally look ahead? Health reform is here to stay. Will Congress embrace bipartisanship? Will certainty return to the markets? Will companies begin to hire and invest in their business again as the recovery continues and consumer confidence gains strength? <br />
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For Denver public relations pros, these steps would represent a welcome trend. In PR and in business, uncertainty leads to confusion, confusion leads to indecision, indecision leads to mixed messages, and mixed messages leads to poor communication. And there is nothing we hate more than poor communication. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFG6vhee4bwbJ9__rX_uBGMu6nPkt6vKc7SSTH5J4NMly5XeVJZ1Ituw246-xvaEe_Y3rrLxKtM8DD3l9MjF8oV1GtyKO43P50vdJHPH6OWkslLAVFGw6zj5DSFFLfZsIDX49Qm8oGLQo/s1600/bigstock-US-presidential-election-in---25069535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFG6vhee4bwbJ9__rX_uBGMu6nPkt6vKc7SSTH5J4NMly5XeVJZ1Ituw246-xvaEe_Y3rrLxKtM8DD3l9MjF8oV1GtyKO43P50vdJHPH6OWkslLAVFGw6zj5DSFFLfZsIDX49Qm8oGLQo/s320/bigstock-US-presidential-election-in---25069535.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Regardless of whether the election results in more certainty, it certainly taught us some valuable lessons about the importance of public relations. <br />
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<b>Strategy matters: </b>The Obama campaign knew exactly what it needed to accomplish and how to get there. The strategy was designed to deliver exactly the number of votes they needed from every county in every state. Nothing was left to chance. <br />
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<b>Organization counts:</b> Team Obama’s ground game will be studied and copied for years to come. They had offices where they needed them and a sophisticated get out the vote plan. They knew exactly how many times a volunteer needed to contact a prospective voter to make sure that every vote was counted. No gut feelings here. Everything down to the last detail was planned.<br />
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<b>Facts don’t lie:</b> There has been a lot of post-election analysis about why Nate Silver’s predictions were so accurate and why conservative media predictions were so far off. It’s simple really. One was based on scientific research and the other was based on wishful thinking. A good example to bring up the next time a client asks why do we need that research budget. <br />
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<b>PR beats advertising: </b>A combined $6 billion was spent on political ads in this campaign, but the outcome was determined by the Obama campaign’s relentless ground game. Grassroots tactics such as phone calls and knocking on doors proved to be the key to winning. Which proves what we’ve been saying for years: PR is more cost effective and more credible than paid advertising. <br />
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<b>Get real: </b>To undecided voters, Obama seemed more authentic than Romney. He seemed more able to understand and have compassion for the needs and concerns of ordinary Americans. This was especially true for women and minorities. <br />
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The important takeaway for public relations pros is that successful campaigns depend on the ability to educate and motivate target audiences. Our messages should ring true, sound authentic and be culturally relevant to the audiences we need to reach. Advertising is sexy but PR is build to last. Advertising is great for reaching a mass audience, but convincing them to trust you takes more than spending huge piles of money. It takes a well-organized, research-driven, strategic communications program. It takes solid grass-roots outreach. You can’t buy credibility. You have to earn it. Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-55117418194352632172012-10-30T14:16:00.000-06:002012-10-30T14:16:24.353-06:00Rise and Shine<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajtadycZ3ve-G6t2ULNzqXc8E_6u9DPYodyujaa4z4uRS7Z5oqg3o5Vfpcz2dDsYFnWhM9YWGl-8gvw8QhEUjjNpAX-KPFJaxDhId6SdvVVhQDM0QadFJ34jDF3ZtIaSXcjyzgVE7jqIe/s1600/bigstock-Woman-Rising-Hands-5435583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajtadycZ3ve-G6t2ULNzqXc8E_6u9DPYodyujaa4z4uRS7Z5oqg3o5Vfpcz2dDsYFnWhM9YWGl-8gvw8QhEUjjNpAX-KPFJaxDhId6SdvVVhQDM0QadFJ34jDF3ZtIaSXcjyzgVE7jqIe/s320/bigstock-Woman-Rising-Hands-5435583.jpg" width="320" /></a>As a young musician, I was lucky enough to discover the <a href="http://denverfolklore.com/history.htm">Denver Folklore Center</a>, where I studied the tools of my trade from established performers who were kind enough to share their wisdom. I learned how to put together a set list, how to work the mic, how to keep the audience engaged while you tune up or change a string, and how to book a tour. <br />
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A few years later I was performing at a club in Bethlehem, PA, called <a href="http://www.godfreydaniels.org/home.aspx">Godfrey Daniels</a>. After the gig we sat around swapping songs until early the next morning with a talented wannabe songwriter who seemed eager to soak up whatever he could from everyone who came through the club. That songwriter turned out to be <a href="http://johngorka.com/">John Gorka</a>, who went on to a very successful career of his own. <br />
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My next stop was the Denver Zephyrs, a minor league baseball team where I learned how to fill a stadium with no marketing budget, gleaned lessons in life from baseball legends, and understood that no matter how good you are there is always someone just as good or better. <br />
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As a nonprofit PR director I was inspired by committed, driven leaders who taught me that healthy communities thrive when everyone pitches in. And I never would have gained the chutzpah to start <a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/">Pushkin Public Relations</a> 15 years ago without the guidance and support of PRSA colleagues who had already taken the entrepreneurial leap. <br />
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I can think of no better way to honor our 15th anniversary than setting up a fund to help young Denver public relations professionals get started in their careers. By helping these young pros attend <a href="http://www.prsacolorado.org/">PRSA Colorado</a> programs and become active chapter members, I hope that they will be able to speed their professional development by learning the tools of their trade from talented, experienced mentors. <br />
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It helps to be smart, but achieving success in your career does not require you to be a rocket scientist. It just means being eager to learn, determined to improve, and willing to listen. Rise and shine people. Your future is calling. Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-62950413290192641322012-09-25T15:33:00.000-06:002012-09-25T15:39:00.727-06:00Quiet<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmvLoBT5p_YFbB_eDqvBfIGRMmARTxvTpynIGsUMWq6L_tiWaPWQfocSOVqVJIAJD-YE2xWXwhiDGnHa0G7N1tiImRC_J1Kpv_W1vlszbLvdVQavg7417tgd4V7X3tuvn6udUjOtvPMlo/s1600/IMG_0242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmvLoBT5p_YFbB_eDqvBfIGRMmARTxvTpynIGsUMWq6L_tiWaPWQfocSOVqVJIAJD-YE2xWXwhiDGnHa0G7N1tiImRC_J1Kpv_W1vlszbLvdVQavg7417tgd4V7X3tuvn6udUjOtvPMlo/s320/IMG_0242.JPG" width="320" /></a>Quiet is truly amazing. It’s the absence of noise. It’s serene, simple, and certainly hard to find in the big city. It’s beautiful and profound. <o:p></o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">When is the last time you heard the sound of one hand clapping? Quiet bowled me over last weekend at <a href="http://zranch.org/">Zapata Ranch</a>, a 100,000 acres of working bison ranch owned by the <a href="http://www.nature.org/">Nature Conservancy</a> near the <span id="goog_1454602306"></span><a href="http://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm">Great Sand Dunes National Park</a> <span id="goog_1454602307"></span>in Colorado’s <a href="http://www.slvguide.com/">San Luis Valley</a>. Give me land, lots of land under starry skies above. Don’t fence me in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Life is stressful enough without being constantly bombarded by the never-ending noise in an election year filled with constant bickering, anger, fear and mud slinging. Combined with daily traffic jams, work deadlines, non-stop email and mindless social media chatter that seems to always demand our attention, our noisy universe is enough to make even the most patient, easy-going person among us stand out on the street and yell “Quiet!!!!!” In the immortal words of Popeye, “I’ve had all I can stands and I can’t stands no more.” <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Whether we find it at the beach or in the mountains or in our own backyard, we all need some wide-open spaces. We all need some place we can unplug, detach, unwind and recharge. For me, it was being on a horse surrounded by wildlife far away from houses, cars, people and TV. It was, as the kids say, awesome.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Many Jews will experience that same feeling of awe in synagogues around the world tomorrow as we observe <a href="http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday4.htm">Yom Kippur,</a> the Day of Atonement. It’s a day of fasting, prayer and reflection when we detach for 24-hours from the things that are not really that important in our lives. It’s a day of renewal. It’s a day filled with the sound of silence. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As a <a href="http://www.pushkinpr.com/">Denver public relations</a> pro, my job is to help my clients find that ability to renew and recharge when things grow stale. To be able to realize that sometimes it’s good to step aside or step away in order to move ahead. That sometimes you need to pause and take a deep breath before you try and take another step forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not an easy task, but it’s something I now understand we can all accomplish. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">L’shana tova (to a good year). May it be a time of peace, health, happiness, contentment and renewal for you and for those you love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><!--EndFragment--><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801124890095397396.post-68848362748952576222012-08-23T22:14:00.000-06:002012-08-28T17:02:13.245-06:00Team SpiritThis month I teamed up with <a href="http://www.widefoc.us/meet-the-widefoc-us-team/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Eric Elkins</span></a> from the social media consulting firm, <a href="http://www.widefoc.us/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">WideFoc.us,</span></a> on a webinar for the <a href="http://www.communityfirstfoundation.org/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Community First Foundation</span></a>. The topic was Using Social Media to Get the Most Out of Colorado Gives Day, an annual campaign the foundation supports to help Colorado nonprofits raise badly needed revenue.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoif8L6n01FrOuBaSm5zA6yrf-tnLS-um9ehoGkWfXT3hO15BaoDgn874wqcq6rZq40Qb_L5oAtEk9PiFx1AHl40AM2EiyNZ2wUN2Zy93cthzQlGux0b9uU0wq-Hn9psyVX6dKY3b3fmV/s1600/bigstock-Strong-Business-Team-Work-506927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoif8L6n01FrOuBaSm5zA6yrf-tnLS-um9ehoGkWfXT3hO15BaoDgn874wqcq6rZq40Qb_L5oAtEk9PiFx1AHl40AM2EiyNZ2wUN2Zy93cthzQlGux0b9uU0wq-Hn9psyVX6dKY3b3fmV/s320/bigstock-Strong-Business-Team-Work-506927.jpg" width="320" /></a>At Pushkin PR, collaborating with teams of talented specialists is a great way to share ideas and expand the range of services we can customize for our clients. In this case, Eric is a brilliant social media strategist, so it was rewarding to see that the way he approaches social media campaigns for clients is similar to ours.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At the same time, we bring different perspectives to the topic, so we were able to compliment each other and cover a lot of ground. With 300 nonprofit champions participating in the webinar, it was important to provide a comprehensive strategic overview with enough specifics to help them get the most of <a href="http://www.cogivesday.org/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Colorado Gives Day </span></a>this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Community First Foundation is all about collaboration. All nonprofits that participate in Colorado Gives day get a huge array of tools and resources to help them connect with potential donors through the Internet, social media and traditional media. Like the <a href="http://www.checkoffcolorado.org/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Checkoff Colorado</span></a> campaign that Pushkin PR manages, if everyone does well, Colorado Gives Day is successful. A rising tide lifts all boats.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In life, sports and business, winning teams play well together. They work in sync, with a common goal in mind and with the knowledge that the best players make everyone on the team better.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Collaboration allows us to learn, grow and be better at whatever we do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you find it hard to manage every aspect of your business on your own, but you don’t have the resources to add additional staff, look for opportunities to collaborate. Join an association, team up on an RFP, find partners who are good at things you are not. It’s a winning formula that pay off now and in the future. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Jon Pushkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051515293176727888noreply@blogger.com1