December 14, 2007 By Nathania Johnson
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If you don’t set aside time to learn, you’ll always write the same articles and pursue the same marketing strategies. You will inevitably miss out on a lot of ways to enhance your website or business model. Learning is intrinsic to success so don’t ever stop acquiring knowledge and useful skills. - Maki on Working on the Periphery: How to Make Any Website You Create a Success
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If you are a small business looking to build links, network, leverage social media and increase your online reputation…consider starting with your inbox. - Jennifer Laycock on Be Nice - You Never Know Who That Email is From
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If you can make a sale of a long tail post, fine — but the real goal is making big bucks on your main page or main site. - Ruud Hein on There’s Focus in the Long Tail
- Remember - everything that you post on your blog either adds to or takes away from your blog’s perceived value - so not everything that you come up with should make it through to the front page of your blog. - Darren Rowse on Discover Hundreds of Post Ideas for Your Blog with Mind Mapping
- Remember, internetcitus marketerus is a rare breed. We’re not evil - we’re just doing what nature designed us to do. - Ian Lurie on 10 Great Internet Marketing Excuses, and What They Really Mean
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Should you buy links? Wrong question! The question you SHOULD be asking is, “should I be promoting my online business and what risks am I willing to accept? - Bob Massa on Should You Buy Links? The Truth Shall Set You Free
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It may take months for an interactive campaign to build awareness, but if visitors are engaged, a program may run for a very long time with only modest maintenance. - Scott Monty on Traditional Advertising Versus Social Media
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After ten years of being side by side, the local place has stayed in business and Starbucks has chosen to close its doors. - Jennifer Laycock on You Can’t Compete With the Big Guys? You Sure About That?
Posted in Best Quotes 
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December 13, 2007 By Nathania Johnson
Yesterday I wrote about what it’s like being an introvert in social media. Today, I want to address another aspect of social media that has tarnished the reputations of individuals and companies. And that is transparency.
But it’s not what you think. This isn’t a post about how some companies aren’t transparent and how that’s a bad thing. Instead, this is a post about how the idea that any lack of transparency is automatic proof that someone or some organization has something bad to hide.
As an introvert, I know that I have a limit before I feel overexposed or even just physically tired from putting myself out there. So, in order for me to be personally successful in this field, I need to limit how much I divulge or give. And many times, those limits and boundaries seem to be tighter than others who are successful in the social media space.
But those limits don’t mean I have something to hide. Yet, when transparency is valued too highly, it can be perceived as such.
Another way individuals and organizations are hurt by the over-valuing of transparency is when they value such qualities as privacy and being discreet. It used to be that being discreet was something to be lauded.
But then we have a company like Enron, so the jump-to-conclusions mat gets pulled back out. We generalize the problems that go on with a few to be characteristic of all.
Now, transparency is valued above all. This is creating an expectation and actualization of certain folks letting it all hang out. But there’s a reason most of us don’t live in nudist colonies.
I suspect that this pendulum will keep swinging in the direction of excessive transparency. And just like Enron on the opposite side of the spectrum, something will happen. Excessiveness always overplays its hand.
I hope for the day when the momentum rests gently within a middle range.
Posted in Conversation Marketing 4 Comments »
December 12, 2007 By Nathania Johnson
I love social media. I have a natural knack for it. I was doing Social Media Marketing before I knew it was Social Media Marketing.
But there’s a reason I’m a Cult Classic blogger (yes, that’s a shameful plug).
I’m an Introvert.
And lately, I’ve been feeling overexposed and inundated with information.
Social Media is all about giving. Give blog posts, give comments, give Stumbles, give Tweets. Participate, communicate, connect, and network!
But for introverts, there is a point where all of this exposure exhausts us. This is true whether you’re talking Social Media or face-to-face meetings such as a Happy Hour. And far too often, we get a bad rap for it.
Over the years, I’ve had people think I was snobby, stand-off-ish, not doing my work, not dedicated, and many other less-than-flattering things simply because I don’t feel the need to communicate every detail of my existence. And, being the good introvert that I am, have taken such criticism and tried to reform myself. But when I do that, I still get criticism, because extroversion doesn’t look quite right on me.
So I’ve decided to just be confident in who I am. And to use the strengths of being an introvert to my advantage instead of trying to take on more extroverted characteristics.
And I have a lesson for all you extroverts: Stop placing your assumptions about introverts on the jump to conclusions mat!
Any other introverts? How does it affect your Social Media efforts?
Posted in Uncategorized 11 Comments »
December 12, 2007 By Nathania Johnson
My Google Reader feels like a yard that’s been overcome by large weeds and kudzu.
I’m subscribed to alot of blogs in order to develop the weekly online quotes list. But this has had an unfortunate consequence - I don’t have time to participate in them all, and it’s a bit of killjoy for this Social media fanatic.
So i’ve decided to create a short list of blogs that I truly read and savor.
The question is: Should Yours be on it?
Leave a comment and I’ll put your blog on my short list. Write great blog posts and you stay on the list.
There are some blogs I’ve already got on the list. I’m giving roses to the following bachelors and bachelorettes:
- Donna Fontenot’s Dazzlin’ Donna blog
- Pat Doyle
- E-Marketing Performance, the staff blog of Pole Position Marketing
- Marty Weintraub’s aimClear blog
- Matthew Sherborne’s Marketing Strategy
- Joanna Young’s Confident Writing
- Matt Keegan’s The Article Writer Blog
- Katie’s Cheesy Marketing Ramblings
- Steven Bradley’s TheVanBlog
- Steven Snell’s Vandelay Website Design Blog
- Matt J McDonald’s A New Marketing
- Valeria Maltoni’s Conversation Agent
- Copyblogger
- Ignite Social Media
- PR. Differently
I hate making lists like this, for fear of forgetting someone who’s really participated. But I didn’t want to make people leave comments who’ve been great to me off-blog.
So leave a comment, and remind or tell me to put your blog on the short list!
Posted in Blogging 18 Comments »
December 11, 2007 By Nathania Johnson
Bold Interactive is looking for a contract project manager for March through late May for approximately 20-30 hours a week (probably closer to 20 hours a week needed). Some meeting availability needed in January and February for 1 or 2 hours a week.
You are an enthusiastic, organized, detail oriented person who is great with creating client timelines. Experience in online marketing preferred. Flexibile, positive, employee and customer-oriented firm. Could lead to a full time opportunity for the right person.
E-mail your resume and cover letter to Laura Cunningham, Director of Client Services at Bold Interactive: lcunningham@boldinteractive.com
Posted in Uncategorized No Comments »
December 6, 2007 By Nathania Johnson
I logged into my Facebook account today and noticed a great marketing campaign by Crest Whitestrips.
In my news feed was a promotion about a Family Getaway contest. They’re asking people to vote for the family to win the contest.
I clicked on the link and was directed to this landing page (which opened in a separate tab):
The only change I would make is a slight alteration in the Facebook messaging. The contest is for “deserving” families - you know, the kind who really need a vacation, who have a story to tell. I might tug at the heartstrings of Facebook users a little bit more.
Otherwise, it’s a great example of the social media marketing opportunities available out there. And guess what? There’s very little conversational marketing here - and it’s not necessarily needed in this case. So if you’re wanting to explore new media, but you’re not ready to jump in the deep end, this is a great way to just get your feet wet.
Enough swimming metaphors - go get your marketing on!
Posted in Social Media No Comments »
December 6, 2007 By Nathania Johnson
Last night, I was pimping my Thunderbird email client with a bunch of add-ons. As I was browsing the available add-ons, I noticed an add-on that integrated with a software product offered by a competitor of one of my clients.
Genius!
With all the open-source software going on right now, plugins and add-ons are yet another way to promote your business. You could develop plugins for Wordpress, Paint.net, and a whole host of software. You’ll reach a web and tech savvy audience, the kind that make things go viral on the net.
Posted in Marketing No Comments »
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