Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Thought Leadership with Mitchell Levy and Michael Procopio, Episode 19: April 21, 2014

Thought Leadership with Mitchell and Michael In this episode, Mitchell and Michael speak with thought leader Joe DiNucci. As co-founder of the consulting firm Enabling Thought Leadership, Joe helps give voice to thought leaders by professionally aiding them in ‘word-smithing’. For Joe, thought leadership is a state of mind that is part of your life and anyone can be a thought leader in any field if you think critically, can listen and stand your ground if that is the appropriate behavior. Thought leadership is the fine art of balancing between being assertive of one’s ideas and being humble enough to challenge your own assumptions.

Joe DiNucciCritical thinking is the core of thought leadership and this is what Joe emphasized as he explained how they are able to develop the narratives, the articles, the blogs or white paper for their clients by simply asking the right questions. In enabling the expert’s thought leadership, Joe and his team help him/her improve their quality of thinking, organize his/her existing work (research papers, etc.) and make him/her reflect about what he really wants to achieve. Commissioning a ghostwriter or a clone is one way of bringing out your thought leadership and Joe believes that a thinker or an author does not give up anything by engaging one. This explains their company tagline: “You think the great thoughts; we’ll take it from there.” 

For Mitchell, this particular episode is what he would like to share to experts or anyone who wants to be a thought leader and who needs help in terms of filling in gaps skills-wise because in the interview, Joe effectively presented what one can expect working with professionals like them to enable thought leadership. The discussion also touched on other interesting subjects such as Google’s hiring criteria, critical thinking and the education process, and the techniques in maintaining a blog series.

Join us 11 am PT / 2 pm ET / 7 pm GMT on Saturday every week. The show blog is Thought Leader Life.

Any comments or suggestions for the show please send them. Thank you for listening and if you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes! 

This episode was sponsored, in part, by THiNKaha.com, helping experts become thought leaders.

You can connect with Mitchell at MitchellLevy.com, @HappyAbout on Twitter, or join his Thought Leadership Best Practices Group on LinkedIn; and with Michael at MProcopio.com, on Twitter:@MichaelProcopio; or LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/MichaelProcopio.

Get this podcast:

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.

FIR presents Thought Leadership with Mitchell and Michael is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by Michael Procopio on 04/23 at 08:46 PM
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FIR Presents Inside PR #370: Tom Garrity on PRSA Counselors Academy Conference

FIR Presents Inside PRIt’s Martin semi-solo, this week; Gini and Joe are off.

I’m here with Tom Garrity, president of The Garrity Group and chair of the PRSA Counselors Academy conference for PR agency leaders, which takes place in Key West, Florida, May 4 to 6.

Tom and I start off by chatting about how some PR specialists are also hot air specialists. Actually that’s not quite true. We got on the subject because Tom’s agency represents the Alburquerque International Balloon Festival, one of the more visually exciting events around.

If you follow Inside PR, you’ll know we’ve discussed Counselors Academy before – that’s where Gini, Joe and I met. We’ve been to the event many times, recorded a few episodes there and I was conference chair in 2012.

I’ve said this a number of times: CA is my one must-attend PR gathering of the year, a chance to meet and get to know a smart, friendly and lively group of PR agency movers and shakers.

Unlike other conferences, Counselors is focused on the business of running a PR agency and provides an opportunity to take part in top notch professional development and lots of idea-sharing over casual conversations, coffee or drinks.

This year, one of Tom’s highlights is the closing presentation at Hemingway House, with keynote speaker and ad agency owner Steve McKee, who offers insights from his new book, Power Branding: Leveraging Success of the World’s Best Brands.

Other keynotes include 9 INCH marketing founder Stan Phelps talking about branding and strategic marketing and Shonali Burke on successfully integrating research into your PR plans and pitches.

Tom’s also looking forward to the Bold Moves session – raw conversations about major changes agency owners made in order to transform their business. It’s a Ted X type format moderated by past Counselors chair and Mitchell Communications CEO Elise Mitchell. Speakers include Aaron Blank, president and CEO, The Fearey Group, Lynn Casey, chairman and CEO, PadillaCRT, startup entrepreneur Forest Featherstone and Janet Tyler, founder and co-CEO, Airfoil.

There’s a round of short Ignite presentations, breakout workshops, roundtables and a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Tom recommends Counselors because it always helps him improve his agency and fill in what he doesn’t know.

Here’s where to go for the schedule. There’s still a bit of time to register if you’re interested. Or you can follow the hashtag on Twitter #CAPRSA.

I’ll be there and will interview some of the presenters for upcoming episodes of Inside PR. Stay tuned.

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FIR Community on Google PlusShare your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also reach Inside PR’s hosts by email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, or join the InsidePR Google Plus community or Facebook group. InsidePR is on Twitter at @Inside_PR. You can send us an instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

Thank you to the people behind Inside PR: Our theme music was created by Damon de Szegheo; Roger Dey is our announcer. Inside PR is produced by Kristine D’Arbelles and Ashlea LeCompte.

Check the FIR website for information about other FIR podcasts. To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed.

FIR presents Inside PR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by shel on 04/23 at 08:38 AM
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FIR presents Linked Conversations with Chuck Hester,  Episode 13: April 23, 2014

Linked ConversationsWelcome to the latest episode of Linked Conversations with Chuck Hester.

This episode I cover the newest LinkedIn feature: LinkedIn Publisher. Publisher is being rolled out slowly – about 25,000 users at a time – and will enable LinkedIn members to blog directly on the LinkedIn platform.

I have started doing just that with my first post on why I use LinkedIn every day (surprise!) hitting more than 5000 views. To put this in perspective, on a good day a status update I post on LinkedIn averages around 500 views.

You can check out all my LinkedIn posts.

My guest this week is Lisa Curtis, the CEO of Kuli Kuli. Lisa is one of the many amazing people I got a chance to meet at the Natural Products Expo West.

Kuli Kuli was founded to support women’s moringa cooperatives in West Africa by selling a small percentage of their moringa harvests in the form of moringa superfood bars in the United States. The company was named Kuli Kuli after the peanut paste that Nigeriens mix with moringa leaves to make them taste good.

You can learn more about Kuli Kuli on their website and through their Facebook and Twitter pages. 

Don’t forget to check out LinkedConversations’ Google+ community and our LinkedIn Group: “The Podcast I Can’t Name Due to the Rules Group!”

So thanks for listening and if you like what you hear, spread the word!

Get this podcast:

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

Check the FIR website for information about other FIR podcasts. To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the "everything" RSS feed.

FIR presents LinkedConversations with Chuck Hester is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by shel on 04/23 at 08:32 AM
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Monday, April 21, 2014

The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #752: April 21, 2014

FIRNew FIR Interview posted;

Quick News: US court says blogs are not only media they’re also an important source of news and commentary, General Mills’ terms of service could prevent people from liking its brands’ Facebook pages, LinkedIn releases Android app for Slideshare, the American view of technological progress in the next 50 years; Ragan promo;

News That Fits: The US Airways tweet (and the employee who sent it who didn’t get fired); Dan York’s Tech Report: new WordPress version, IPv6 two years on; monetizing your content: new models from Stratechery and Patreon; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; listener comments in audio and in the FIR Podcast Community on Google+; how advertisers and marketers are using mobile messaging apps; what’s new in the FIR Podcast Network; Michael Netzley’s Asia Report: the latest internet statistics from China; Igloo Software promo; enterprise social networks and assimilation: resistance is futile, says Philip Sheldrake;

Music from Plastic Sky; and more.

Get FIR:

Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir; Igloo Software, providers of an intranet you’ll actually like, delivered securely with our cloud platform: learn more at www.igloosoftware.com/fir.

For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report for April 21, 2014: A 90-minute podcast recorded live from Wokingham, Berkshire, England, and Concord, California, USA.

Links to websites, blog posts and other content we discuss in the show are posted as Delicious bookmarks to facilitate your connection with the discussions and sharing of that content.

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the "everything" RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.

So, until Monday April 28…

Posted by neville on 04/21 at 12:52 PM
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Friday, April 18, 2014

Thought Leadership with Mitchell Levy and Michael Procopio, Episode 18: April 18, 2014

Thought Leadership with Mitchell and MichaelIn this episode, Mitchell and Michael hang out with thought leader Mark Amtower (@amtower). Backed by 30 years unparalleled experience in the field of government marketing, Mark is recognized as the “Godfather of Government Marketing” and is an award-winning consultant on matters regarding Business-to-Government (B2G), #thoughtleadership and #LinkedIn. The 30-minute interview focuses on the elements, methodologies and platforms for thought leadership but also touches on other interesting subjects, including politics and engaging the federal market.

Mark AmtowerCalling himself a “marketing fool”, Mark says that as a thought leader, he had put himself to task of really understanding and studying his niche, started writing and speaking, and then brought all the information and other people’s information through multiple venues. He stressed the importance of feedback as it helps you grow. In engaging your future advocates and advocates, you need to add legitimate value to any conversation regardless of the thought. A straightforward tip he shares to aspiring thought leaders is to never take cheap shots at people with negative or off-topic comments, especially in public. Mark finds the thought leadership funnel (www.thinkaha.com/thought-leadership-funnel/) as a very accurate representation of the processes, elements and methodologies every thought leader needs to understand, but adds that it must be visually represented as a continuum and not an in-out situation. Among the platforms Mark has maximized over the years to sustain his thought leadership includes writing books (“my greatest business card”) and engaging on Linkedin (“my favorite playground).

To learn more about Thought Leadership and how it can help you be successful, subscribe to the channel: http://youtube.com/user/thoughtleaderlife

Here are a couple of aha moments from the episode. See more in the “Aha Moments from Thought Leader Life” books available in the THiNKaha App http://app.thinkaha.com/.

  •  Be content about being visible and adding value. If you do that consistently over time, thought leadership can occur. @amtower
  • Thought leadership is not just a job but a lifestyle. It is being open, honest, trustworthy, making true friends you can share an adventure with. @happyabout
  • Win apostles, not just advocates. History shows if you have a couple of apostles, you can do extraordinary things. @amtower
  • Don’t take offense at negative feedback. It helps you grow. @amtower

Join us 11 am PT / 2 pm ET / 7 pm GMT on Saturday every week. The show blog is Thought Leader Life.

Any comments or suggestions for the show please send them. Thank you for listening and if you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes! 

This episode was sponsored, in part, by THiNKaha.com, helping experts become thought leaders.

You can connect with Mitchell at MitchellLevy.com, @HappyAbout on Twitter, or join his Thought Leadership Best Practices Group on LinkedIn; and with Michael at MProcopio.com, on Twitter:@MichaelProcopio; or LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/MichaelProcopio.

Get this podcast:

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.

FIR presents Thought Leadership with Mitchell and Michael is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by Michael Procopio on 04/18 at 01:20 PM
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Thursday, April 17, 2014

FIR Presents Inside PR #369:A Chat with Spin Sucks Content Director Lindsay Bell-Wheeler

FIR Presents Inside PRWe have a very special guest on today’s Inside PR.

She is someone near and dear to my (Gini) heart, both personally and professionally.

She was with me in Toronto a couple of weeks ago for Third Tuesday and we caught up with her to talk blogging, editorial calendars, and community.

That person is the one and only Lindsay Bell-Wheeler, the content director for Spin Sucks.

Lindsay and I have worked together for nearly two years and have evolved the blog from a top 25 contender to one of the top (or the top, depending on which list you look at) PR blog in the world. She also manages the strategic content direction for our clients and coaches a team of writers and editors.

I let Joe and Martin lead the conversation, but managed to get in a few quips of my own.

She didn’t know she was going to be a guest on the show (I know how stressed out she would have made herself had I told her) so her comments, jokes, and wit are completely off-the-cuff…and brilliant.

I’m excited to introduce you to her and excited for you to learn more about the behind-the-scenes happenings of the crazy place we call home.

Enjoy!

Get this podcast:

FIR Community on Google PlusShare your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also reach Inside PR’s hosts by email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, or join the InsidePR Google Plus community or Facebook group. InsidePR is on Twitter at @Inside_PR. You can send us an instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

Thank you to the people behind Inside PR: Our theme music was created by Damon de Szegheo; Roger Dey is our announcer. Inside PR is produced by Kristine D’Arbelles and Ashlea LeCompte.

Check the FIR website for information about other FIR podcasts. To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed.

FIR presents Inside PR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by shel on 04/17 at 12:30 PM
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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

FIR on Higher Education #8 - Professor Amanda Sturgill on Teaching Interactive Media

FIR On Higher Education

Odds are that if you are over the age of 30 and studied communications during your time in college / university, much of what you learned back in the day is now completely outdated. And there is probably a good chance that communications students today will say the same thing years from now.

Digital communications is changing so fast, so what is the best way to teach it to students so that they have the necessary skills to enter the workplace and then the mindset to evolve with technological advances? I asked this question to professor Amanda Sturgill, who teaches interactive communications at Elon University in North Carolina. Amanda provides best practice on building curriculum within a university environment, and also shares insights on how professionals can educate ambassadors within organizations. 

In our reports section, I provide an overview on why every communicator needs to be an educator, while technology correspondent Harry Hawk reviews the educational tool Voice Thread.

About Amanda Sturgill

Amanda Sturgill teaches classes in writing, general studies and the interactive media graduate program at Elon University. A Ph.D. graduate of Cornell University, she has professional experience in newspaper journalism and marketing communications. Her research focuses on the intersection of education and community-based work, the relationship of religiou and media and on new technologies and the news. You can follow her on Twitter @DrSturg.

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About Your Host

Kevin AnselmoKevin Anselmo is the Founder and Principal of Experiential Communications, a consultancy focused on education. He helps brands within academia - whether individual or corporate - communicate with stakeholders. He also teaches communications and public relations workshops to different individuals and groups.

Previously, Kevin was Director of Public Relations for Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and prior to that managed the media relations for IMD Business School in Switzerland. In addition, he was an adjunct communications professor at Nyack College in New York.

Currently based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Kevin lived and worked in Switzerland for eight years and in Germany for two years. He has led public relations initiatives in various countries around the world.

Find Kevin on Twitter: @kevinanselmo.

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.

FIR on Higher Education is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by Kevin Anselmo on 04/16 at 12:10 PM
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B2B Video Doesn’t Have to Suck, With Guest David Spark

FIR B2BPaul Gillin and Allan Schoenberg host the FIR B2B podcast. In this episode:

News & Trends

B2B companies are making creative use of video in a manner that takes its cues from B2C marketing. Arrow Electronics is using video to depict its business through the eyes of a five-year-old and create a bigger picture context of its business. Philips is rebranding with video that emphasizes innovation. While “innovation” is an overused term, we like the way this video speaks to a higher purpose. In addition to having brand value, this approach is also an excellent way to boost employee morale.

Shel Holtz pointed us to an Ad Age column, that argues that the distinction between business and consumer marketing is irrelevant. We’ve always argued that B2B and B2C marketing play to very different buyer needs and motivations, but we have to admit that we like the point the author makes. In a world of expanding sources of influence, appealing to consumer preferences is increasingly necessary for building brand.

Buyer motivations are also the focus of a slide presentation by the UK-based marketing firm Earnest that explores Behavioral Economics in B2B Marketing. Earnest makes the case that even big B2B decisions are heavily influenced by gut-level instincts. If your marketing speaks only to specs and features, you’re missing out on the bigger picture.

Special Guest: David Spark

David Spark took an unconventional route to content marketing. He spent more than a dozen years working as a touring standup comedian, a San Francisco tour guide and as a comedy writer for The Second City in Chicago before moving into technology journalism and ultimately custom content. His Spark Media Solutions is a brand journalism and media consulting firm that specializes in B2B video. In our interview he talks about how run-of-the-mill video interviews can be enriched with offbeat questions, the most common mistakes B2B marketers make with video and some of the best examples of B2B video he’s seen recently. He also discusses an innovative approach to combining video and still images in a recent project for Riverbed.

David shares some of his most successful techniques on his blog. Entries include 20 Great Ideas for Your Next Corporate Video, 5 Video Strategies that Are Totally Worth the Effort, 5 Interview Questions That Always Return Great Answers and 4 Examples of Corporate Videos Done Right.

He’s also the author of the terrific ebook, Hazardous to Your Social Media Health - 50 Previously Condoned Behaviors We No Longer Recommend. Follow him on Twitter at @dspark.

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About Your Hosts

Paul GillinPaul Gillin is a veteran technology journalist and a thought leader in new media. Since 2005, he has advised marketers and business executives on strategies to optimize their use of social media and online channels to reach buyers cost-effectively. He is the author or co-author of five books, including Social Marketing to the Business Customer (2011), the first book devoted entirely to B2B social media marketing. He is also a social media trainer and coach at Profitecture, a training firm for B2B companies and their channel partners.

Allan SchoenbergAllan Schoenberg is based in London and responsible for managing the international media relations, issues management and brand communications for CME Group, the world’s leading and most diverse financial marketplace. He was instrumental in launching the company’s social media activity in 2007 and continues to lead its social strategy and online community engagement. He has more than 20 years of experience in B2B communications, including his work for Accenture, Edelman Worldwide and Fleishman Hillard.

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.

FIR B2B is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications,serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by Paul Gillin on 04/16 at 12:00 PM
FIR B2B • (0) Comments • Permalink

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

FIR Interview: JerryGarcia.com developers Mark Silverman and Amy Haiar from Critical Mass

JerryGarcia.com

The websites of most musicians adhere a highly predictable template. There’s a bio, a page hosting some music, another with photos and video, a tour schedule, and a merchandise store. In developing the recently launched Jerry Garcia website, the team at global digital agency Critical Mass were anxious not only to explode the traditional artist’s site, but to take the website experience to a whole new level.

The site is a wonderland of content for fans of the iconic Grateful Dead front man, as well as a place to share their own experiences and content, and connect with friends…all within the site without reliance on third-party social networks. The concept is transferable to any brand that has a history, a lot of fans and a lot of content.

The site has earned high praise. When the site launched early this year (without the Parking Lot, where fans can share their own content), Rolling Stone‘s Mike Ayers wrote that the site features…

a massive set of archival material for fans to explore, including 15,000 hours of recorded music and 3,450 shows, as well as timelines and information about 26 of Jerry’s bands and 77 of his musical collaborators. Fans will also be able to “follow” 10 different tours undertaken by Garcia’s bands. ...Garcia’s family provided the site with a wealth of unseen photos, concert material, ticket stubs and even Garcia’s own artwork to augment the experience. Currently, there are no plans to charge fans for access to the site’s material and the experience has been optimized for mobile devices as well.

From MusicTimes:

The sheer amount of recordings available isn’t even the best part of the deal. Fans will be able to trace ten of the tours Garcia embarked on with various bands throughout his career. For example, you could follow the entirety of the ‘77 Grateful Dead tour, listening to every concert set included. Nine of the included tours are from the Dead, but the ‘93 Jerry Garcia Band tour is included as well.

In this FIR interview, co-host Shel Holtz speaks with Mark Silverman and Amy Haiar, who headed up the Critical Mass team that developed the site after Silverman’s outreach upon discovering the sorry state of the domain. (A big shoutout to original Inside PR co-host David Jones for letting us know about the work Critical Mass was doing on the site.)

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About our Conversation Partners

Mark Silverman, Planning Director, Critical MassMark Silverman, Planning Director—A culture-loving, creative problem solver, Mark is a user experience strategist focused on delivering extraordinary, results-driven, digital experiences for some of the worlds biggest brands. With a background in science and technology, sociology, social psychology, and cultural studies, Mark joined the Critical Mass team in 2008. He is inspired by the ever-changing digital landscape and all things geeky. Mark has covered various roles during his tenure at Critical Mass, including UX strategy, brand planning, analytics, content analysis, and account management.

Connect with Mark on Twitter at Mark_Silverman

Amy Haiar, Creative Director, Critical MassAmy Haiar, Creative Director—With over 15 years of interactive experience, Amy has delivered thought leadership and award-winning experiences for brands like Harley-Davidson, Nike, Hewlett-Packard, Vail Resorts, USAA, and United Airlines. She also led the creative effort for the first ever fully responsive, fully accessible heath care website for Humana. With an eye for innovation and pixel perfection, Amy believes craftsmanship is critical to the art of web design, and lives by the overarching philosophy: make beautifully simple work.

Connect with Amy on Twitter at Amy_Haiar

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

Check the FIR website for information about other FIR podcasts. To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the "everything" RSS feed.

This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Podsafe music - On A Podcast Instrumental Mix (MP3, 5Mb) by Cruisebox.

Posted by shel on 04/15 at 11:29 AM
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Sunday, April 13, 2014

The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #751: April 14, 2014

FIRIntro: FIR Interview with Critical Mass coming, no reports this week from Dan York (get well soon, Dan!) or Michael Netzley;

Quick News: FTC investigation of Cole Haan offers insights into how to run a Pinterest contest, Staples wants to bring 3D printing to the masses, journalists are mining Whisper and other secret-sharing apps, report says 44% of Twitter accounts have never sent a tweet; Ragan promo;

News That Fits: A journalist’s jaundiced view of the value of PR highlights the good, the bad and the ugly; serious reading on the decline as the brain adapts to scanning: what does this means for communicators?; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; listener comments in audio and from the FIR Podcast Community on Google+; Igloo Software promo; four new show episodes on the FIR Podcast Network; is the low level of engagement from social media pundits really a case of hypocrisy?;

Music from Matt Shenk; and more.

Get FIR:

Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir; Igloo Software, providers of an intranet you’ll actually like, delivered securely with our cloud platform: learn more at www.igloosoftware.com/fir.

For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report for April 14, 2014: An 84-minute podcast recorded live from Concord, California, USA, and Wokingham, Berkshire, England.

Links to websites, blog posts and other content we discuss in the show are posted as Delicious bookmarks to facilitate your connection with the discussions and sharing of that content.

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the "everything" RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.

So, until Monday April 21…

Posted by neville on 04/13 at 11:31 PM
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Friday, April 11, 2014

FIR On Strategy with Andrea Vascellari, Episode 16: April 11, 2014

Strategy In this episode we understand what’s a strategy, why it’s vital for your projects and what methodology you can use to define your strategies.

Here you can find the accurate description of what’s discussed in this episode. If you feel a bit lost, if you are new to this, or if the topics seem to be too complicated, don’t worry. You can take your time and listen to the show while you follow this post that I have already prepared for you.

This will also save you time because you don’t need to take notes or write down everything I say in each episode: I already did it for you.

Get this podcast:

About Your Host

Andrea VascellariAndrea Vascellari is an award-winning digital marketing consultant and keynote speaker in the online communications industry.

With over 15 years of professional experience and a deep understanding of marketing and communications, including public and media relations, Andrea helps his clients integrate new technologies and social media communication into their organizations by building dynamic relationships with shareholders and other key audiences.

Connect with Andrea on Twitter: @vascellari.

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the weekly Hobson and Holtz Report, subscribe to the full RSS feed.

FIR On Strategy with Andrea Vascellari is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by AndreaVascellari on 04/11 at 06:20 AM
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Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Thought Leadership with Mitchell Levy and Michael Procopio, Episode 17: Apr 8, 2014

Thought Leadership with Mitchell and MichaelIn this episode, Mitchell and Michael hang out with two thought leaders – Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan, the couple behind the success of Barefoot Wine brand. Michael and Bonnie share their journey from being struggling entrepreneurs in the ‘80s to consulting for Fortune 500s and start-ups, and giving inspiration to thousands of university students. Their story is replete with valuable lessons that they dutifully documented in a book entitled: “The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand” (http://www.amazon.com/The-Barefoot-Spirit-Hardship-Americas/dp/0988224542). In talking about their success, Michael and Bonnie highlight their partnership and how the strengths and qualities of one complement the other.

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie HarveyMore about Michael and Bonnie at http://www.barefootwinefounders.com/


Some tweetable moments from the show:

  • A #thoughtleader steps out and does the extraordinary by creating a different way to do something. #TLL @TheBrandAuth
  • Create advocates by giving them a social reason, not a mercantile reason, to buy your products. #TLL @TheBrandAuth
  • Today, buyers are not just looking at the benefits of the product, but on how the company does their business. #TLL @TheBrandAuth

Join us 11 am PT / 2 pm ET / 7 pm GMT on Saturday every week. The show blog is Thought Leader Life.

Any comments or suggestions for the show please send them. Thank you for listening and if you like what you hear, please leave a review on iTunes! 

This episode was sponsored, in part, by THiNKaha.com, helping experts become thought leaders.

You can connect with Mitchell at MitchellLevy.com, @HappyAbout on Twitter, or join his Thought Leadership Best Practices Group on LinkedIn; and with Michael at MProcopio.com, on Twitter:@MichaelProcopio; or LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/MichaelProcopio.

Get this podcast:

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.

FIR presents Thought Leadership with Mitchell and Michael is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by Michael Procopio on 04/08 at 05:15 PM
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FIR Presents Inside PR 368: Spin Sucks!

FIR Presents Inside PRSpin sucks! You know it and I know it. And Gini Dietrich knows it. But even more, Gini has written a new book, Spin Sucks, in which she shows us how to replace spin with authentic communications that your community will find informative, entertaining and useful.

Spin Sucks the Book has just launched. And in this week’s episode of Inside PR, Martin Waxman and I (Joe Thornley)  talk with Gini about the book, what it tells us, and her innovative approach to marketing the book. (If you know Gini, you wouldn’t expect anything less from her than to turn the launch of her book into a marketing experiment. She’s always thinking of how to do things better.) This included a Brand Ambassador program to spread the word about the book so that Gini could maintain a much more limited travel schedule to promote Spin Sucks than she had to maintain when promoting her previous book, Marketing in the Round. Over 800 people applied to be a Brand Ambassador, agreeing to buy the book and write a review to coincide with the launch date. Ultimately, she selected over 200 of the applicants to be Ambassadors.

If you wonder what type of results Gini got from this approach, check out the quality of the reviews on Amazon.com. High quality, Well written, persuasive reviews from people who’ve read and loved the book. (At the time I write this, there are 76 reviews of Gini’s book. Sixty five are 5 star and eleven are four star. It doesn’t get much better than that.)

Gini will be launching Spin Sucks in Canada at Third Tuesday Toronto on April 7 and Third Tuesday Ottawa on April 8. There are still a small number of tickets available. So if you’d like to meet Gini and get a signed copy of the book click on one of the following links to register for Third Tuesday Toronto or register for Third Tuesday Ottawa.

Also this week, we had a listener comment from Charlene Burke about the use of LinkedIn.

Get this podcast:

FIR Community on Google PlusShare your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also reach Inside PR’s hosts by email at insideprcomments@gmail.com, or join the InsidePR Google Plus community or Facebook group. InsidePR is on Twitter at @Inside_PR. You can send us an instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

Thank you to the people behind Inside PR: Our theme music was created by Damon de Szegheo; Roger Dey is our announcer. Inside PR is produced by Kristine D’Arbelles and Ashlea LeCompte.

Check the FIR website for information about other FIR podcasts. To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed.

FIR presents Inside PR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by shel on 04/08 at 07:27 AM
Show Notes • Inside PR • (0) Comments • Permalink

Monday, April 07, 2014

Matt Heinz on AMP UP Your Social Media

AMP UP Your Social Media

Matt Heinz is the founder of Heinz Marketing, a Seattle-based marketing agency focused on sales acceleration. Heinz helps clients achieve sustained sales success by growing revenue from existing customers and cost effectively identifying and winning new customers. Matt recently joined AMP Up Your Social Media’s host Glenn Gaudet to discuss the need for an integrated sales and marketing approach via social media to increase sales and velocity.

“If they can build an elevator to the moon, I think we can figure out this reporting stuff eventually, too.”
Matt offers these tips to help build a stronger bond between your sales and marketing teams:

  1. Start with content. Understand who your audience is and what they care about. What are the primary problems, trigger events, or buying signals that you can engage someone with with good content that leads them to be interested and learn more about you?
  2. Make social media a regular habit for your sales team. Setup a daily reminder for them to network daily. Everyday the marketing team should feed the sales team with content for them to post to their own social channels. Sales people should reply to any comments, and follow all of the people they talked to the day before on Twitter and send them LinkedIn requests.
  3. Reuse and repurpose content. There are many tools available to automatically repost previous blog posts so you can reuse content with ease.

You can read more from Matt on his blog, Matt on Marketing, or follow him on Twitter.

About Matt Heinz

Matt HeinzMatt Heinz brings more than 15 years of marketing, business development and sales experience from a variety of organizations, vertical industries and company sizes. His career has focused on delivering measurable results for his employers and clients in the way of greater sales, revenue growth, product success and customer loyalty. Matt has held various positions at companies such as Microsoft, Weber Shandwick, Boeing, The Seattle Mariners, Market Leader and Verdiem. In 2007, Matt began Heinz Marketing to help clients focus their business on market and customer opportunities, then execute a plan to scale revenue and customer growth. Matt lives in Kirkland, Washington with his wife, Beth, three children and a menagerie of animals (a dog, cat, and six chickens).

Get this podcast:

Tweet about the show using #AUYSM or Tweet at us @AMPUpSocial. AMP Up Your Social Media is a proud member of the FIR Podcast Network.

FIR Community on Google PlusShare your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

Join the AMP Up Your Social Media Google Plus community or Facebook group. You can send us an instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

Check the FIR website for information about other FIR podcasts. To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the “everything” RSS feed.

AMP UP Your Social Media is sponsored by:

  • GaggleAMP - Empower your employees, partners and resellers to amplify your social media.
  • SafeLinks - Know when your links on social media messages fail before you lose out on the people clicking on them.

The FIR Podcast Network is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Posted by Glenn Gaudet on 04/07 at 02:31 PM
Show Notes • AMP Up Your Social Media • (0) Comments • Permalink

The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #750: April 7, 2014

FIRIntro: Recap on last week’s show with Olivier Blanchard, Neville’s trip to Norway the week before, Shel’s trip to Florida this past week;

Quick News: Google Glass app Emotient detects your emotions and relays results back to retailers, SEC okays third-party social media endorsements for investment advisers, Audacity Unconference 2014 announced, NPR experiments with voice-recognition-enabled mobile ads; Ragan promo;

News That Fits: Study says third-party reports more credible than branded content but does it matter?; Michael Netzley’s Asia Report: Asian mums might not be tiger, but they are internet users; five ways local customers get from your blog to your business; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; listener comments in audio and from the FIR Podcast Community on Google+; is Facebook still a viable channel for brands looking for a free ride?; Dan York’s Tech Report: Twitter ads, new A/B testing tool from Facebook, Dance of the Drones; Igloo Software promo; last week on the FIR Podcast Network; the evolving conversation ecosystem and Copyblogger’s experiment with no commenting on its blog;

Music from Stars And Skylines; and more.

Get FIR:

Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir; Igloo Software, providers of an intranet you’ll actually like, delivered securely with our cloud platform: learn more at www.igloosoftware.com/fir.

For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report for April 7, 2014: A 93-minute podcast recorded live from Wokingham, Berkshire, England, and Concord, California, USA.

Links to websites, blog posts and other content we discuss in the show are posted as Delicious bookmarks to facilitate your connection with the discussions and sharing of that content.

FIR Community on Google+Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.

You can also send us instant voicemail via SpeakPipe, right from the FIR website. Or, call the Comment Line at +1 415 895 2971 (North America), +44 20 3239 9082 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments. You can tweet us: @FIRpodcast. And you can email us at fircomments@gmail.com. If you wish, you can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We’ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show.

To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the "everything" RSS feed. To stay informed about occasional FIR events (eg, FIR Live), sign up for FIR Update email news.

So, until Monday April 14…

Posted by neville on 04/07 at 01:02 PM
Show Notes • Hobson and Holtz • (0) Comments • Permalink
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