Archive for the ‘Random’ Category
“Oursourcing” – Typo or New Concept?
Thursday, May 26th, 2011I was writing some web copy for a client the other day when I accidentally typed “oursourcing” instead of “outsourcing.” Now, being that I don’t exactly type with the fluid grace of a classical pianist, I make typos all the time. But this one caught my eye. It seemed like it should be a word.
I envision it meaning something beyond doing it yourself, but less formal than outsourcing and less chaotic than crowd-sourcing. Along the lines of:
oursourcing (n): collaboration between a small group of individuals inside and outside of an organization to perform a specific task for mutual benefit.
The keys are that the individuals involved come from more than one organization, and that there is mutual benefit in the project. The recent collaboration between me and Cheryl Burgess on the Nifty 50 Top Women on Twitter and Top Men on Twitter posts would be a small example of oursourcing. The Social Media Examiner blog (a collaboration between Mike Stelzner, Mari Smith, Chris Garrett, Denise Wakeman, Cindy King, Casey Hibbard and Jason Falls) is a larger example. The steering committee behind the B2B Twitterer of the Year Awards would be a larger example still.
It could be the way a harried marketing manager with no time to produce a corporate blog could get this done, spreading the work between individuals from other departments and outside the organization. It could, alternatively, be used to create an un-corporate blog; an industry blog co-written by individuals from different but non-competitive firms in the same industry speaking to the same audience.
Or it may be just a typo. What do you think—is there any need for this “word?” Is it a concept that has legs, or only a result of fat fingers?
Fast Company, Lebron, Twitter and the #Nifty50 (Coming Soon)
Monday, April 25th, 2011
Visit @ckburgess Blog at: Blue Focus Marketing
What’s So Funny About Social Media and Online Marketing? 2010 Edition
Monday, March 14th, 2011Anyone can tweet, post or email a funny or clever link and waste a few minutes of your day. This post is more ambitious: wasting your entire day. Maybe not today. Maybe it would be best to read this post on a weekend. When your spouse or significant other is away. Seriously.
Most of these are funny, many are amazing, some are just remarkably creative. Take a break from the marketing/PR grind and enjoy!
The Google Toilet by Current
Now that Google knows what you search for and what websites you visit (personalized search), what you write (Gmail), what you say on the phone (Google Voice) and where you live (Google Maps), there’s no more of your privacy to invade, right? Oh yeah there is, as this hilarious video points out (hey—it could happen).
117 Funniest Creative Job and Recruitment Ads by JobMob
Phenomenal collection of job ads, from the creative, funny and scary to the WTF?
Employees Leaving Their Laptops Unsecure? Try These Public Humiliation Templates From Their PC… by The HR Capitalist
If you don’t lock your workstation when you leave your cube or office, this will convince you to do so. If you work with people who don’t lock their PCs or laptops when they take a break, this will give you ideas.
Top 20 of the Most Hilarious Spelling Mistakes on Resumes and Cover Letters by Resumark Blog
Example: 14. “I consistently tanked as top sales producer for new accounts.” Priceless.
5 hilarious branded videos by iMedia Connection
Classics from Evian and Old Spice, plus a few remarkable brand videos you may have missed.
50 Clever, Hilarious and Geeky Twitter T-Shirts by Bit Rebels
Not sure I’d actually wear any of these, but it’s an amazing collection.
Snippets: Some Examples of Bad Writing for Your Amusement and Horror
From am actual college writing assignment. How to write properly so that your prose doesn’t end up in a post full of great examples of unfortunate writing, such as: “The ladies of the church have cast off clothes of every kind and they can be seen in the church basement on Friday afternoons.”
The Internet Coos Over “Iron Baby” [VIDEO] by Mashable
A clever parody, despite some obvious missed opportunities.
12 Worst Photoshop Mistakes ever by Oddee.com
What happens when powerful photo editing software ends up in the wrong hands.
24 NOT photoshopped pictures – Illusion or delusion? by Graphic Design Blog
In contrast to the pics in the Oddee.com post above, the images here (most anyway) aren’t PhotoShopped, they are just amazing photography.
5 funny (and frustrating) client types by iMedia Connection
Agency types will laugh and/or cringe at this taxonomy of difficult clients, including The Illogical: “Non-logicals, as we call them in the office, are free to say whatever the hell they want. They don’t believe in the comparative peace and tranquility that logic can bring to the table. They’ll say things like ‘I don’t like this concept, but I had a dream, and I can’t describe it really, but I think our website should be like that.’”
Swagger Like Us by OMMA
The story behind Toyota’s brilliant “Swagger Wagon” video.
Social Media Blues by YouTube
What happens when rednecks with banjos and too much time on their hands discover social media.
Marketing’s Greatest Creation: The iPhone Cult by The Great Startup Game
Yes, the iPhone is very cool, but the overblown hype and cultish devotion the device inspired in some aficionados get skewered in this video.
Top 10 YouTube News Bloopers by Mashable
As Amy-Mae Elliott, the blogger who rounded up this collection of video snippets notes: “News anchor fails are always hilarious, because they are a stark contrast to the usual poise you generally see from such professional figures.”
Colbert as social media guru (video) by TechFlash
Stephen Colbert’s take on social media, Google and online privacy.
Yeah, it’s really tough to maintain coolness once one reaches middle-aged suburban fatherhood, so might as well listen to this rap and laugh about it.
Gotta love this: “Marketing through social media is like herding cats. And just to make it interesting, many of the cats are drunk and stupid.”
12 Social Media Buzzwords Redefined by Marian Schembari
Not your standard, boring industry glossary here. Nope, Marian gives you the real meaning behind over-used social media jargon, for example: “Crowdsourcing – The act of being stingy and relying on a group of people to do your (bitch)work for free.”
Top 10 Geekiest Marriage Proposals by Mashable
Funny, creative and sweet examples of using video games, iPhone apps and other geeky methods to pop the big question. My favorite: the LOLcats proposal.
Young Mattie Fein (vs Jane Harman) via YouTube
I know we’re all sick of political ads after last fall’s noisy election, but this is one of the best ever. Though Mattie Fein lost her race for congress, the video remains a winner.
Facebook movie spawns Twitter Parody by Geary Fresh
No explanation needed. It’s even safe for work.
Become a social media guru with one PPT slide by iMedia Connection
How social media controls everything (infographic). What, you didn’t know?
Fantastically Creative Examples of Paper Art That Make You Say Wow by Smashing Apps
What some artists can do with paper is nothing short of, as my daughter says, amazazing.
10 Of The Best Brand Viral Videos On Youtube In 2010 by Simply Zesty
A noteworthy collection of brand videos from last year, ranging from the touching (T-Mobile “Arrivals”) to the astounding (Roger Federer Gillette shot) to the classic (Coke Zero and Mentos rocket car).
13 Facebook Parodies That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud by All Facebook
A 50′s-style Facebook etiquette guide, jealous grandmas, Farmville and more. It’s minutes of entertainment, thought not for the whole family.
The Perfect Stimulus: Bad Management by The Wall Street Journal
Scott Adams (yeah, that Scott Adams) explains why bad management is good for the economy: “The economy needs workers who are fed up, desperate and willing to quit their jobs for something better. Remember, only quitters can be winners, because you can’t do something great until first you quit doing something that isn’t.”
Everything I Know About SEO I Learned in the 80′s by Search Engine Guide
Stoney deGeyter manages to explain the principles of search engine optimization using almost nothing but 1980′s rock song titles. Even if you don’t appreciate his humor, this post is worth five stars for its incredible collection of links to classic rock videos.
Off Register: Luscious (video)
Designers, printers, and anyone who’s ever worked in an agency will relate to this challenging situation.
Remembering Leslie Nielsen: His Best Quotes by Funny or Die
Immortal comic brilliance.
Clients Say the Funniest Things by Advertising Age
Laugh, sigh and cringe at this collection of actual agency client quotes, e.g., on social media: “I get it but I’m worried that people will start talking about our product without us.”
The 6 most offensive and/or psychotic gingerbread houses we could find by someecards
Creative variations on the traditional holiday gingerbread house, like this one.
Mainframe: The Art of the Sale, Lesson One (video)
A must-see training video for your technology sales force.
Top 10 Resolutions Anyone Can Keep by The Suburban Jungle
Okay, so we’re past “New Year’s Resolution” season–who cares, this is still priceless and worth a(nother) read. For example, Jenny’s resolution #9 for this year: “Become Addicted to Something. Smoking, alcoholism and Starbucks are so trite. I’m thinking something unique like nasal spray or hand sanitizer. Or at least something beneficial to my endurance like crack. Look, I already have a shopping addiction; maybe I could offset the bills with a robust gambling problem.”
Little Asian PC girl vs. MAC parody by Funny or Die
Taking the Mac vs. PC thing a bit too far. NSFW (language).
Related Posts
What’s So Funny About Social Media and Online Marketing? (2009 edition)
Best of 2008: Amusing, Creative and Just Plain Odd
The Powerful Effects of Social Media in Egypt
Thursday, March 10th, 2011Guest post by Thomas Morrison.
Social media is no longer simply about allowing your friends to see what you are thinking or for posting photos of your family vacation to Aruba. Social media has quickly become the most influential factors in grassroots socio-political organization. The January 25 revolution in Egypt gained a major foothold as a result of social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. Individuals have used social media to increase government transparency and mobilize like-minded individuals.
On January 25 2011 after a successful revolution had occurred in Tunisia, many Egyptians took to the streets protesting government corruption, unemployment, poverty as well as the country’s 30 – year autocratic rule by former President Hosni Mubarak. Protesters used social media like Facebook and Twitter to show outsiders exactly what was happening on the ground, plan and arrange protests and the governmental and military response to the protesters. After the second day of mass protest in Egypt, and after Associated Press filmed an Egyptian activist and protester being gunned down, the Internet, texts messages and PDA access to the Internet was shut down by Egyptian government.
The government’s effort to seriously reduce communication within Egypt was unsuccessful as a series of transnational human rights activists, bloggers, translators and social media organizations dedicated to free speech used many different mediums to stay in touch. Egyptians used chat rooms, Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms to relay messages from protesters, journalists and human rights activists inside Egypt. All of whom had intentions of assisting activists inside Egypt to further political organization and social mobilization while also allowing the rest of the world to witness minute by minute news on just exactly what was going on inside of the country.
Two of the most valuable aspects of social media are its ability to make social organization easier and more effective. The social media used by Egyptian protesters not only allowed individuals who shared common political ideas come together, but also provided a medium to plan concrete action. Secondly, social media increases government transparency and accountability. No longer can the global audience be kept in the dark about what is going on in another country. There are too many interconnected individuals using social media creating a transnational network armed with information.
On February 9th former President Bill Clinton spoke at New York University. The president was speaking on the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the 1995 Bosnia, Herzegovina and Serbia genocide and war. President Clinton compared the use of constant news media in the case of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Genocide with the role of social media in aiding communication during the recent revolution in Egypt. While the former president said the constant news coverage during the Bosnia-Herzegovina Genocide is nothing close to the effect of social media used in Egypt, both captured global attention at different points in time as a result of the desire for information. Clinton reflected back on the type and quality of technology available when he was president in 1995 saying, “There were just 50 Internet sites and the average cell phone weighed 5 pounds”. Alongside personal counselor Doug Band, Clinton heads up the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). Mr. Douglas Band also oversees plenty of foreign operations at the Clinton Global Initiative.
While the Bosnia Herzegovina genocide and the recent revolution in Egypt are to completely separate events with not much similarity in politics or history, the human desire for information is very much the same. At many points in history individuals have combined ingenuity, passion and technology so as to link themselves with people and societies far from themselves.
Thomas Morrison is a co-edior of Everything Left and writes on a variety of current topics. You can find him on Twitter at @twmorrison75.
Best Random but Interesting B2B Marketing Posts, Articles and Resources of 2010
Tuesday, March 8th, 2011If you’ve been following the Best-of-2010 series here, you’ve seen collections of some of the best articles and blog posts from last year in neatly organized categories including market research, cool social media and web tools, social media marketing guides and tips, WordPress hacks, Twitter marketing techniques and resources, guides to effective email marketing, content marketing, local SEO and more.
In this penultimate best-of-last-year post you’ll find a compendium of interesting, informative and valuable but difficult-to-categorize marketing-related articles and blog posts from 2010. The pieces presented here range from an extensive list of marketing cliches to avoid and tips to shorten the B2B buying cycle to guidance on branding, presentation skills, freelancing, job hunting and more.
Next week will feature the must-see Best-of-2010 season finale post here, then it’s on to new ideas and putting 2010 in the rearview mirror. Enjoy!
B2B Marketing Tips, Insights and Resources
Looking for inspiration for an original B2B marketing campaign? You won’t find it here! What you will find however are an extensive and insightful list of 101 over-used ideas to avoid, from the lightbulb (bright idea! Not.) and the baton pass to the mountain climber, the Post-It note and of course the ubiquitous handshake.
27 Marketing Lessons B2B Marketers Should Know by HubSpot Blog
Kipp Bodnar shares more than two dozen marketing lessons gleaned from the MarketingProfs B2B Forum event, among them: repackage expensive content (such as white paper content) into different formats—blog posts, webinars, bylined articles—to get the most out of your investment. Marketers are now publishers, and almost all content can be optimized for search. And one of my favorites, “Social media thought leadership is built by empowering employees to talk about your company and industry.”
The Business of B2B Social Media by Brian Solis
Brian Solis reports that social media is that area getting the biggest increase in B2B marketing budgets, explains why B2B vendors are embracing social media, and identifies which social networks are viewed as most effective in the business world.
5 Steps To Shorten The B2B Buying Cycle by Search Engine Land
Kerry Spellman shows how customer understanding, keyword research and content tailored to each stage of the buying decision process can be used together to shorten the buying cycle and bring revenue in the door more quickly.
Just how connected are the world’s top 5 IT services companies? by Earnest about B2B
If you work for a small to midsized company and are concerned that your company hasn’t quite perfected its use of social media yet—relax. Many large companies haven’t either. This post compares the social media activities of IBM, Fujitsu, HP, CSC and Accenture. While most are active to some degree on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and blogging, none exhibit a truly consistent, integrated social media presence. Efforts of the big five seem most mature in video, not surprising considering that as this post points out, “47% of IT professionals watch videos to research technology solutions on YouTube.”
The Top 7 Organizations & Events Every Agency Marketer Should Know by Business.com’s B2B Online Marketing Blog
Details on five associations that can help online marketers keep current as well as possibly connect with future clients, including the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), Business Marketing Association (BMA), and local interactive marketing association chapters.
Is Traditional B2B Marketing Dead? by Everything Technology Marketing
Presenting “an overview of the key dimensions of B2B marketing that I see changing…very dimension (including balance of power, audience focus and presence) has significant implications on the way we plan, organize, and execute B2B marketing going forward,” Holger Schulze contends that in the new world of B2B marketing, buyers have the power; messages must be more focused than ever before; a vendor’s primary marketing presence is digital; and key marketing skills have shifted from creative to analytical, among other changes.
Social Media for B2B Technology Companies by MarketPlane
In this Slideshare presentation, Ronnie Ray and Alison O’Brien share stats on B2B use of social media, show how to align different social media tools with marketing objectives, review several B2B social media success stories, and outline a phased approach to building a social media strategy.
5 Must Watch B2B Videos by Modern B2B Blogs
Maria Pergolino highlights five entertaining and informative videos for B2B marketers on the state of the Internet, social media, changes in business buyer behavior and B2B branding.
A Simple B2B Marketing Framework by Everything Technology Marketing
Another noteworthy post from Holger Schulze, again focused on the B2B marketing process but from a different angle. Building upon the Pragmatic Marketing framework and the RocketWatcher framework, Holger presents his own elegant 4-layer model, with marketing knowledge at the base and progressing through business strategy and tools & content to the marketing tactics layer at the top.
Seven Ways to Convert Online Contacts Into Sales by Entrepreneur Magazine
Starr Hall outline seven “marketing strategies you should add to your daily practice to set yourself apart and turn your online communities into profitable business transactions…these activities will increase the ROI for your online efforts without looking or sounding sales pitchy.” Her recommendations include sharing your knowledge and expertise willingly and generously online, build your “social proof” (testimonials and recommendations), and don’t ask for the business too soon—but don’t shy away from asking for it at the proper time.
The 10 Best Infographics for Internet Marketing Pros by Marketing Pilgrim
***** 5 Stars
Opening this post by writing “Look, we both know that this is linkbait—a top ten list combined with infographics, c’mon!—but you have to admit, it’s worth bookmarking or tweeting. Right?,” Andy Beal proceeds to deliver just that: a list of infographics worth bookmarketing and passing along, sharing 10 outstanding infographics for marketers, covering topics ranging from the history of search to Google’s failed social media forays to the CMO’s guide to the social media landscape.
Presentation skills: 5 secrets of the pros by iMedia Connection
Judging by some of the presentations I’ve seen recently, a lot of people need to read this post. Bronwyn Saglimbeni highlights several techniques for making presentations more dynamic and useful, such as focusing on the needs of your audience, involving them in the discussion, and fearlessly being yourself.
35 Most Useful Tools and Resources which helping Freelancers by Dzinepress
The English here isn’t perfect (“Today we are helping Freelancers for maintain design tasks using famous tools and resources for make better performance even track work”), but the list of online tools for freelancers and consultants is outstanding, ranging from time tracking tools like Slim Timer and timepost2 to apps for SEO, social media management, accounting, promotion and design.
5 ways to turn company slide decks into marketing weapons by iMedia Connnection
Heidi Jackman explains how to use social tools to make any live or web-based presentation more interactive and engaging for the audience. For example, before the presentation, “Online community tools like MeetUp and Ning, as well Twitter hashtags or a dedicated Facebook page, allow you to spread the word about your upcoming presentation.” During the presentation, invite feedback through Twitter (though Heidi acknowledges this can also potentially lead to “disaster if the audience begins posting negative or inappropriate comments while you are speaking”), and after the event, get additional mileage out of the presentation by posting it to YouTube, Slideshare and your company’s Facebook page.
Job Hunting and Careers
Cut Your Job Search Time in Half by CBS MoneyWatch
Eilene Zimmerman offers five tips for standing out from other candidates in today’s tough job climate, such as using social media and phone calls to conduct research on the company through customers and former employees.
Top 100 Niche Job Sites by New Grad Life
While the big job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder offer volume and convenience, they are also highly competitive; recruiters and HR managers may receive hundreds or even thousands of resumes for a particular position, making it extremely challenging to make yours stand out. Chad Bauer recommends an alternative—or rather 100 of them—niche job sites. This outstanding compilation lists niche sites for career opportunities in fields like accounting, advertising, banking, design, engineering, health care, higher education, IT, pharmaceuticals, public relations and more.
7 Ways to Find a Job Using Social Media by U Stand Out
Noting that “employers are looking for their next all-stars on social media channels,” HubSpot’s Diana Freedman shares tips for using social media to help find your next career opportunity, such as following individuals from a company you’d like to work on Twitter, watching their posts for news of job openings, and leaving insightful comments on the company blog.
Uncategorizable
Philip Zimbardo: The Secret Powers of Time by RSAnimate
This time-lapsed video presentation on differing perceptions of time is difficult to categorize, but fascinating. Factors like where you live, what religious beliefs you hold and how stable your family life has been all contribute to your perception of time, e.g. living in the moment vs. being future-oriented.
