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What is Social CRM and why would you use it? [Podcast]

July 13, 2012 By 3 Comments

What is Social CRM Episode GraphicI caught up with Danny Brown, VP of Partner Strategy at Jugnoo (which I learned is pronounced Joog-new) to find out more about Social CRM and why businesses and solopreneurs might want to use it.

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Summary

One thing is certain – business is changing and becoming more social, we discussed the concepts around Social CRM, what makes it different from traditional CRM and why social business is becoming so critical. There were some great questions from the BTR chat and call ins making it a well rounded and in-depth into Social CRM and business.

Random Facts:

Jugnoo means firefly in Sanskrit, symbolizing light from within.

This episode was live on Blog Talk Radio on 7/11/2012.

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Filed Under: Business, Interviews, New Media, Podcasts, Productivity Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Glass brings a Community Layer to the Internet [Video]

November 18, 2011 By 11 Comments
Glass Conversation with Danny Brown

A Glass Conversation

Earlier this week I received an invite from Danny Brown to join him on Glass. Being perpetually curious about tech and web applications I headed over and signed up. The last few days the application has really piqued my interest because it creates a new community layer over the internet unlike anything that has been available previously. It achieves this by combining side-wiki like features with a virtual social network. It also allows comments and conversations to occur on any website but privately with the connections of your choice or publicly with any Glass users. It caps all that off with a community streaming function bringing your Glass, Facebook and Twitter content that contain links into one place.

Reasons Glass is usefull

  • Transcends the boundaries of social networks and websites
  • Allows private or public conversations about any site or page
  • Creates a community stream of your Glass, Facebook and Twitter
  • Potential to integrate any social network, blog comment systems
  • Enables you to share any website or page via Twitter, Facebook and Email

How about a video?

This video that takes a tour of the features and describes in more detail what you can do with Glass and why it may be a helpful tool for you.

Don’t see the video? Try this link instead.

Filed Under: Facebook, Social Media Strategy, Technology, Tools, Twitter, Video, YouTube Tagged With: , , , ,

Online Influence and Klout Panel [Podcast]

November 17, 2011 By 1 Comment

Online Influence and KloutThree great guests joined me  for a discussion about online influence about Klout:

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Summary

We covered a lot of questions, concerns and comments about privacy, influence and some of the recent situations with Klout.

This episode was live on Blog Talk Radio on 11/16/2011.

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You can also signup to be notified when I have new Podcasts scheduled by clicking the “follow” button for my show on Blog Talk Radio.

Filed Under: Business, Interviews, Podcasts Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Yelp Doesn’t Understand Your Small Business

October 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

understanding my businessI received an Email this week from Yelp reminding me that they do not understand my business. The first thing in bold red header images I read was:

Don't ask your customers for Yelp reviews.

What Yelp continues to fail to understand is that many small businesses and self employed professionals don’t have a massive amount of customers. To put it bluntly if we did not ask our customers to review us, there probably wouldn’t be any reviews and we think that is a shame because we’ve worked hard to build up our reputation. The message went on to talk about one of the more frustrating aspects of Yelp:

Another reason to avoid asking for reviews: solicited reviews may get filtered, and that will drive you crazy.

This is Yelps story and they are sticking to it. Every time I’ve gotten a call from their sales reps I complain about the fact that the limited reviews from legitimate customers that I have received over the years ALWAYS seem to get filtered. So unless you fall under a couple of key criteria:

  1. Pay to play (advertise on Yelp)
  2. Drive a lot of traffic to their site (read: have a lot of customers, are more Business to Consumer Oriented)
  3. Get reviewed by people contributing frequently to Yelp (their reviews don’t seem to get pulled)

It is easy to conclude that Yelp does not really want you. I think the real answer is to focus on Yahoo Local, Google Places and LinkedIn recommendations. At least none of them are calling me asking for money, yanking legitimate reviews or otherwise gaming me to try to get me to do things “their way”.

Rocky Past

Yelp has a bit of a rocky past, a lot of business owners have felt extorted by the tactics Yelp has used to try to encourage advertising. I know I get a bad feeling every time they solicit me. I bring up the issue of the positive reviews being removed and they do their dance then call me back again in a few months. The whole thing seems like a classroom full of kindergartners in charge of a candy store.

What do you think? Have you experienced similar frustrations with Yelp?

This article originally appeared as a guest post on Danny Brown’s blog.

Filed Under: Business, New Media, News, Public Relations Tagged With: , , , ,

5 things bloggers should know about Polarizing Blog Posts

August 15, 2011 By 10 Comments

Winston Churchill

You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life. ~Winston Churchill

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Summary

I planned a debate with Gini Dietrich and Danny Brown over polarizing blog posts and online enemies. While researching the episode I realized I agreed with Gini and Danny more than I had realized. I am sure one day I will get the opportunity to debate with them about something. In the discussion we addressed the concept of online enemies but more specifically how both guests as bloggers and netizens really feel about these issues. Both guests are very passionate and well intended, they did have different approaches but there were a few great take aways:

  1. Don’t be afraid to challenge ideas.
  2. Focus on the ideas you dislike not the purveyors of the ideas.
  3. Be willing to learn from discourse and change.
  4. It’s a good practice to notify those whose ideas your are challenging.
  5. It can really be a challenge to keep post comments “on the rails” (on topic) when challenging ideas. (Proceed with caution)

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Filed Under: Blogging, Business, Interviews, Podcasts, Social Media Strategy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Episode summary Blogger Ethics with Guest Danny Brown (Podcast)

January 20, 2011 By 4 Comments

Danny BrownRecently Danny Brown to joined me for a discussion about blogging ethics and transparency. Danny Brown is co-founder and partner at Bonsai Interactive Marketing, offering integrated marketing, social media, digital and mobile marketing solutions and applications. His blog is featured in the AdAge Power 150 list as well as Canada’s Top 50 Marketing Blogs, and won the Hive Award for Best Social Media Blog at the 2010 South by South West festival. After reading Danny’s blog for a while I learned two things that compelled me to invite him to join me for this episode:

  1. That he calls things the way he sees them
  2. That he is passionate about blogger ethics

Who better to dive into a topic that some might view as controversial? I knew that Danny would give me his honest answers and would not pull any punches. I really looked forward to chatting with him again, Danny was a part of the PRapalooza panel in early November 2010. Danny definitely lived up to my expectations and if you’re interested in learning more about transparency and ethics in the blogosphere have a listen:

Listen to Blogger Ethics and Transparency with Danny Brown:

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Find Danny Brown online:

On Twitter @dannybrown
Also might want to read his recent post about Blog Disclaimers at Dannybrown.me.

Know someone or a group of people that might be interesting to interview? Contact me or @hackmanj.

Filed Under: Blogging, Interviews, New Media, Podcasts, Social Media Strategy, Twitter, Wordpress Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Episode Summary of the PRapalooza on Blogtalkradio (Podcast)

November 4, 2010 By 24 Comments

I had the great opportunity to interview some veteran’s of PR and new media on my PRapalooza episode on Blogtalkradio. If you’re looking for a primer on new media and PR this is a great opportunity to learn more from the pros. Here are some highlights that were addressed:

  • The differences between PR and Marketing
  • The biggest changes in and the future of PR
  • Effective use of (limited) time in social media
  • PR / Blogger relations
  • How much all of the panelists love Twitter
  • Spin Sucks
  • Learn why these panelists blog

Listen to the episode while you read on:

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Quotables (don’t worry these are just a few of many):

“I don’t know how Danny does it, he is a blogging machine.” – Shonali Burke

“PR people don’t pay attention to bloggers unless they are the a-listers.” – Gini Dietrich

“You’re always as influential as your audience allows you to be.” – Danny Brown

Worthy mention:

Danny Brown suggested that Robert Scoble probably would not be a good candidate for promoting cow manure. He made his point and we all got a good laugh out of it. This was not the only comic relief by our friend Danny Brown.

Best Question and Answer:

Question from Ike in the blogtalkradio chat: (Hey Ike, if you’re reading this send me your Twitter handle so I can cite you properly)

“What is the biggest business world misconception about PR that you’d like vanquished?”:

“The idea that PR Professionals are spindoctors, that they lie to stories placed for their our clients makes me absolutely insane” – Gini Dietrich

PRapalooza

Where to find my distinguished guests:

Gini Dietrich @ginidietrich or http://spinsucks.com
Danny Brown @dannybrown or http://dannybrown.me
Shonali Burke @shonali or http://waxingunlyrical.com

Recommendations:

I like to ask my guests who some of the “lesser known” people are that they follow that we should watch. Here are the lists by panelist:

Shonali Burke’s Recommendations:

Herwin Icasiano @iherwin
“Wedge” @wedge
Steve Crescenzo @crescenzo

Gini Dietrich’s Recommendations:

Jason Verhoosky @jasonverhoosky and http://streamingcreative.com
Scott Hepburn @scotthepburn and http://mediaemerging.com
Joe Thornley @thornley and http://propr.ca
Jon Buscall @jonbuscall and http://jontusmedia.com
Becky Johns @beckyjohns and http://becky-johns.com
Marijean Jaggers @marijean and http://marijeanjaggers.com
John Heaney @johnheaney and http://orange-envelopes.com/blog
Craig Jarrow @tmninja and http://timemanagementninja.com

Danny Brown’s Recommendations:

Tim Jahn @timjahn and http://beyondthepedway.com
Antonia Harler @antwizzel and http://socialglitz.com
Shannon Boudjema @shannonboudjema and http://shannonboudjema.com
Troy Claus @troyclaus and http://troyclaus.com

If you’re listed here and have a blog you’d like me to link to, please leave it in the comments below.

Listeners, what was the highlight of the program for you? Any key take aways?

Filed Under: Amplify, Blogging, Facebook, Lighter Side of Things, New Media, Podcasts, Social Media Strategy, Twitter Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Join the PRapalooza on Blogtalkradio November 3rd

October 22, 2010 By 12 Comments

Ok so maybe PRapalooza is going a bit overboard but I am really excited about an upcoming panel I have arranged for my Podcast on Blogtalkradio. Thanks to a very interesting #SBT10 chat on Twitter and a subsequent awesome blog post on Spinsucks, several great people in PR and Social Media have graciously agreed to form a panel and discuss the topic of technology PR on my podcast live on blogtalkradio November 3rd at noon UTC – 8.

So who are these distinguished guests?

None other than:

  1. Gini Dietrich @ginidietrich founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, Inc., author of Spinsucks.com and recently ranked the #1 PR person by Klout and Techcrunch
  2. Shonali Burke @shonali of Shonali Burke Consulting, based out of Washington DC, one of PRWeeks “top 40 under 40″, one of the top 25 women that rock social media and adjunct faculty at John Hopkins University’s M.A. in Communications
  3. Danny Brown @dannybrown co-founder of Bonsai Interactive Marketing, AdAge Power 150 Blogger, and Hive award for Best Social Media Blog in the 2010 South by South West festival.
Gini Dietrich Shonali Burke Danny Brown

Do you have any questions for this panel?

The best question will be featured in the post, come on PR people, surely you can challenge this panel with some excellent questions?

Save the date:

  1. On Blogtalkradio
  2. On Plancast
Filed Under: New Media, Podcasts Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Testing the LiveFyre Comment System

October 12, 2010 By 14 Comments

Earlier this year I signed up to be on the beta tester list for Livefyre comment system. Just last week I saw it live on @Dannybrown’s Blog and realized I still had the account so I went back to the site and re-signed up (just in case they’d forgotten about me!). Within 24 hours I received an update notice about the Livefyre comment system being in beta, so I sent a really professional request to be considered for this proving stage of the product:

“I’ve already signed up for the beta, hook me up please :) ”

Within hours I received a message from @jkretch that he had sent me an invite. So I followed the link and started the task of migrating to this comment system. First I disabled Disqus, knowing that I would not want a conflict. I was preparing for the worst, I had no idea how difficult this Beta setup was going to be. When I clicked through the setup it auto-detected that WordPress was on my blog and gave me the option to import existing comments. The next screen was the actual instructions:

Livefyre Comment Installation Instructions

Livefyre Comment Installation Instructions

For anyone who knows WordPress at all will know the task they described pictured above is extremely simple and I think that is the best part about Livefyre so far. It is super easy to setup, after installing and activating the plugin I was DONE.

I am excited to try this comment system out here on my blog, it seems like it will take conversation capability to a new level. You can see who is currently participating as well as do all the other things you would expect.

So what do you think about the comment system? Please take a test drive and let me know your thoughts here.

Filed Under: Blogging, Wordpress Tagged With: , , ,