Keven Elliff

Keven Elliff http://keven.posterous.com Most recent posts at Keven Elliff posterous.com marketing,business,development,social,mediaBusiness/Management & Marketingkeven@kevenelliff.comKeven ElliffKeven Elliffnomarketing,business,development,social,mediaKeven Elliff: Marketing Quick TakesTips and techniques for building connections with customers. We focus on digital media, but explore the deep integration of online and offline efforts to build relationships.KevenElliffhttp://feedburner.google.com Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:12:00 -0800 Lessons From Komen: Why You Really Need A Communications Stategy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/IFAD9M3J7ww/lessons-from-komen-why-you-really-need-a-comm http://keven.posterous.com/lessons-from-komen-why-you-really-need-a-comm <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-02-02/ihIBuwDobJerkpqFtEoirJncmnuJGHvFcjFxBvwCtAudDButDctzaGAwFfuy/polipulse-komen.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Polipulse-komen" height="345" src="http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-02-02/ihIBuwDobJerkpqFtEoirJncmnuJGHvFcjFxBvwCtAudDButDctzaGAwFfuy/polipulse-komen.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <blockquote class="posterous_long_quote">This post is about what happens when a leading nonprofit jumps into a highly controversial area of public debate <strong>without a communications strategy</strong>, stays silent, and therefore lets others take over the public dialogue, perhaps permanently redefining the organization and its brand. Watch and learn, so you don’t make the same mistake on whatever hot button issues your organization might be wading into.</blockquote> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2012/02/01/the-accidental-rebranding-of-komen-for-the-cure/">nonprofitmarketingguide.com</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2012/02/01/the-accidental-rebranding-of-komen-for-the-cure/">Kivi Leroux Miller has posted the definitive analysis </a>of how to thoroughly botch a major public announcement. "Komen For The Cure" made a highly-charged, political decision to end a breast cancer screening partnership with Planned Parenthood.</p> <p>Apparently, they made the decision with little or no forethought about the communication and branding impacts the decision would have.</p> <p>Any business or nonprofit can fall into this trap. But Miller provides one of the best surveys of EXACTLY HOW failing to have a strategy resonates across the web and media landscape.</p> <p>Read her post. Learn. And don't repeat.</p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/lessons-from-komen-why-you-really-need-a-comm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/lessons-from-komen-why-you-really-need-a-comm#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/IFAD9M3J7ww" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/lessons-from-komen-why-you-really-need-a-comm Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:12:00 -0800 Good Read-->Who Owns Your Personal History? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/ZZyJUEEVgH4/good-read-who-owns-your-personal-history http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-who-owns-your-personal-history <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote class="posterous_long_quote"><div><div>In an era when nearly everything we do is recorded, we have less control over what we choose to remember, and perhaps more crucially, what to forget. </div> <br class="clear" /> </div> <div class="content"> <p><img src="http://images.fastcompany.com/upload/inline-who-owns-your-past-farm-color-bw.jpg" height="350" alt="" width="610" /></p><p>Most of us do not remember what we read online or wrote on March 9, 2011, or what clothes we wore that day. We don’t remember the phone calls we made or how long we talked, or whether we went to the grocery store, and if so, what we purchased there. But all of that information is archived, and if a pressing enough need were to arise, our activities on that day could be reconstructed in nearly complete detail.</p><p>Of course, the perils of an online world that remembers everything are well recognized. As Jeffrey Rosen wrote in a 2010 <em>New York Times</em> magazine article, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/magazine/25privacy-t2.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank">"the worst thing you’ve done is often the first thing everyone knows about you."</a> </p><p>But there is another, more subtle aspect to the inexorable growth of digital archives that store not only the worst things we have done, but everything we have done. To the extent that the past helps define us, it does so not only in terms of our greatest public triumphs and failures, but also through the mundane actions and daily experiences that in the aggregate can be far more important. </p><p>In earlier times, those actions and experiences comprised a personal history accessible only to a small circle of people, and of which we were the main custodians. We were largely free to choose what to remember, and perhaps more crucially, what to forget.</p><p>Today, however, our personal history lies scattered throughout cyberspace. And, as illustrated by Facebook’s late-January decision to <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/facebook-forces-users-to-switch-to-timeline-making-their-pasts-more-visible/2012/01/24/gIQAx3qNOQ_story.html" target="_blank">require all users to switch to Timeline</a>, which will make it much easier to view the entire history of posts made on the site, we often have less control over that information than we might like to believe. </p><p>The prospect that companies to which we have entrusted our data can unilaterally choose to elevate the visibility of actions we took years in the past undermines an option to forget that has <a href="http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Rivers/chap3.htm" target="_blank">long been viewed</a> by philosophers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and writers as critical to the human experience. Nietzsche, for example, described forgetting as a form of active repression undertaken to preserve "psychic order, repose, and etiquette." In the 1942 story “Funes, the Memorious,” Jorge Luis Borges writes of a man who is <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wtPxGztYx-UC&pg=PA66#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">cursed with the burden of remembering everything</a> that happens to him. “To think,” writes the narrator in Funes, “is to forget differences, generalize, make abstractions. In the teeming world of Funes, there were only details, almost immediate in their presence.”</p></div></blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1812994/who-owns-your-personal-history?partner=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company+Headlines%29">fastcompany.com</a></div> <p>What does it mean that we "lose the option to forget." This is the bargain we as individuals AND businesses make with corporate archivists like Facebook, Twitter, and the like. Mindfulness (and sound policy) are important in this framework of [lack of] control.</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-who-owns-your-personal-history">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-who-owns-your-personal-history#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/ZZyJUEEVgH4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-who-owns-your-personal-history Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:59:20 -0800 The Best Business Advice You'll Read All Year http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/sa73mYkhf4w/the-best-business-advice-youll-read-all-year http://keven.posterous.com/the-best-business-advice-youll-read-all-year <p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>A smart business doesn't pursue social, it pursues results, which requires customer engagement, which leads to social</p>— Brian Solis (@briansolis) <a href="https://twitter.com/briansolis/status/145220649013616640" data-datetime="2011-12-09T19:17:55+00:00">December9, 2011</a></blockquote><p /><div>Be goal-oriented, not strategy-obsessed. Amazing things will happen.</div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/the-best-business-advice-youll-read-all-year">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/the-best-business-advice-youll-read-all-year#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/sa73mYkhf4w" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/the-best-business-advice-youll-read-all-year Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:37:00 -0800 Go Big http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/c__MHHA9-RA/go-big http://keven.posterous.com/go-big <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote">President Obama has a clear choice on how to approach the 2012 election: He can spend all his energy defining Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich or whoever ends up as the Republican nominee in as ugly a way as possible, or he can spend all his energy defining the future in as credible a way as possible. If he spends his energy defining his Republican opponent, there is a chance the president will win with 50.00001 percent of the vote and no mandate to do what needs doing. If he spends his time defining the future in a credible way and offering a hard, tough, realistic pathway to get there, he will not only win, but he will have a mandate to take the country where we need to go.</blockquote> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/23/opinion/friedman-go-big-mr-obama.html?_r=1&hp">nytimes.com</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/23/opinion/friedman-go-big-mr-obama.html">Thomas Friedman makes a compelling case</a> for having a big vision, communicating it clearly, and passionately pursuing it. </p><p>I'd like to suggest that this is a pretty solid recipe for success for any business or organization. </p><p>Or life, for that matter.</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/go-big">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/go-big#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/c__MHHA9-RA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/go-big Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:37:23 -0800 Want To Protest Something? Tell Congress SOPA Stinks http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/gPU6dVK2WRk/want-to-protest-something-tell-congress-sopa http://keven.posterous.com/want-to-protest-something-tell-congress-sopa <p> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile4.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/DsgAyAdxeMErSOt3WV1GJEJ8W2I0NGjmxv017SMrDnSQi4nAhnUR6Yo0ZHBB/sopa-screenshot.png.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Sopa-screenshot" height="299" src="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/QnXVFUBCAkNxc7vZzS1mWSAYDVFfzy2Mxk6UKepiUUijsTWlFbAqvWy7ntCK/sopa-screenshot.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p></p><div>Today, Congress holds hearings on the first proposed American Internet censorship system. Created by the record industry and Hollywood, and with nearly two dozen sponsors, this bill can pass. If it does the Internet and free speech will never be the same. </div> <p /><div>What might it mean for you:</div><div><div><ul><li><b>Website Blocking</b><br />The government can order service providers to block websites for infringing links posted by any users.</li><li><b>Risk of Jail for Ordinary Users</b><br /> It becomes a felony with a potential 5 year sentence to stream a copyrighted work that would cost more than $2,500 to license, even if you are a totally noncommercial user, e.g. singing a pop song on Facebook.</li><li><b>Chaos for the Internet</b><br /> Thousands of sites that are legal under the DMCA would face new legal threats. People trying to keep the internet more secure wouldn't be able to rely on the integrity of the DNS system.</li></ul></div></div><div>This bill is bad policy; I hope you'll join me in contacting your Representative and Senator to stop this bill.</div> <p /><div>Visit the <a href="http://americancensorship.org/">American Censorship Day website</a> to learn more.</div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/want-to-protest-something-tell-congress-sopa">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/want-to-protest-something-tell-congress-sopa#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/gPU6dVK2WRk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/want-to-protest-something-tell-congress-sopa Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:48:00 -0800 Focus On Deep (Not Shallow) Engagement On Facebook http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/K3MHjZuIGlM/focus-on-deep-not-shallow-engagement-on-faceb http://keven.posterous.com/focus-on-deep-not-shallow-engagement-on-faceb <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile0.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/xqhJcEgxkaExGhdAgBCcgjHpGbiAxtezmdhjeunwEarcawdEBxsInCfEBclp/media_httpedgerankche_luGFp.png.scaled1000.png"><img alt="Media_httpedgerankche_lugfp" height="369" src="http://getfile6.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/xqhJcEgxkaExGhdAgBCcgjHpGbiAxtezmdhjeunwEarcawdEBxsInCfEBclp/media_httpedgerankche_luGFp.png.scaled500.png" width="500" /></a> </div> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://edgerankchecker.com/blog/2011/11/comments-4x-more-valuable-than-likes/">edgerankchecker.com</a></div> <p>If your business or nonprofit has a Fan page, you might wonder if Shares, Likes, and Comments to and of your posts have an equivalent effect. <a href="http://edgerankchecker.com/blog/2011/11/comments-4x-more-valuable-than-likes/">Edgerank Checker posted today </a>the results of an interesting study of more than 5500 Pages. </p><p>The answer is that comments and shares are MUCH more impactful to your business than likes. As much as 4-5 times more impactful. </p><p>The takeaway? Any interaction is good. But if you are going to invest the time and energy to engage - go deep. Have a real, authentic dialog with your Fans. Post excellent, useful content. Don't just go for the pithy Like link. </p><p>If you find your content isn't generating the deeper engagement of Sharing and Commenting, then use that as an opportunity to listen to your Fans, and focus, refine, and test your content strategy until you see some deeper engagement.</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/focus-on-deep-not-shallow-engagement-on-faceb">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/focus-on-deep-not-shallow-engagement-on-faceb#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/K3MHjZuIGlM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/focus-on-deep-not-shallow-engagement-on-faceb Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:50:00 -0800 Good Read: 7 Deadly Sins of Marketing Automation http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/XMo_E79bP3g/good-read-7-deadly-sins-of-marketing-automati http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-7-deadly-sins-of-marketing-automati <p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><em><strong>3. Gluttony (Sending Too Many Emails Too Quickly)</strong></em></span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>This may arguably be the ultimate marketing automation sin. No one likes to feel like they're being spammed. As you create your marketing automation campaign, remember that you also have a typical sales cycle your leads go through before they are ready to make a purchase. Therefore, it's important to make sure that your marketing automation campaign aligns with this cycle as well. As you build your campaign, think about when would be relevant times to send messages to your leads. For example, if your typical sales cycle is 30 days, consider sending an email every 10 days instead of sending 3 emails within the first 10 days. No one likes dealing with an email slob, so make sure you moderate your email schedule to avoid marketing automation gluttony.</em></p> <div class="posterous_quote_citation" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>via <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/28439/7-Deadly-Sins-of-Marketing-Automation.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HubSpot+%28HubSpot%29">blog.hubspot.com</a></em></div> <p><a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/28439/7-Deadly-Sins-of-Marketing-Automation.aspx">Maurice Rahmey has a nice article on HubSpot today</a> detailing 7 problems businesses and nonprofits have regarding marketing automation.</p> <p>I think each of his "7 Deadly Sins" is something we see out in the world quite frequently, but the No. 3 Sin - Gluttony - is perhaps the mistake I see more than any. It's natural, because many business owners and marketers pay attention to communication in bursts.</p> <p>However, spreading communication out, being mindful of your "best interaction time" with your communities can really pay dividends. How do you make this happen? You can schedule posts via HootSuite, Sendible, and others.</p> <p>Authentically, you can also build 5 minute communication increments into your day. No need to go overboard here, but if you plan out what you want to say on a weekly basis, and then build 2-3 communication windows/day into your schedule to post and interact, you provide a win-win for both you and the community you are working to engage with.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-7-deadly-sins-of-marketing-automati">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-7-deadly-sins-of-marketing-automati#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/XMo_E79bP3g" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-7-deadly-sins-of-marketing-automati Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:37:24 -0700 Good Read: What Siri Means For Marketers http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/12Wqdo16BSY/good-read-what-siri-means-for-marketers http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-what-siri-means-for-marketers <p> Mike Elgins explains why Apple's virtual assistant technology <a href="http://www.thecmosite.com/author.asp?section_id=1188&doc_id=235318">"Siri" is game changing for marketers</a>. I particularly liked his take on <i>agency</i> or the act of fulfilling user instructions:<div> <blockquote>"Siri is more than just a virtual assistant. It's the start of a revolution in ubiquitous virtual assistant technology that will change everything for marketers.<br />Bottom line: Take Siri <i>siriously</i>. Virtual assistants are here. And they're telling your customers what to buy."</blockquote> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-what-siri-means-for-marketers">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-what-siri-means-for-marketers#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/12Wqdo16BSY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-what-siri-means-for-marketers Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:14:00 -0700 Google Says: Keep Your Content Fresh http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/igBa2KbnSxw/google-says-keep-your-content-fresh http://keven.posterous.com/google-says-keep-your-content-fresh <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote class="posterous_long_quote"><ul><li><b>Frequent updates.</b> There are also searches for information that changes often, but isn’t really a hot topic or a recurring event. For example, if you’re researching the [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=best+slr+cameras">best slr cameras</a>], or you’re in the market for a new car and want [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=subaru+impreza+reviews">subaru impreza reviews</a>], you probably want the most up to date information. </li> </ul>There are plenty of cases where results that are a few years old might still be useful for you. [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=fast+tomato+sauce+recipe">fast tomato sauce recipe</a>] certainly saved me after a call from my wife reminded me I had volunteered to make dinner! On the other hand, when I search for the [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=49ers+score">49ers score</a>], a result that is a week old might be too old.<p> Different searches have different freshness needs. This algorithmic improvement is designed to better understand how to differentiate between these kinds of searches and the level of freshness you need, and make sure you get the most up to the minute answers.</p></blockquote> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/giving-you-fresher-more-recent-search.html">googleblog.blogspot.com</a></div> <p>As if you needed more of a reason to keep adding value for your customers or patrons. </p><p>Google is now factoring in 'freshness' of information into their search results. So if you haven't updated that web and social information about your widget or service, but your competitor has - be ready to lose eyeballs and referrals.</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/google-says-keep-your-content-fresh">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/google-says-keep-your-content-fresh#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/igBa2KbnSxw" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/google-says-keep-your-content-fresh Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:40:00 -0700 Good Read: William Gibson in the Paris Review http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/eHb7EfstTm4/good-read-william-gibson-in-the-paris-review http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-william-gibson-in-the-paris-review <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote class="posterous_long_quote"> <p style="text-align: center;">INTERVIEWER</p> <p>When did you decide to write about the contemporary world?</p> <p style="text-align: center;">GIBSON</p> <p>For years, I’d found myself telling interviewers and readers that I believed it was possible to write a novel set in the present that would have an effect very similar to the effect of novels I had set in imaginary futures. I think I said it so many times, and probably with such a pissy tone of exasperation, that I finally decided I had to call myself on it.</p> <p>A friend knew a woman who was having old-fashioned electroshock therapy for depression. He’d pick her up at the clinic after the session and drive her not home but to a fish market. He’d lead her to the ice tables where the day’s catch was spread out, and he’d just stand there with her, and she’d look at the ice tables for a really long time with a blank, searching expression. Finally, she’d turn to him and say, “Wow, they’re fish, aren’t they!” After electroshock, she had this experience of unutterable, indescribable wonderment at seeing these things completely removed from all context of memory, and gradually her brain would come back together and say, Damn, they’re fish. That’s kind of what I do.</p> </blockquote> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/6089/the-art-of-fiction-no-211-william-gibson">theparisreview.org</a></div> <p>The writer William Gibson has long been one of my favorites. While known for creating the term "cyberspace," perhaps his most important contribution to science fiction is merging it with literary naturalism.</p> <p>Along those lines, as a marketer, I have always found his representation of "brands" compelling. In particular, the way they weave almost subliminally throughout our lives.</p> <p><a href="http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/6089/the-art-of-fiction-no-211-william-gibson#">Gibson was recently interviewed by David Wallace-Wells in the Paris Review</a>. If you are a fan of Gibson's writing, I strongly encourage you to read the lengthy discussion.</p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-william-gibson-in-the-paris-review">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-william-gibson-in-the-paris-review#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/eHb7EfstTm4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-william-gibson-in-the-paris-review Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:23:32 -0700 Asana Really Rocks For Project/Task Management http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/d2lVQFw-vMM/asana-really-rocks-for-projecttask-management http://keven.posterous.com/asana-really-rocks-for-projecttask-management <p> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile4.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/9krqiXFaFjODphIcTRCZrgTxFLHalr8NaIERIjbAMcavmLIcLiUKRoCbGHcI/asana.png.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Asana" height="279" src="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/jV0UsOjhrKIutyatWMui7TEPbW9Gfdf5wpDXXnrNUpNI5eqVzlGSe5yIQjD9/asana.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p>I have a 5 minute rule with new software.</p><p /><div>I'm not especially bright. However, if I can understand, navigate, and use a new piece of software in the first 5 minutes, then there is a good chance the software "works" and will actually succeed in the consumer universe. This 5 minute rule works. Try it for yourself and see how you do.</div> <p /><div>You'd be surprised (or not, actually) how few pieces of software actually meet this test.</div><p /><div>I also have more than a passing interest in productivity software. (Some folks like games - I like 'to do' lists :) </div> <p /><div>Today, <a href="http://asana.com">asana.com</a> launched as one the latest of M A N Y web-based productivity/task/project management tools. Because I've tried literally EVERY OTHER tool out there, I go into these sort of test drives with a bit of trepidation. Most of these tools really suck. </div> <p /><div>Imagine my surprise, then to discover that <a href="http://asana.com">asana.com</a> really rocks. They get it. A simple, clean, and USEFUL interface (take note, please, Google). In less than 3 minutes, I set-up 4 projects with detailed task lists. </div> <p /><div>They have well-implemented team-assigning functions, milestone functions and much more. However, just from a USABILITY perspective, this is perhaps the best task/project management solution I've seen.</div> <p /><div>Understand that when I say this, I say this as a cynic. While I've tried/used virtually every tool out there - I virtually always revert back to a shared plain text file shared on Dropbox. Simple. Usable. Versioned. Perfect. </div> <p /><div>And yet, I'll be using Asana for the foreseeable future because it is actually <i>better</i> then my plain text solution. </div><p /><div>I'll keep you posted if this changes.</div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/asana-really-rocks-for-projecttask-management">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/asana-really-rocks-for-projecttask-management#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/d2lVQFw-vMM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/asana-really-rocks-for-projecttask-management Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:40:00 -0700 How To Manage Your Online (& Offline) Reputation http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/4Lt1fLocm9M/how-to-manage-your-online-offline-reputation http://keven.posterous.com/how-to-manage-your-online-offline-reputation <p> <p>A few weeks back, I participated in a panel discussion on how tourism operators can manage their reputation. </p> <p>I put together a quick little prezi for the occasion, which I have decided to share below (<a href="http://prezi.com/llp7j5vhlzoa/managing-your-online-and-offline-reputation/" title=" Own it. Understand it. Improve it. ">Managing Your Online (and Offline) Reputation</a> on <a href="http://prezi.com">Prezi</a>).</p> <p>Think of it as a brief intro and a core how-to. My 3-part philosophy on reputation management: </p> <ol> <li>Understand it.</li> <li>Own it.</li> <li>Improve it.</li> </ol> <div class="prezi-player"> <object height="363" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="500"> <param name="movie" value="http://prezi.com/bin/preziloader.swf" /> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /> <param name="flashvars" value="prezi_id=llp7j5vhlzoa&lock_to_path=0&color=ffffff&autoplay=no&autohide_ctrls=0" /><embed src="http://prezi.com/bin/preziloader.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="363" flashvars="prezi_id=llp7j5vhlzoa&lock_to_path=0&color=ffffff&autoplay=no&autohide_ctrls=0" width="500"></embed> </object> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/how-to-manage-your-online-offline-reputation">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/how-to-manage-your-online-offline-reputation#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/4Lt1fLocm9M" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)no A few weeks back, I participated in a panel discussion on how tourism operators can manage their reputation.  I put together a quick little prezi for the occasion, which I have decided to share below (Managing Your Online (and Offline) Reputation&nbKeven Elliff A few weeks back, I participated in a panel discussion on how tourism operators can manage their reputation.  I put together a quick little prezi for the occasion, which I have decided to share below (Managing Your Online (and Offline) Reputation on Prezi). Think of it as a brief intro and a core how-to. My 3-part philosophy on reputation management:  Understand it. Own it. Improve it. Permalink | Leave a comment  » marketing,business,development,social,mediahttp://keven.posterous.com/how-to-manage-your-online-offline-reputation Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:24:00 -0700 Good Read: Dissatisfaction is Contagious http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/BxdAuIV1CA0/good-read-dissatisfaction-is-contagious http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-dissatisfaction-is-contagious <p> <p><a href="http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/contagious-dissatisfaction.htm">http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/contagious-dissatisfaction.htm</a></p> <p>The "Nocebo Effect:"</p> <blockquote> <p><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; background-color: #f7f4ea;">The implication for brands and marketers is similar: if people have reason to expect problems with your product or service, perhaps due to the complaints of other customers in social media, </span><strong style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; background-color: #f7f4ea; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">they may experience or report those same problems – even when they don’t exist!</strong></p> </blockquote> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-dissatisfaction-is-contagious">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-dissatisfaction-is-contagious#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/BxdAuIV1CA0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-dissatisfaction-is-contagious Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:12:00 -0700 Good Read: 'Don't Tell Me I'm Wasting My Time' http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/0xFEkgais_A/good-read-dont-tell-me-im-wasting-my-time http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-dont-tell-me-im-wasting-my-time <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="" src="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Dont-tell-me-im-wasting-my-time.jpg" /> </div> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/guest-posts/dont-tell-me-im-wasting-my-time/?sf2457620=1">convinceandconvert.com</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/guest-posts/dont-tell-me-im-wasting-my-time/?sf2457620=1">Marjorie Clayman writes</a> that ignoring new users/members of your community is a wasted opportunity:</p> <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote"> <p>I’m going to let you in on a little secret here. Something you may not have considered. If you write posts offering help in the online world, you are more likely to meet people who are brand new to the online space. It’s like reaching a hand out through the depths of the ocean to a person who is floating along.</p> </blockquote> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-dont-tell-me-im-wasting-my-time">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-dont-tell-me-im-wasting-my-time#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/0xFEkgais_A" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-dont-tell-me-im-wasting-my-time Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:37:25 -0700 Anger at Google+ and Google Reader Integration Creates Positive Change http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/MPj7MRkVZ2A/anger-at-google-and-google-reader-integration http://keven.posterous.com/anger-at-google-and-google-reader-integration <p> After warning it's loyal group of avid users (myself included), today Google went ahead and executed its initial stage of integration of Google Reader into Google Plus. The impact of which was to shut off most of the sharing (i.e. SOCIAL) elements of Reader. <p /><div><a href="http://mashable.com/2011/10/31/google-reader-backlash-sharebros-petition/">A lot of folks are pissed</a>.</div><p /><div>There were different constituencies who loved Google Reader for different reasons. For me, however, my primary use was as a shared memory tool. I used Reader to scan hundreds of RSS feeds, which I read daily. I would find interesting articles that I felt would be useful to my audience, and I shared them. I then used that feed to publish those public "shares" on my own website. Good for my audience, and good for me, as I could go back and refer to my shares as a reference tool. Google's search tool for these shares was extremely valuable.</div> <p /><div>Unfortunately, I can't do any of this anymore. Initially, I was angry about it. After all, with code, we can do <i>anything</i>, right? Google didn't <i>have</i> to shut <i>anything</i> off. But they did. And as a result, I no longer have a real need for their service. Ultimately...their loss.</div> <p /><div>But the positive change for ME is that it got me off of my virtual butt and forced me to OWN MY CONTENT. So now, when I find something interesting to share - I'll be doing that at my own site. And yes, I'll bump out appropriate links here and there to Twitter, Google+ and the like - but it all will live in one place - where it should have been all along.</div> <p /><div>I used Reader ultimately because <b>I</b> was lazy and <b>it</b> was convenient. But sometimes you need to shake things up a bit in order to get to a better place. </div><p /><div>So thanks for screwing up, Google. I can honestly say that I appreciate it.</div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/anger-at-google-and-google-reader-integration">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/anger-at-google-and-google-reader-integration#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/MPj7MRkVZ2A" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/anger-at-google-and-google-reader-integration Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:14:00 -0700 Quick Tip For Businesses Thinking About Facebook's Timeline http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/GcziTNCj4X0/quick-tip-for-businesses-thinking-about-faceb http://keven.posterous.com/quick-tip-for-businesses-thinking-about-faceb <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/JdiCfhkehwIabitmxkvrFjAIqhAjbGyjybFCedfEAeekyAutkDtemjgaqFIe/media_httprwwreadwrit_wFjfd.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Media_httprwwreadwrit_wfjfd" height="410" src="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/JdiCfhkehwIabitmxkvrFjAIqhAjbGyjybFCedfEAeekyAutkDtemjgaqFIe/media_httprwwreadwrit_wFjfd.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_timeline_the_new_lifestreaming_era.php">readwriteweb.com</a></div> <p>Interesting discussion from Richard MacManus about the goals of and key concepts behind Facebook's soon-to-be released "Timeline." </p><p>Richard focused on something that I believe is an important takeaway for businesses - success will come from "actually creating a pleasant social experience around the content." </p><p>This will play out on Facebook, Google+, and your own business website. But looking at it now, how many of us aim to create a "pleasant social experience?" </p><p>Time to start on that...</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/quick-tip-for-businesses-thinking-about-faceb">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/quick-tip-for-businesses-thinking-about-faceb#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/GcziTNCj4X0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/quick-tip-for-businesses-thinking-about-faceb Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:47:00 -0700 Small Brands Suffering On Facebook? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/Vr1RJM_imO0/small-brands-suffering-on-facebook http://keven.posterous.com/small-brands-suffering-on-facebook <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/wxEouphsFAEpGikdEnwtFIEquFIpynpcaABjiaBFEwqkeBfpABjxfywGbneC/media_httpwwwinsidefa_EiJyw.png.scaled1000.png"><img alt="Media_httpwwwinsidefa_eijyw" height="264" src="http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/wxEouphsFAEpGikdEnwtFIEquFIpynpcaABjiaBFEwqkeBfpABjxfywGbneC/media_httpwwwinsidefa_EiJyw.png.scaled500.png" width="500" /></a> </div> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.insidefacebook.com/2011/10/28/news-feed-local-businesses/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InsideFacebook+%28Inside+Facebook%29">insidefacebook.com</a></div> <p>According to Josh Constine's post, Pages with less than 5,000 Fans are either holding steady or seeing engagement drop in excess of 10%. </p><p>What to do? Dig deep and produce excellent content that gets engaged with and shared. Provide value, give useful and relevant information - and be part of the discussion for the long term.</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/small-brands-suffering-on-facebook">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/small-brands-suffering-on-facebook#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/Vr1RJM_imO0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/small-brands-suffering-on-facebook Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:41:00 -0700 Maybe Ditch Those Low Expectations... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/myWSzjJ8U-Q/maybe-ditch-those-low-expectations http://keven.posterous.com/maybe-ditch-those-low-expectations <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote">Perhaps it's worth considering no expectations. Intense effort followed by an acceptance of what you get in return. It doesn't make good TV, but it's a discipline that can turn you into a professional.</blockquote> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/10/the-paradox-of-expectations.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Fsethsmainblog+%28Seth%27s+Blog%29">sethgodin.typepad.com</a></div> <p></p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/maybe-ditch-those-low-expectations">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/maybe-ditch-those-low-expectations#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/myWSzjJ8U-Q" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/maybe-ditch-those-low-expectations Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:24:04 -0700 Good Read: How To Use Finance Principles To Grow Your Email List http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/5DrAxHN-fHU/good-read-how-to-use-finance-principles-to-gr http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-how-to-use-finance-principles-to-gr <p> <a href="http://www.problogger.net/archives/2011/11/01/how-to-use-big-business-finance-principles-to-grow-your-email-list/">http://www.problogger.net/archives/2011/11/01/how-to-use-big-business-finance-principles-to-grow-your-email-list/</a> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-how-to-use-finance-principles-to-gr">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-how-to-use-finance-principles-to-gr#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/5DrAxHN-fHU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/good-read-how-to-use-finance-principles-to-gr Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:27:00 -0700 The Truth About Banner Ads http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KevenElliff/~3/TnT8hmToBL8/the-truth-about-banner-ads http://keven.posterous.com/the-truth-about-banner-ads <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/JlhAhcsDiwxuJiwpfttADyJEEGFcwapsnqiokupgfeCweDkyAmckAmqztrhg/media_httpstaticbusin_ltCgu.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Media_httpstaticbusin_ltcgu" height="375" src="http://getfile0.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/keven/JlhAhcsDiwxuJiwpfttADyJEEGFcwapsnqiokupgfeCweDkyAmckAmqztrhg/media_httpstaticbusin_ltCgu.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/its-more-likely-you-will-survive-a-plane-crash-or-win-the-lottery-than-click-a-banner-ad-2011-6#-8">businessinsider.com</a></div> <p>Now, am I saying "NEVER" place a banner ad? No. But the data presented in this Business Insider article should at least make you test and confirm that the audience you are attempting to reach actually clicks on ads.</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://keven.posterous.com/the-truth-about-banner-ads">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://keven.posterous.com/the-truth-about-banner-ads#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/KevenElliff/~4/TnT8hmToBL8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/295233/Keven_Elliff-low-rez.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eLlbmNo0w1 Keven Elliff Keven Keven Elliff keven@kevenelliff.com (Keven Elliff)http://keven.posterous.com/the-truth-about-banner-ads en-usKeven ElliffnonadultKeven Elliff: Marketing Quick Takes