Make Johnny Cash

Did The Toronto Maple Leafs Use Selective Social Media?

2009-11-10T12:06:00.004-05:00

OK, attention-grabbing headline aside, did the interactive department of the Toronto Maple Leafs select a well-known social media specialist for VIP treatment?

In a nutshell: Dave Fleet posted a blog entry about tweeting his upcoming visit to a Leafs' game. Jonathan Sinden [of the Leafs' interactive department and official Twitter account manager] picked up on that and invited Dave to a behind-the-scenes tour: "For the TB game Tues, let me know when u arrive, and if u have time, i can show u some behind the scenes stuff."

Good for Dave!

But, I wondered if Dave's status had any bearing on the special VIP treatment he was offered? Would Joe Smith from Oakville with two followers get offered the same privilege?

So, I asked Jonathan. He replied: "Hi John, We already have. Its not about following. It's about opportunity and timing. just works out sometimes. js"

I'm not sure if that means they have offered others some special treatment, maybe so. Anyway, curious if others have seen examples of selective social media out there?

[And just for the record -- in case you're wondering the purpose of this post -- I'm not a hockey fan, no sour grapes ... but if you're reading this TFC, give me a shout any time!]

Thought For The Day

2009-10-29T08:52:00.001-05:00

A good social media consultant won't be your consultant for long.

Chap-Hop History

2009-10-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

Oh Well

2009-10-21T18:27:00.003-05:00

Well, gave it a go. Might try again tomorrow.

Meet The Rescue Mediums In Toronto, October 24

2009-10-06T20:39:00.002-05:00

My good friends The Rescue Mediums are in Toronto on October 24 for a meet 'n' greet. It's for a good cause, and full details are here.

Link Love

2009-09-15T22:24:00.005-05:00

I've been so busy settling in to my great new job, that I haven't blogged for a while. I miss it. Here's some link love.

Went to Third Tuesday Toronto tonight to hear Shel Israel talk about his new book, Twitterville. It was a nice location, and I could actually hear people in conversation. Finally got to meet three people I've been following online for a while: Joe, Dave and Eden. Nice to put faces to the tweets!

On the Greenscroll front, we've been getting some nice buzz, especially from today's mention at Corporate Knights. Having a team meeting on Thursday to discuss next steps; after hearing Israel tonight, it will definitely involve ramping up our Twitter presence.

Some Good Events Coming Up

2009-09-03T12:10:00.002-05:00

A couple of events of note that myself and the Greenscroll team plan to attend. Third Tuesday Toronto is on September 15 and CaseCamp is on September 16.

See you there?

My New Job

2009-09-01T17:58:00.003-05:00

On Friday I accepted the role of E-Communications Officer / Social Media Specialist at Greenwood College School, officially starting September 8. I'm very excited because I had a great experience doing the same kind of work at UCC, and wanted to get back into education.

Greenwood has some ambitious plans for the future, and I'm looking forward to helping the school achieve them!

Meet Entrepreneur Milcha Malaque

2009-08-28T10:47:00.004-05:00

Let me introduce you to Milcha Malaque. She's an entrepreneur living in the Philippines, and thanks to Zoompass, I just loaned her $25 as an investment in her business via Kiva.

I did some research on the people that needed help, and was impressed by the fact that Milcha has already repaid a previous loan, and that revenue generated from her business will go to pay for her children's tuition fees.

People helping themselves is what it's all about, and I'm glad to invest in her future!

Blogger vs. Brands

2009-08-25T14:48:00.002-05:00

I found this article very interesting.

Snip: London-based blogger Paul McCrudden has become the first to be paid for time 'owed' by brands after spending hours waiting around for different services and receiving poor responses from staff. McCruddon, who works in 'digital strategy and future technologies' at Imagination Digital, details his crusade on his blog, Six Weeks.

Here, he talks through the time he has spent sitting, viewing, queuing and waiting in restaurants or shops, put into context by contrasting with watching TV or sleeping, over a six-week period.

Hat tip: Contagious.

Hi, My Name's John And I'm A Social Media Addict, Kinda

2009-08-21T10:11:00.003-05:00

I love this video. It's filmed nicely, and the script is spot on. But it got me thinking: am I a social media addict? Yes and no.

Yes, because if I don't write a blog post for a few days, connect to someone on LinkedIn, tweet about what I had for lunch -- my followers clamour for those insights -- upload a link on Facebook and generally immerse myself in the online world, then I get a bit shaky and my eyelid twitches in a disconcerting way.

No, because if I go on vacation for some much-needed R&R, then I don't feel the need to take a CrackBerry (don't have one, anyway), iPhone (waiting till the rates come down) or rush to find the nearest WiFi hotspot so I can log in, and not feel like I'm missing anything. The whole reason for the time off in the first place is to put things in perspective, wind down and realise that life is too short to be at work 24/7.

On a separate note -- quick plug for my friend in Ohio who's working on a Web-based sci-fi show called Aidan 5. I am setting up a social media monitoring system for them in return for calling one of the future characters "Evil Johnny C."

Social Media Revolution

2009-08-15T09:53:00.001-05:00

TreeHugger

2009-08-11T22:37:00.004-05:00

Greenscroll got its biggest spike in traffic so far today thanks to a nice mention by TreeHugger.

On a personal note, my wife read some of the comments on yesterday's Guardian review and asked if we thought it was going well, as there were some critical comments. It was a valid question.

The Greenscroll team expected to get those from the very start. We knew a million people weren't just going to say "Great idea! Here's my wad of cash. Go hither and do good."

We welcome the questions and critique; feedback is what we want every step of the way. Get the discussion started, and talk to people about the issues. My colleague Nik has already been into the comments section and put his point of view to address some of those. This is what we'll continue to do.

350.org

2009-08-10T20:27:00.003-05:00

The above video is a promo for 350.org, something that is perfect for Greenscroll to get involved with. Will be checking it out.

We also got our first press mention today in the environment section of The Guardian; that helped with a spike in traffic.

Greenscroll Is Launching At 12:34:56 07/08/09

2009-08-07T09:28:00.002-05:00

The Web is made up of numbers -- ones and zeroes -- so we thought it appropriate to officially launch Greenscroll at 12:34:56 07/08/09 as it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see that point in time come together like that.

It sums up our philosophy at Greenscroll: to bring people together who use the Web and help them offset some of the damage that the Web does to the environment, by encouraging them to invest in green energy projects and replenish the grid.

We're very excited to get this initiative off the ground, and ask that the green/tech community get behind it and help us to move it forward. We welcome feedback and conversation.

Thank you!

p.s. A special mention and thanks to @netscr1be for being Greenscroll's very first sign-up!

I Have My Twitter Follow Straightjacket On, And It's Tight

2009-08-06T14:40:00.005-05:00

I tried to follow a cool person on Twitter last night, and was told that I had reached my follow limit of 2,001 people. The reason is in here somewhere or other. That really pisses me off.

Why? Because I have 1,682 followers of my own (thanks all!) and believe that 2,001-1,682=319 followers is not such a big margin. I also tweet on a regular basis and [99%] of that is original thoughts, not just retweets.

In other words, I am not a Lazy Tweeter and feel VERY frustrated that I can't follow more people. Sure, I can "drop one, add one" or open a second account, but it's taken me since May 2008 to build a solid Twitter presence and I want to carry on that integrity and foundation.

How does Ashton Kutcher get away with having over three million followers and only follow 190 people? Extra leeway for celebs?

This is not a post about the amount of people following me, by the way, but the fact I can't follow more than I do already. That means I am missing out on a lot of good stuff that people are tweeting right now that I'll never get to see.

Suggestions welcome.

/rant

I SAID, I'M A STARTUP! YES! PARDON? A STARTUP!!

2009-07-30T12:25:00.005-05:00

I headed downtown last night for the StartupDrinks Toronto event on behalf of Greenscroll; it was at Pogue Mahone, a pub at College/Bay. I'm not averse to the odd Guinness, but not sure if a noisy pub is the best way to try and connect with other startups.

Trying to have conversations with certain people became a bit of a nightmare as I couldn't understand most of what was being said because of the noise. It was also hard to tell who was there because of the event, or just regular customers. I find it a bit awkward to approach someone -- feels like a blind date! -- and prefer to be introduced, but that's me.

I wanted to pick people's brains and learn from their experiences of what does/n't work in getting a new venture off the ground, but came away with a feeling of disappointment that I hadn't achieved that. Ah well, maybe I should have shouted louder.

I like the mesh model of specific sessions, followed by breakout groups and the "on-the-fly" feeling of meeting cool entrepreneurs, finding common elements and then maybe heading on to a more social setting for further interaction.

Twitter Becomes A Search Engine

2009-07-28T21:13:00.004-05:00

I like the new Twitter home page, almost seems to be like a search engine. People like to know what other people are talking about so the emphasis on the search box may encourage more to sign up.

Please Tell Me When Good Manners Went Out Of The Window, Thank You

2009-07-28T14:35:00.005-05:00

In recent times, especially in this always-on, 24/7, hyper-connected society we live in, I've noticed that people have forgotten how to say "Please" and "Thank You." Even worse, as it shows a total lack of respect, is when you send someone an e-mail -- especially on a professional basis -- and they don't bother to even respond.

Everyone is busy (we get that). And people say that technology has contributed to an over-abundance of information (it has) and the feeling that you have to respond to someone almost immediately to stay in their good books (you shouldn't).

But what I fail to comprehend is why do some people need to be contacted more than once, within a VERY reasonable time frame, before they respond? Shouldn't [mobile]technology make it ultra-easy to simply send a "Got it thanks, busy, back to you soon," or "Not moving forward, please contact us next time," or "Working on it, thanks."

Don't you prefer these curt, respectful responses to none at all, or is it just me that hates to be left in limbo and would rather know either way? Not asking too much? Or am I wrong?

Thanks for reading and please come again.

Freelance PR -- It's Not For Everyone

2009-07-27T14:31:00.003-05:00

I've worked with Jodi Echakowitz on some stuff earlier this year, and she's a very smart and capable lady. Her virtual agency is doing well too.

I liked her blog post today highlighting what you are letting yourself in for if you decide to go the freelance PR route. You can read the whole list at her blog, but here's a few of my own I'd like to add ...

It can get very lonely! Sure, it's great to pick the hours you work, and there's no boss looking into your cubicle, and a wireless laptop is a godsend on a sunny day ... but there's also no colleagues to bump into in the office kitchen, or by the proverbial watercooler. Most interaction and brainstorming is turned into virtual, online collaboration. Webcams are fine, but it's not the same as a physical face-to-face chat.

It's up and down for the most part. You have to grab the "up" with both hands, work your arse off and bank some of that coin because there might just be a "down" around the corner.

It's exciting! You never know what is going to pop into your inbox or Twitter account any time of day, or day of the week -- including weekends of course. Being your own boss means always keeping a handle on things, but you have to take the time to switch everything off sometimes (including your brain) and enjoying some R&R. Come back refreshed and your clients will thank you for it.

Lean On Me, Mom Bloggers ... Lean On Me

2009-07-22T08:55:00.007-05:00

I've been rushing around the last few days from St. Catharines to Markham, so only got caught up on #prblackout via Danny Brown's ever-reliable blog. Sorry, but I laughed.

From what I can gather, it seems a group of mom bloggers want to snub the PR industry for a whole week in August. That means no reviews, giveaways, blog trips etc.

As one puts it: "While we adore many of our fabulous PR reps and treat them like bloggy friends, our site, and many others, are inundated with hundreds, if not thousands, of product requests each year resulting in massive obligations and deadline stress equivalent to what the General Motors CEO must feel every time he drives into work."

So, they are saying that having to deal with free stuff being thrown at them on a regular basis, and maybe writing about a few of them, is the equivalent to trying to save a multi-billion company supporting thousands of workers?

I feel bad for them, so, being a very helpful chap, am prepared to help out the PR industry for that week in August when the mom bloggers "dont want you to talk to PR at ALL that whole week."

Just send all your free stuff to me, and I will do my best to review it, enjoy the trip, pass it on to Goodwill or just send a polite reply along the lines of "Sorry, maybe next time, but please keep me in mind."

My Free Stuff Department is waiting and ready to accept your e-mails at makejohnnycash AT gmail DOT com or you can entice me with your free stuff at @johncarson.

FreshBooks

2009-07-21T10:00:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago I noticed a tweet from FreshBooks offering a free copy of Entrepreneur magazine. I like free, so I took the offer and got my copy, which featured the CEO and Co-Founder, Mike McDerment.

Anyway, I finally got around to reading the issue today in the laundromat (exciting life of a freelancer) and was pleasantly surprised when McDerment's business card fell out, and also a personal handwritten Post-It note stuck on the article.

Nice touch.

Facebook Almost Enticed Me To Buy An Ad

2009-07-17T14:18:00.004-05:00

I love Guinness and feel like its 250th birthday in September should be celebrated, so set up a Facebook event for my friends (and anyone else!) to enjoy a pint of the black stuff wherever they may be.

Facebook did the clever thing and automatically created an ad for me, should I choose to buy it. They made it look nice, and I was almost tempted -- would have been my first-ever Web ad. I like the fact that I could instantly see how it would look without any fiddling around. Made it very easy to click and put some more money in FB's bank account. Win all around.

Guinness fans, feel free to join the event, it's open to all.

The Pentagon Likes Pugs And/Or LinkedIn

2009-07-17T13:20:00.003-05:00

Not sure if I should be nervous that The Pentagon read my blog today. Here's the post they read, hope it helped. (Took the IP out.)

Zoompass

2009-07-16T14:54:00.009-05:00

Good news: I recently won $25 in a Twitter contest from Zoompass. Thanks guys!
Bad news: It's been a bit of a drag to try and collect.

It's in beta, so that's understandable, but we're talking about moving money around, and I think there was a mix-up in the process.

Here's the deets:

About a week ago @davefleet informed me that they were going to zoom me $25 after asking what I'd do with the cash. To me, $25 is a couple of Guinnesses (Guinnii?) and a hot dog. Nice, don't get me wrong, but for someone else it could be seed funding for a new life-changing business, so I said Kiva could have it.

So, my cellphone beeped with the $25 notification, and I went to Zoompass to sign up and collect the cash. It was very easy, hassle-free and similar to PayPal whereby they wire a test amount of around 50 cents into your bank account to prove it's you. That worked, so I thought "cool" and tried to move the $25 into my bank.

It didn't work, so then I got a phone call from Zoompass customer support saying that my address didn't match up with something or other (I didn't really understand that part, as I've been at my address for six years) and then an e-mail: "Our records show that our automated identity checker could not match some of the information in your Zoompass profile. In order for us to complete the account information verification, can you please send us one of the documents listed below -- Driver's Licence / Telephone/Utility bills / Bank statements."

I wasn't keen on sending that stuff, so called back and support said it would be OK to forward an electronic bill or something to prove my address. I found an e-receipt from Amazon.ca, and forwarded that by e-mail.

Got a reply that it wasn't acceptable, and they needed physical proof. So, the customer support guy misinformed me. No sweat, we all make mistakes, so I got ready to scan my driver's licence and e-mail that.

But I checked my bank account yesterday and the $24.50 was already in there (Zoompass takes 50 cents for a transfer fee) -- so, that was before they had "physical" proof of my address. I also didn't get a reply to my logged problem ticket I submitted ... the money just magically appeared.

That's great in the fact that I got my money transferred, but bad because technically they never actually got proof of my address, or maybe they did decide to accept my Amazon.ca receipt as e-proof, not physical.

Anyway, it's a long story, but I think their support or verification process might need to be tightened up a bit as I seemed to get mixed messages as to what I needed to do, and what was actually happening.

Having said all that, @davefleet and the team were very prompt in trying to help me out on Twitter and e-mail, so that's a plus.

And now I can head to Kiva and help someone out, so it all ends well!