carriewriterblog

6 Tips for Writing a Great About Me Page

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

I'm wrapping up a cool website copywriting project in which I was asked to write an ABOUT and SERVICES page for a Bay Area therapist. While I had written this type of copy before, I had never had a client in the mental health field. While this did require some extra research, particularly for the Services section, I found that most of the things I learned from my past writing experiences still held true, and still will for future clients, no matter what their career or field.

So, here are 6 handy tips that yield great results, and are a good framework for all ABOUT pages.

1. Write in 3rd person.
There is some debate online as to whether first person is preferable online, vs third person. Generally, third person is considered more professional, while first person us more for blogging or informal communication. I have experience writing bios for a national web reputation firm, and they strictly required writing in 3rd person for SEO enhancement.

2. Be sure to include honors and distinctions, such as awards, publications, professional recognitions, speaking engagements, and academic achievements. These help distinguish your subject from other competitors in their field, and is particularly important in the mental health field when the client will be sharing confidential information with the therapist, as well as sensitive topics.

3. Always keep your audience in mind.
As is true with all good copywriting, you must keep in mind who your audience is, and write for them. If your audience includes potential clients who may not be familiar with your area, it's your role, or the writer's role, to keep the langage simple and explain any unfamiliar terms. Conversely, if you talk down to your audience, or overexplain concepts they already know, they may decide you're not a good fit for them and move on.

4. Solve problems and answer questions.
Your ABOUT ME page should serve as a subtle marketing piece that convinces readers they should hire you, without your coming out and saying as much. Do you provide great value for the service you offer? Then say so. Do you have over ten years of experience in a niche area? Then explain how, where, and when. Do you have a signature program or cornerstone project that can help clients overcome common challenges? Let them know.

5. Include storytelling.
Telling a brief narrative or story is a wonderful way to engage your audience without a "hard sell." Your story gives the audience a chance to identify with you and find common ground, and sends the subtle message that you can connect with them. You can also use your story to show how you are unique, as well as illustrate your passion for your business.

6. Keywords for your niche.
Of course it's important to remember that we write for people, not search engines. Still, SEO is an important component of online writing today. I typically draft my copy first, and then run a keyword check over at Google Adwords, where I look for middle to low competition words that still have a high search rate. Here is a solid article from FreelanceSwitch, " Four Tips on Improving Your SEO," that offers excellent tips.

How about you? Have you come across any great ABOUT ME pages, or want to show off your own? What did I leave out? Comment here!

-Carrie Jaffe-Pickett
writer, editor
@carriewriter

Now That Facebook is in the Neighborhood...

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:15:00 +0000

(photo: Austin Walsh)

My intention at first for this blog post was a quick how-to on Facebook advertising, motivated in part by my natural curiosity being a socialmediaist, and from my attendance on Thursday at the Facebook presentation on advertising at the Quadras Conference Center in Menlo Park.

I changed my mind. Here's why.

Facebook has been pushing advertising for small businesses quite a bit lately, and they want users to buy-in -- the idea being that those who know you already are more likely to be interested in what you have to offer. Makes perfect sense. The prospect of connecting with over 800 million potential customers isn't too shabby either.

If you want instructions on how to set up an add, Facebook does a good job walking you through it over here.

But what became quite apparent during the Q and A session, is a classic cart before the horse scenario. Judging from the audience comments, Facebook is still frustrating and confusing a lot of people. One commenter was concerned that the "Review" feature, which businesses need to get referrals, had disappeared entirely. Facebook's response? Well, it wasn't working right so we took it away. How about fixing it or having a better version at the ready so we don't have to wait a few years, in the middle of a sinking economy?

Another user complained that no one was seeing her status updates, and someone else chimed in, confused about the whole FAN page vs Personal page thing. Some uncomfortable skirming in seats, and a noticeable silence as audience members watched Facebook staffers try to jump through some rather sticky hoops.

I don't think this was the reception Facebook had in mind.

I've been doing social media consulting in Silicon Valley for 5 years, and Thursday's event confirms what I've been seeing all along. Comments like:
"I don't have time for Facebook" and "I just don't get it," are dowright common, even with Facebook right in our backyard.

No one's going to cook an omelette if they don't know how to make scrambled eggs first. Now that Facebook is in the neighborhood, they need to do a much better job de-mystifying Facebook for the folks around the corner, or their advertising push, at least around these parts, is going to end up like so many of the Facebook features launched and abandoned in the wink of an eye. Or in this case, a Status Update.

PS The folks at Patch.com did a nice write-up of the event, and below is a screen capture of my comments over to them, including a suggested "Facebookmobile" (not kidding), so we can clear up the basics and move on.

What do you think? Is FB rolling out too many features for its own good? Is it time for FB to hold a Menlo Park Town Hall?

-Carrie Jaffe-Pickett
writer, editor
@carriewriter

8 Days of Social Media Tools & Tips- Buffer, Animoto, Twittelator

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:48:00 +0000

Buffer, Animoto, Twittelator

6. Buffer

A few months ago I discovered Buffer for Twitter scheduling, and I find it a fast and efficient way to schedule not only tweets, but Facebook status updates as well. A free Buffer account allows you to schedule as many as 10 updates a day, at customized intervals that you customizein your settings. It also has an automatic link shortener, a bookmarklet feature for your toolbar so you can easily add to your lineup, and even some suggested quotes if you find yourself a little short on ideas. While Hootsuite and Tweetdeck are also good for scheduling, I like the simplicity of Buffer more for this purpose. You aren't distracted by your Twitter stream while trying to schedule your tweets, and I like the flexibility if being able able to change the frequency and pattern of your updates. You can also choose between bit.ly and j.mp for your preferred URL shorteners, and there is a cool referral feature where if someone were to start their new Buffer account using this link (this is my referral link if you want to send an extra post my way), they get a free extra post beyond the 10 included.

Below is a screenshot of the Buffer settings page, which enables users to select either a random buffering pattern, or specific times of the day for updates.

7. Animoto

Anim oto (affiliate) is probably one of the most important and dynamic tools I've discovered over the last 3 years. This cool photo to video program enables users to drag and drop photos into a screen, add text if needed, select music, and select spotlight features for images you want to highlight. A video is then created while you wait, and a completed video can be remixed again and again. You can instantly upload to Facebook, YouTube, or just keep the video file on your desktop to have handy when you need it. I have found it super useful for client work, as I can edit or switch out images as needed and the movie remixes without having to begin all over again.

A free account includes 12 images, while a premium account is $30 a year and offers unlimited images and the option of HD quality. One of the challenges of creating original videos is finding good quality, royalty- free music, and I love how Animoto lets you select and preview from a wide variety of genres, including pop, folk, electronic, classical, jazz, and others. Users need to be mindful that when adding video clips to your lineup, there is a 10-second limit, so you will have to edit clips that exceed that length. Also, there is limited space for text --a title and tagline are about all you'll have room for. Animoto also offers a great selection of images and video clips you can use to embellish your videos.

I previously wrote about Animoto here almost exactly a year ago, if you want to review the features more closely. Recent new features include an iPhone app, and a more streamlined image upload process. For those interested in creating dynamic event highlights or previews, Animoto works great and is a lot more fun then your typical slideshow. For example, in my highlights for 2010 video, I really had fun creating the sequences, and even found a butterfly template that matched my logo.

8. Twittelator

Twittelator is one of my favorite iPad apps...it's super fast, and only $4.99. The app allows for easy updates to your Twitter account, with an optional toggle that enables your Facebook account as well. New mentions and direct messages are highlighted in a pop-up so you always see the latest activity, and Twitter List and Search features are also included. It's easy to access your photostream and image library to add graphics to your tweet, and if you need to take a new photo you can click right onto your camera. As of now there is no scheduling feature, but of course this would be great to have.

Stone Design, the folks behind Twittelator, not only invested a great amount of time in thinking through the user experience, they also focused a lot on little details. My favorite is the “slide to send” button, which works exactly like the “slide to unlock” control we all know from our iPhone/iPad lock screens. Prevents you from accidentally sending your tweet away by tapping “send” which, on a touch device, happens way more often than not. Last but not least, there is “automatic state saving” everywhere. As on the iPhone, applications on the iPad cannot run in the background. This means whenever you press the home button, Twittelator gets shut down immediately. Now, the next time you launch it, it magically fires up at the exact point where you left it before, whether you were in the middle of typing a tweet or browsing through your direct messages. Love it! Call me silly, but I'm also a fan of the fun emoticons you can add to the end of your tweets.

That wraps up "8 Days Social Media Tools & Tips." Have you tried Twittelator, Buffer, or Animoto?

Share your comments here.

8 Days of Social Media Tips #5: Avoid Guilt Trips

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:10:00 +0000

I've read a million blog posts where writers share their deep-seated guilt over not having published for a while, not to mention maybe taking a break from their e-newsletters or e-mail. Nobody really wants to hear about it, and you shouldn't feel like you have to apologize to your readers for that. Just jump back in and move on. If you have to take a break from social media, just let your followers know you'll be out for a while and will reconnect soon. Or, take advantage of some of the great advance scheduling tools out there, such as Buffer, Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, and others.

There are other aspects of social media you might feel guilty about. What about the prospect of unfriending someone on Facebook, or not following back someone on Twitter who is following you? If you are experiencing these feelings, chances are there's a good reason, so follow your instincts.

With social media, there is always a new program or app or website to learn, as innovation is happening constantly. Do you feel guilty if you don't tackle new programs the second they launch? Don't. Why not set yourself a reasonable goal of learning one new application or technology a week, a day, or a month? That way, you can maintain a realistic schedule while also taking the time you need to learn things right.

What about you? Are their aspects of keeping up with social media that make you feel guilty?

8 Days of Social Media Tips #4 Remember the "4 G's"

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:51:00 +0000

And...were back! After a mad rush of holiday frenzy coupled with a lingering head cold (a-choo!), I'm happy to return to this series. Tip #4 is actually 3 tips in one, involving the 3 "G's" in social media.

Here they are.

1. GENUINE:

One of the most important aspects of social media, blogging, and well...yes...life, is to be genuine. Are you being true to yourself when you post comments, links, updates, and tweets? Are you posting resources you have actually reviewed and considered, and not just what looks good on the surface or because someone else said so? Have you shared with your readers what they need to know about you, and why? You need to be genuine and up front in all your online activities, whether it be selling a product, delivering a promise on deadline, or providing the result you set out to. I know some bloggers who have over time shared quite personal stories their readers might not have expected, but for me, this did make me feel more connected to them.

2. GENEROUS:

Be generous with your knowlege, resources, and time, and it will always come back to you in a good way. Do you know the answer to a question someone had online? Don't be shy... jump in and answer it. Offer helpful links and resources that show you will go out of your to help someone. If you read a really great blog post, retweet it and write your thoughts in the comments. If there is an entrepreneur, business owner, or office employee who deserves a shout out, go ahead and highlight their post, website, or product, to your readers and followers.

3. GRATEFUL:

It may sound corny, but you should always be grateful for your social media community-- your clients, your subscribers, FANS, and followers. They are what make your business thrive. During the holiday period - like right now-is a good time to show your gratitude by offering special discounts, a free giveaway, or exclusive content your subscribers and followers won't find elsewhere. I know that I love any kind of "best of" compilation which saves me time reading and researching online, and I will definitely download an ebook that covers a unique topic or has a fresh point of view.

4. GOOD/GREAT:

Sometimes it's hard to create anything new or even write, when you feel pressure to produce fantastic content all the time. So focus on producing at least GOOD content most of the time, and yes, the occasional GREAT blog post, download, video, photo, or ebook. Something good gets you points for consistency, and something great can be your cornerstone piece, gets you noticed, and will be shared. You can do it!

8 Days of Social Media Tips - #3 Webdoc

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:26:00 +0000

#3 - Cool Social Sharing with Webdoc

I first learned about Webdoc in June in New York, when they were exhibiting at the #140 Conference. I got a personal demo from the founder and CEO of this Swiss company, and was totally impressed with the site, which allows users to create and easily share their own website, using photos, documents, video, links, music -- all aspects of multimedia.

Here's a blurb from the homepage:

Webdoc lets you create, share and discover rich interactive posts and engage spontaneously with friends or audience around your interests, passions, events and promotion - when a status update just isn’t enough to tell your story and you don’t want to start a blog.

My Take: Webdoc is a user friendly and fun interface that basically like an About Me page on steroids. I'm planning on setting up mine as an online portfolio in the new year, and will show it off then. What I really like about it is that users can create super simple as well as more complex pages, with equal impact.

Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments.

8 Days of Social Media Tips #2: Instagram

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:19:00 +0000

Welcome to Day #2 of 8 Days of Social Media Tips

#2 - Instagram for Photo Sharing and Marketing

John Jantsch with Duct Tape Marketing wrote a cool post last week on using Instagram and photo sharing to increase online visibility. He highlights some other interesting apps for photo sharing and image enhancement as well. As he states, "Instagram is a photo-sharing site that’s a bit of a Flickr meets Twitter. iPhone users download the Instagram app and then share images after applying a range of effects and filters. Other Instagram users can “like” and comment on images and follow users to view their images in their own feed. Users can also easily post the images they upload to Instagram on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr if they choose. As with many social networks, personal use has spawned most of the growth. With heavy adoption however, businesses are now starting to take note of ways to use the Instagram tools and network to promote their business."

My take: I tried it a few weeks ago, and while I found it fun to enhance my Pelican friend above, I felt it would be more of a Facebook experiment and a way to make blog photos more interesting, but I'll be looking more into the sharing features. In fact, I've seen it used very well on Facebook by bloggers such as Liz Strauss, for example.

Here is a screen capture from John's email, where he includes an Instagram photo from Costa Rica. I love the effect here, which gives the photo an almost out-of-world feeling.

How about you? What is your favorite photo sharing app?

Welcome to 8 Days of Social Media Tips - #1

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:10:00 +0000

Welcome! In honor of the season, I'm launching "12 Days of Social Media Tips" as my blogging gift to all of you. It's a great alternative if you're getting tired of reading holiday cookie recipes. So I encourage you to stay tuned, and please feel free to comment along the way if you have any if your own tips to share, or an experience with anything I'm mentioning here. I hope you have a joyous, warm, and swinging social media season!

Tip #1: New Twitter Launches

The new Twitter just launched, and some quick research on the reviews suggests the changes are for the better. One of the best overviews I found was by Brian Anthony Hernandez from Mashable, which highlights the new dashboard. The new interface makes it easier to discover new topics and people to follow, embed tweets into your website, create shortcuts on your keyboard, and find friends.

From what I've read, all the mobile apps are updated except for the iPad, so we'll have wait and see how user friendly that one is. I'm mostly on my iPad2 these days, ( am typing this on Blogsy, one of my new favorite apps), so I'm ready and waiting.

My take: I'd gotten so used to using Hootsuite and other Twitter tools, that the thought of actually hanging out in the real Twitter is a little weird to get used to. But then that's probably the reasoning behind the redo. Let's just hope the simplicity of Twitter remains. So far, it's taking way longer then 140 characters to explain.

Have you tried the new Twitter yet and do you think the redesign was needed?

4 iPad2 Tips and Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:45:00 +0000

It's been nearly a year since I won my iPad2 at Web 2.0, and I have to say, it's been quite a ride. The timing on this was true "cyber karma," so to speak, as the video card on my Mac had fizzled after 6 years, and I jumped at the iPad as a possible replacement for a full computer.

That being said, I have found I can perform nearly every task I did before on a full computer, with some exceptions I'll go into in a future post. In a nutshell, blogging like I am right now using Blogsy works well. as My enews program, Constant Contact, has only a limited app which allows you to update your contact list, but has no layout features...maybe this will be forthcoming.

So, each day I'm learning more and more about the iPad's functions and capabilities. Here are a few tips In the meantime, particularly in light of the recent IOS5 upgrade.

1. Loss of sound after Cloud upgrade.

You may find that after updating your iPad to the Cloud (IOS5), you have lost your sound functionality-- specifically the alerts and ringtones you had set up for sent email, alerts, etc. In other words, it's as if you have your system set up on Mute, even though it's Unmuted. Yipes. I Googled this little problem and found some other folks had experienced it as well, although there was no universal solution cited anywhere. So, I kept checking my Settings under Sound to determine what the problem was, and finally over the weekend brought my iPad to a nearby Apple store, where two assistants on the floor took a look, and also were stumped. They did the right thing, however, and set up an appointment right away at the Genius bar, where I waited under a minute for them to call my name, even amidst early holiday frenzy at the mall. Yes!

So here's the fix. Double click on the Home button, and a new menu opens up at the bottom of your screen that shows all the applications you've used recently, as shown in this screenshot. Voila! A hidden menu. If you scroll all the way to the left, you'll find an additional volume control icon. Just go ahead and unmute it by clicking on it, and you're good to go. With this menu, you can also:

*Lock the screen orientation

*Adjust the screen brightness

*Adjust the volume

*Control your music playback

2. Video playback sticks and buffer is slow.

We all know that Flash isn't an option for viewing video on the iPad, so that mainly leaves YouTube as the platform of choice. If you find the video playback sluggish, chances are it has more to do with your internet setup then any hardware problem. If you have a slower DSL connection, your videos won't play back smoothly.

Try This. Try playing videos in different locations and see if they run better. An Apple store is a great testing environment, since the Wifi is optimized. That way at least you can confirm that it's a connection issue. There's also a cool app you can download for free called Speedtest.net, pictured in the screenshot above, that automatically runs a diagnostic on your connection speed. My results ended up nowhere near the optimal red range, (under 3M is not great), so I have my work cut out for me trying to maximize my wifi. (See cool Yahoo article, "How to Extend Your Wifi Range.") The results, by the way, are measured in "MBPS," or Megabits Per Second.

3. Screen attracts smudges and fingerprints.

There isn't much you can do to avoid the inevitable screen smudges, but here are a few suggestions.

Try this. I picked up a microfiber, lint- free cloth from Best Buy for about $7, and it works well. Don't use any water, just rub the dry cloth over the screen. Also, here is how Apple suggests cleaning the iPad:

unplug all cables and disconnect the iPad from any accessories or docks
Turn off the iPad by holding the Sleep/Wake button and sliding the onscreen slider off
Use a soft, slightly damp cloth or a cleaning solution like SQUEEGiT but be sure to not allow moisture in any openings in the iPad
DO NOT use window cleaners. These can damage the oleophobic coating on the iPad screen and reduce the functionality of the iPad over time
Wipe the iPad in a circular motion and be sure that no sand, dirt, or dust is on the cloth used to whip the screen

The iPad Screen coating is designed to repel oil, which is why fingerprints show up so quickly on the screen. You can easily wipe them off with the lint-free cloth and have the iPad screen looking new and clean again.

4. Focus, compose, and edit photos.

The IOS5 upgrade features some handy photo applications that aren't offered in the earlier version. If you want to focus, edit, and crop photos,

Here in these wedding photos of myself and Mr. P, the original photo is on the bottom, while the enhanced version is on top. To me, the enhanced version just looks more pink in tone, but I don't see any increased quality. (Both versions, however, make me hungry for cake.)

Try this. When taking a photo, select Options on the top of the screen, and you can enable the Grid feature, which helps you align the image. The grid lines won't appear in the photo. You can also Zoom in or out by using the slider bar at the bottom of the screen, which you activate by pinching two fingers together on the screen. Focus by pressing lightly on the screen on the srea you want to focus. After you take the photo, click on Edit and you can crop, rotate, enhance, and red eye control the image. Is the camera on the iPad2 anything great? Not really. I find that outdoor shots are decent, while indoors they tend to be grainy. However, I do like the convenience of being able to email photos right away, as well as Tweet them and create a slideshow, although why there is no upload to Facebook feature is a little odd.

So, these are just a few tips and tricks, but I'm sure there are lots more. I'll be covering some of my favorite apps soon, as well as more adventures blogging on the iPad! What tips do you have to share, and what are your favorite Apps? Did you have any post IOS5 issues?

Marketo Marketing Presentation from Dreamforce 2011

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 07:00:00 +0000

I wanted to share with you this presentation, recorded live at Dreamforce 2011, in which Jon Miller, VP Marketing and Co-Founder of Marketo, and Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs, present 10 Strategies for Content Marketing, Events and Marketing Automation Success.

Ann, the author of Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business, focuses on how to create and leverage effective content that draws in the right customers for your company, and how to organize engaging events that produce maximum ROI.

Here I am with Mr. Pickett at the Revenue Rockstar event last spring. I learned a great deal, but most importantly that the sales funnel is much more complex than most people realize, and that list segmentation is key for effective sales results.

Jon, author of the Modern B2B Marketing blog, refers to real-life case studies and Marketo benchmarks to show how to demonstrably improve marketing campaign results and revenue performance. He also covers how to use marketing automation effectively to optimize marketing efficacy, and how to measure results to prove the value of marketing programs.

The content description from Marketo is as follows:

Learn the top 10 strategies and techniques that increase the quality and volume of leads and drive revenue:

Embrace being a publisher
Not just any kind of content will do - think about the right kind of content
Map development to strategy
Content rules: like bumpers on a bowling lane
Reimagine your content assets
Wings are as important as roots
Grow revenue by making sales more productive, not just by hiring more reps
80% of prospects are NOT ready to engage with sales
Demographic fit + buying intent = a hot lead
Use forecasting to turn marketing from a cost center into a revenue driver

So enjoy, and please post in the comments your take on this, or your Marketo experience if you've had one, as well as any content marketing tips!

Social Media & Nonprofits: 8 Habits of Effective Marketers

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:56:00 +0000

I recently attended a wonderful workshop on social media marketing and nonprofits, where one of the featured speakers was Beth Kantor, a leading expert on this topic and a frequent speaker at Compass Point events, which I have covered before as Press. Beth "wrote the book" (literally) on best practices for nonprofits and social media marketing --I'm pictured here winning a copy for my work on a recent project -- and it was great to get some new information on this growing area in social media. Every day, I read more and more articles on the growing importance of social media marketing as a key tool for nonprofits in not only raising awareness and Cause marketing, but also in fundraising and building brand ambassadors.

Note: Janet Fouts, Susan Tenby, Holly Minch, and JD Lasica also presented that day, and I'll be posting some highlights soon from their sessions.

Here are some quick snapshot of some of the highlights of Beth's presentation, including:

*7 Myths of Social Media Marketing

*8 Habits of Social Media Marketers

Strategy and Objectives are, of course, crucial to any successful plan.

*A Very Cool Case Study

Beth highlighted The Bay Area Children's Theatre as a great model for nonprofits, with a lively Facebook page that features a good variety of photos and videos, and great user engagement.

*A Handy Sheet on Metrics Tools for Actionable Analytics

I thought this was such a great resource, I snapped a quick photo in my iPad! I have already dabbled in Klout Facebook Insights, and of course Google analytics, but several others in the sheet were new, and definitely worth checking out.

If you want to grab the entire slidedeck, you can find it here. In the meantime, enjoy these screenshots, and feel free to comment here. Do you work for a nonprofit?

What social media tools have you found to be most effective?

Get Your Entrepreneurial Groove Back, Muppet Style

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:41:00 +0000

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we treated ourselves to The Muppets movie, (my first official Muppets film experience), and I found myself not only chuckling out loud more then I had at a movie in years, but also finding surprising entrepreneurial lessons along the way. I guess you're never too much of an adult to learn a thing or two from Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the gang...

Here's the quick synopsis: Tex Richman (Chris Cooper, over the top as usual), wants to drill under the delapidated muppet theater for oil, while Gary, Mary, and Walter set out to save the theatre, and with it, the fading, or as the movie would have us believe, already faded Muppet brand. The plan, and plot, involves finding the muppets, who have been split up for years. Kermit lives in his own mansion, depressed in Hollywood. Gonzo is a high class plumber at Gonzo's Royal Flush. Fozzie performs with a tribute band called The Moopets, and Miss Piggy is the plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris. How can we forget Animal, under treatment at a celebrity anger managment rehab center in Santa Barbara, and forbidden from doing his thing playing the drums.

I'll save the rest of the story so as not to spoil your fun, but I will highlight the 6 tips the movie inspires for getting your entrepreneurial groove back, or even just affirming what you might have already learned in your business life.

Never give up. OK, it may sound corny, but Kermit and the gang face all sorts of obstacles, and yet keep they keep going and forge ahead, once they make the decision to do so. For anyone who has ever tried and failed at something, most agree that it still feels good to have made the effort, and not be haunted by what if's for the rest of your life.
Be clear on your mission, and repeat it a bit. The muppets understand that their mission is to educate and make people laugh, and use the world of puppets as a mirror for human challenges and emotions. They aren't shy about repeating this several times throughout the movie, so that the audience gets it. So, state your purpose and repeat it as much as you feel you need to. Or, as Miss Piggy would say: repetez, s'il vous plait.
Decide if you'd be happier doing something else. The first hour of the movie finds the muppets in varying states of societal conformity in their "nonmuppet lives, which we take as a gentle dig at life the safe way. You might think you're happy in your career, until something irresistable comes your way. It may be worth making a move and changing your life. If that voice inside you keeps telling you to go for it, maybe you should.
Brand for today, but maintain your core identity. The muppets enjoy some modern flourishes, including a computerized butler for Kermit, a "map travel" mode of transporting themselves to Paris (and back) in a few seconds, a Cee Lo inspired rendition of "Forget You" sung by the muppet chickens, and some not too shabby digital production special effects that no doubt Jim Henson would have thrilled at were he alive today. But at the end of the day, the muppets are simple and down to earth. They're about life and people, not cell phones and computers, although their social media presence rocks. ( see #5.) Their rise mirrored the seventees and eightees, when celebrity power meant the young Paul Simon and Steve Martin as guests, disco and techno music, bell bottoms and big hair. The movie acknowledges all of this, as if to say: you can't go forward unless you know where you've been. Do you know where your business has been, and how to move it forward?
Rock your social media. When I read the recent Mashable blog post that highlighted the muppets on social media, I nearly fell out of my chair. Christina Warren writes: "The official Muppets Facebook page has more than 1.1 million fans and individual characters like Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Animal have their own fan pages and campaigns. The Facebook pages have been well-utilized to spread informational and video content. Disney also created The Muppets Fan-A-Thon on Facebook to entice fans to “Like” various characters, pages and videos in a bid to unlock advance screenings. Cheekily asking for “1 bazillion likes,” the campaign has yielded over 2 million Likes. since it started."

There is also a Twitter campaign with 70,000 followers, not to mention Mobile apps, not to mention a Google + Chat featuring...who else? Kermit and Piggy. Of course for your business, you don't need to go wild, but you should be consistent with everything you do, and start slowly as you increase your online presence. Many think the advice to have a social media strategy is cliche, but it's true, you need stategy to manage your time and keep your branding consistent.

6. Find Your People. Much of the movie for me was about the power of people, whether it be groups, or partners, or even crowds to get you going. The film featured 2 extended dancing in the street sequences jolly enough to get even the most cynical among us tapping their feet. The muppets don't mean anything without Kermit. Kermit doesn't do so well without Piggy. Gary and Amy find their romantic way.

So, who in your world is crucial to your success? Do you need a partner or a team? How can you grow your audience and your reach?

See the movie anyway for the sheer joy of it, but be prepared for the business takeaway I walked away with: maybe life is a bit like Sesame Street after all.

So, over to you. Did you see the movie and what did you think? Did it inspire you? What's your take on the Muppet social media buzz?

How to Get Your Zen On When You Write

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Writing is one of those activities that can be relaxing and enjoyable, or frustrating and anxiety producing, on any given day. It frequently depends on the nature of what you're writing, if you're on deadline, who or what your writing is for, etc. Like most things in life, the mindset you are in when you are writing has a lot to do with the outcome and final product. It's a lot like if you're nervous about preparing a dinner for 10 guests -- you're more likely to burn the roast or overcook the potatoes because, HELLO, you were nervous. On the otherhand, if it was just your or a close friend, or a forgiving spouse, you could just throw together a grilled cheese sandwhich in five minutes and that would be the end of it.

I know I have better results and an more relaxed when I am writing about an idea came up with, or for a project that I created. But everyone knows that in business, this is often not the case. If you are in marketing or communications, you most likely need to write up a report, or maybe a white paper or a speech. You might be writing an article for your executive director or board member, or a memo, or even a strategic pitch letter to a potential stakeholder or client. Social media is a whole other story. There are blog posts, which can be tricky if you are ghostwriting for someone else, or in the voice of the company. Social media updates might be a piece of cake for your own profiles, but now you have to become the persona of your company or organization.

So, here are a few tips to help out if you are feeling stressed, but need to "produce," whether it be personal or business writing.

FIND SOME QUIET

It has be tough to find quiet in a busy office with people all around you, particularly if you are in an open area and don't have your own office where you can shut the door. Try using headphones so you can tune out any noises or distractions, and tune into quiet music, such as a CD, or an online station like Pandora. If you have more quiet at home, try creating a rough draft or outline there, so when you get into work you already have a foundation to build from. If your office is quieter earlier in the morning or later in the day when most people have gone home, plan on coming in early or staying late so you have the quiet you need. If it's too noisy for you at home, try the Carrie Bradshaw method of working in a coffee shop, or head off the the library or a nearby park. Find places you like to go to read -- they tend to make good places to write as well.

"PEACEFUL PRODUCT PLACEMENT"(PPP)

I like to have relaxing and inspiring images around me when I write. So, I typically set up ocean scenes on my computer desktop (it's corny but it works), and when I'm working at home I like to have my friend Buddha, who you see in the photo, handing around. He's just a plastic souvenir I picked up once, but I find him effective!

ADVANCE SCHEDULE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

Most writing stress stems from last-minute or urgent deadlines. To the extent that you can, plan your writing as much as possible so you have time for the various phases that writing requires: first draft, second draft, final tweaks, final. If you are on an unavoidable tight deadline, do the best you can and don't try to be perfect. Sometimes overthinking your writing can be worse then going with your instincts. You shouldn't try to be perfect, but you should try to be really good.

GET SOME EXERCISE

Whether it's yoga (my exercise of choice) or a walk around the block, do something to get a change of scene and get some air. If you're between drafts, that's the perfect time to take a break so you can approach your revision with a clear head.

BREAK IT DOWN

If you have a complex project like an annual report or a long article, break it down into doable sections. Start with an outline if you like working that way, and write a page or two a day, as time permits. Some fiction writers say they are able to write a complete book a year by just writing a page a day!

FIND AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER

Make sure and tell someone -- whether it's a colleague, or your spouse, or a friend, that you have a project and a deadline, and that you will keep them updated. Maybe not every minute, but at least have them check in with you at the end of the day, so they can keep you honest! It works both ways - when they have an urgent deadline you can in turn check in with them and make sure they are on the right track, especially if you are working on a team or collaborative project.

EXPECT TO PROCRASTINATE

Everyone procrastinates to some degree, and you should allow yourself to be human. If you must sharpen your pencil or get that cup of coffee before starting, go ahead and do it, but then really start. If you find yourself truly blocked, tell yourself you'll just give in ten minutes to start. Most of the time when we start working, we forget what time it is and keep going for much longer then we planned.

REWARD YOURSELF

Know that once you have finished your writing, or at least a significant milestone, there's a reward on the other side. Maybe it's a nice meal, or a day trip somewhere, or maybe just a full night's sleep, if you've been deprived!

What writing tips do you have to share? How do you stay relaxed and focused when you are writing?

"Kitchen Nightmares" Inspires Thoughts on Business Salvation

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:16:00 +0000

On Friday night, I stumbled upon "Kitchen Nightmares" on television, and the entrepreneur (and Italian food lover in me) felt compelled to watch the entire program. The premise: a dysfunctional Italian family is struggling to keep their Anaheim restaurant, Luigi's, afloat. Family and staff infighting, along with a head chef who has lost his mojo (an appetizer of frozen fried ravioli with questionable filling does not bode well), leave chef-preneur Gordon Ramsey wringing his hands a lot, not to mention pacing the restaurant floor like a shnauzer in heat, running his hands through his hair and firing off existentialist food questions at the owners: Why are you cooking this? Where is everyone? Do you want your business to survive?

Flash forward to an hour later, and you'll see a much refreshed business, with family members hugging Ramsay and each other, greeting new customers at a well planned relaunch, and vowing never to travel the road of restaurant suicide again.

But that's not before a few roadblocks and rites of passage along the way, that set the stage for the restaurant's rebirth.

If your business is in trouble, you may need to take similar steps to stay afloat.

1. Stage An Intervention
"When was the last time you had a meeting?" Ramsay asks the family. Not surprisingly, no one can remember. A quick but emotional intervention, in which it's revealed how the brothers have opposing styles which interfere with productivity and quality, and how the staff members are intimidated by the owners, lays the groundwork for what problems need to be overcome.
When was the last time you had a meeting?Would your staff benefit from an airing out of issues?Would you?

2. Rekindle Your Passion
Chef Luigi's cooking was suffering, as he had lost his spark in the kitchen. A brief cooking therapy session in which the whole family made homemade sausage together, reminded them of their roots, and the joys of cooking.
Where is your passion for your business, and how do you get it back? Maybe you need to travel or take a vacation, focus on a different niche, or rediscover your strengths. Whatever it is you think you need to do, find a way to do it.

3. Redecorate
The family was thrilled to see their restaurant transformed from a dreary coffee shop environment with shabby booths and outdated decor, to a refreshed remodel, with cool photos of Italy on the walls, branded table napkins, and areas for communal seating.
Do you need to redecorate? If your business is your website, upgrade your look with a customized platform and inviting features that make your visitors want to stay. Refresh or update your logo. Get on social media if you aren't already, and find new ways to reach out to customers.

4. Update Your Offerings
Chef Ramsay overhauled the menu, replacing tired dishes with robust offerings, like fresh sausage, lasagne with organic vegetables, and a range of hearty beef and poultry offerings.
If you're offering the same menu as you did ten years ago, chances are you're bored, and so are your customers. Find out what the current trends are in your industry, and upgrade your offerings.
Are your products outdated? When was the last time you took a look at current industry standards, or even what your competition was selling.

5. Seek Feedback
Luigi's had a relaunch night, where customers were invited to sample the new decor and food. This also helped the restaurant tweak anything that wasn't working.
Have you surveyed your customers to find out their preferences? How many recent business decisions have been based on your choices, and not your customers'?

6. Be Classy, Not Petty
Whatever problems the family was having, they weren't worth losing the business over, which they realized once they looked at the big picture.
Are you being classy in your business? Next time a problem comes up, look at the big picture when arriving at a solution, and stay flexible. Sometimes, what may seem like a great idea one day, may turn out to be a terrible one the next, and vice versa. It's important to be open to multiple points of view, and be willing to compromise.

Summary :
*"Kitchen Nightmares" can inspire great entrpreneurial ideas for all kinds of businesses.
* The success of your business is more important then petty arguments--whatever the problem is, get over it.
*Rediscovering your passion and why you launched your business to begin with, are crucial to your success. Embrace your entrepreneurial spirit and get cooking on getting your business to flow! There's nothing cheesy
about it!

5 Cool Ways to Use Event Tweets, Back Home

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:11:00 +0000

My Twitter stream from Jeff Pulver's #140Conf in New York in June.

Those who love social media and attending live events know that combining the two is not only fun, but is a great way to improve your reporting skills, practice with new equipment, meet new friends both online and off, and chronicle your experience.

Of course, if you're live blogging many of the sessions you're attending, or posting all your photos to Facebook and Flickr, you're well on your way to having a good online journal of your experiences. But if you're super busy at the event and only have time to hop on board the hashtag and tweet some soundbites, Twitter can still be a great way to organize your resources and communications once you're back home, as well as maximize your connections.

Here are 5 tips how:

1.Review the event hashtag stream
The event Twitter stream can be a rich resource of information for anything from online resources, to connecting with influences and leaders in your industry. Be sure and Follow individuals and organizations of interest if you haven't already, and review their stream so you can learn more about their friends and followers, review their websites and blogs, etc. Retweet a post of theirs that you like, maybe even with your own take on it, and there's a good chance they'll follow you back.

2. Review your event stream
Review your stream as a reminder of event highlights and key moments. Were there resources mentioned that you need to get hold of for your library or research? Was there a q&a session that would make a great blog post or webinar? What about retweets? Make sure and follow those who took note of your content during the event. You may eventually serve as guest bloggers for each other's websites, or guest speakers at each other's events. If they've created Twitter lists, don't forget to review those as well, and start following them. You can also create your own Twitter list from everyone you met at the conference and can more easily view their updates in future.

3. Scan for blog content ideas
Every workshop or keynote is a possible blog topic, video, book chapter, or white paper. Review your tweets for content areas that particularly interest you, and add them to your blogging notes or schedule.

4. Review your photos for videos
At the #140 Conference in New York, I took some video, but since the event was live streaming, I changed strategies and decided to photograph the videos in the presentations that really stood out, so I could return to them later on YouTube, and connect there as well. I also did this at the 2009 Affiliate Marketing Summit in New York. During Peter Shankman's terrific keynote, he aired one of my all-time favorite videos, "Where the Hell is Matt?" I took a photo as a reminder, and I must have linked to it a dozen times since then!

5. Use your stream as an "emoticon" map
Tweeting at an event isn't only about capturing soundbites, but emotional highs and lows, and humor, as well. If you were tweeting on your toes, you captured the range of the story being told, and you can use this to dramatize your content for your readers. In other words, you're being a good content curator, and providing the best essence if what was conveyed. At the New York Conference, for example, I was particularly inspired from a marketing point of view, by Gaby, a struggling artist whose one tweet to Kodak got him a marketing deal. Not bad. Other moving tales ranged from health care stories where patients tweeting for cures got the attention of internationally known oncologists, and social media for good was used in underdeveloped countries to establish water filtration systems and economic incentives.

What about you? How have you used Twitter as a resource when returning from a conference or event?

Caroline Jaffe Pickett, @carriewriter

Series: Cool iPad Productivity Tips #2-Blogger App

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone, this is Part 2 of my iPad productivity series! Last time, I wrote about the HD Calendar program I discovered, and I'm pleased to report that it continues to be a great app. Love the custom color coding feature, which I'm using to juggle a couple of projects I'm working on, and the drag and drop feature for moving event around is great!

Now, onto other new apps. I'm typing this post using the new Blogger app for iPad that just came out on Sept 8. I was excited to hear this was coming out, as I have been experimenting both with Blogsey and Blogpress and find that they are still not as intuitive as Blogger, although I like Blogpress for its Preview capability and formatting options.

So here is a quick overview:

PROS:
This app is fairly easy to use. Just log in as you would on Blogger, adjust the settings to select which blog you are choosing if you have more than one, and type in your title and copy. A drop down menu allows you to switch to your camera to take a photo, or access your media library, which I did here. You can also select your location.

So, ease of use is a definite plus.

CONS:

Sorry, Google, but I'm disappointed to see a lot of basic functionality missing here.

*You'll notice I'm not formatting text using links, bold, or italic, because I can't. No formatting menu? Really? (note: I added the link above using Blogpress)

*As others commented on in the iTunes app feedback area, there is no video upload capability. This is rather limiting.

*No preview mode. I actually have to leave this program and go into Blogpress just to see my post preview.

*As you can see by the screenshots I included, this app is really for the iphone and not so much the iPad. I'm using this tiny keyboard to type on and it feels a little ridiculous...and I'm on 2x! I'm a little tired just from typing commas and periods, as I keep having to toggle.

*No advance publishing, so I have to wait until tomorrow morning to get this puppy out to sync with my social media.

*No photo placement or capture features, so I have to explain to you here that these photos illustrate how my blog looks in this app, how the list of posts look, and what the new post menu looks like.

So, while I like the ease of this app, it is seriously lacking in basic blogging tools. I hope Google will address this missing functionality soon and come out with an update asap.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series coming soon, where I'll be exploring Numbers, Apple's version of Excel, for the iPad.

Now I have to go and rest my fingers.

*Series: Cool iPad Productivity Apps - Part 1, Calendars

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:02:00 +0000

Last week, I experimented with some new iPad apps I'd been meaning to try for awhile, as part of my "journeys in iPadland," and my quest to pretty much accomplish as much of my work as possible on my iPad2. Why?
a. Because the video card on my iBook died (ok, it was 6 years old, so Apple is off the hook)
b. I won my iPad2 from the good folks at blekko during the Web 2.0 Conference this spring (thank you thank you!), and by gosh, I want to do them proud.

While I was thrilled over the summer to discover Pandora for music, Buffer and Twittelator for social media updates, and Pages for creating documents, I was still in need of some apps in the areas of:

-calendars and scheduling
-budgeting
-organizing photo albums

I'm pleased to report I found some great tools for all three!

1. Calendars and Scheduling

The Week Calendar HD was by far the easiest calender to use, and offers great versatility. The navigation is very intuitive, making it easy to toggle between Day, Week, Month, and Year views, and to add new events, both for one-time amd recurring instances. Drag and drop allows you to move events around easily, and to cut and paste events both as single and recurring ones. A variety of alerts can be created, from 5 minutes to 2 days prior to the event, and I love the custom color coding feature, which makes it easy to differentiate multiple projects at a glance.

Users can customize what hours appear for the start and end of the day, and can choose which day of the week is your start day.

The program syncs with Google and Outlook calendars via iTunes, and while I haven't tried this feature yet, I have noticed that all my Google calendar events are syncing just fine automatically.

Week Calendar HD allows you to link contacts to events, without inviting the contact.The contacts will automatically be listed in the details of the event: tapping on a contact takes you to the contacts Address Book page. This is useful if you need to call someone before an appointment or need info quickly.

Holidays for different countries are provided for reference, and the program is available in numerous languages. And, events can be shared via e-mail, as well as printed if you have your iPad set up to print. If not, you can always improvise like I do -- snap a screenshot of whatever calendar image you want, save it under Photos, and copy and paste in the body of your e-mail. Nifty.

Calendar fanatics will love this program, and I've already made it my favorite. Try it out and see what you think--it's available on the itunes store for $1.99.

ps apparently as of August 24th, Apple "ordered" the developers to change the monthly view functionality to a mini- size. Not sure of the rationale for this, but the program rocks anyway!

@carriewriter

Book Giveaway! Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain by Ryan Blair

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:15:00 +0000

I'm giving away this book! 240 pages, $17 on Amazon

The blurb from Amazon's sales page for "Nothing to Lose..." features the following author description:

Ryan Blair is a self-made multimillionaire and serial entrepreneur, who established his first company, 24-7 Tech when he was twenty-one years old, and has since created and actively invested in multiple startups. Currently, as the CEO of ViSalus Sciences, in the year of the 2008 recession, Blair turned the company around and took their revenue from near failure to more than $10 million a month in only 15 months. He has appeared on CNBC, MSNBC, and Fox Business, amongst others, and has been featured in Time, BusinessWeek, Sports Illustrated, the Wall Street Journal, and Forbes, amongst other major media. Blair lives in Hollywood, with his son Reagan.

That's great, but if you take a look at the inside jacket of the book, what makes it so unique is highlighted as follows:

"Long before I became a millionaire entrepreneur, I was a kid with a criminal record , street gang experience, and a lot of emotional scarring..."

Ryan Blair's success story becomes even more impressive, when you learn that when his abusive father succumbed to drug addiction and abandoned the family, Blair and his mother moved to a rough neighborhood, and he was in and out of gangs, and juvenile detention, until he turned his life around and became the brilliant entrepreneur he is now.

This is a great read, and thanks to Daniel Decker, a book marketer (and apparently pretty good at it!) who did a special mailing. Not sure I was on the list, but it worked out.

I have an extra copy to give away to readers!

To enter, just post a comment here on the blog about:
-why you would like the book and/or
-why this book resonates with you and/or
-what kind of similar obstacles you have overcome to achieve your career success

Deadline: Friday September 2

Good luck, and may the entrepreneurial spirit be with you!

PS There's a great interview with Chris Brogan and Ryan that published recently, that provides some great context and background on the writing of the book. I suggest you check it out if you're interested in more info.

7 Ways to Improve Your Mood and Productivity (even if you don't feel like it)

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

We all have those days, when it's just tough to get up and get going in the morning. As the summer wanes and the fall season encroaches, with new schedules, responsibilities, and pressures, it's important to keep your working life balanced, whether you're out in the corporate world, or an at home consultant or social-mediaist.

Here are 10 tips to help you increase your productivity, and get out and about!

1. Exercise, preferably early in the day.
I always find that going for an early morning walk, run, or yoga class, clears my head and helps me feel calm and relaxed for the rest of the day. If the morning doesn't work for you, try a lunchtime or after work break.

2. Make a To Do List.
If you haven't already, make a list of all your tasks for the day, and even the week or month. Check off even small items as you do them, and your confidence in getting projects accomplished will grow. Don't minimize or ignore small tasks either, sometime they are just as important.
If you don't finish everything on your list, don't be hard on yourself...just put those items on the top of your list for the next day.
Great programs for online organizing are: Evernote, Remember the Milk, Google Tasks (integrated with e-mail), and there's tons of others out there.

3. Break Down Large Projects.
They say if you break down large projects they are easier to finish, and it's true! If you are writing a book or large report or publication, break it down into chapters, and don't change courses until you finish each one at a time. Reward yourself with a nice outing or fun activity at the completion of each chapter!

4. Eat Well.
Fuel your body with nutritious fruits and veggies, and don't fall into the sugar trap that sweets will save you. I love chocolate, but try to eat it sparingly, as I definitely experience an energy swing after the buzz wears off. Focus on whole foods and avoid overprocessed ones that always have extra sugar and sodium, not to mention additives.

5. Clean something.
It doesn't have to be your entire house or apartment, but I find whenever I clean even one room, or declutter a space that's been bothering me for a while, I always feel more productive. You don't have to go overboard on feng shui, just create a comfortable working space and you'll be more likely to stick with your projects.

6. Organize Similar Tasks Together.
It's nice to have variety in your schedule, but when it comes to getting stuff done, I always feel more organized when I group similar activities together. So, if I have a few phone calls to make, I try and do it at the same time. If I have some writing projects, such as a group of blog posts to write, I do that together as well. Jumping around too much can be less efficient in the long run.

7. Tame the Procrastination Beast, Particularly for Writing Projects.
I wrote over here about how to conquer procrastination specifically when it comes to writing. Check out the tips and see what you think.

How about you? Got any tips to share on how to improve your productivity and outlook? Please comment here! Note: anyone who comments gets a free 20 minute communications consultation/ writing coaching session with me, covering any writing project or marketing and communications obstacle your're dealing with. Just add: "yes! I want my free consultation with Carrie" to the end of your comment, and I will get in touch with you!

Your Social Media Conscience, Ships, and Eggs Out the Window

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:32:00 +0000

What Goes Around Comes Around...and Around

Social media has been around long enough now so that certain issues, events, people...and, yes, it's about relationships! may circle back to you, and more then a few times, whether you expected it or not. Of course, you can unfriend someone on FB if you really feel it's necessary. But then you may just as soon see their profile or blog link pop up on Linked In, or Google Plus, or in a video, and that's when you experience that little twang of OMG, look how great that person is, and I'm missing out!

Or, you may even run into them real-time...maybe a day or two after you just unfriended them! Oh no, you think to yourself, maybe they didn't notice. Or maybe they'll just be elegant about it and not bring it up. In the end, nothing is irreversible, and I mean that in a good way. You can always refollow on Twitter, and "refriend" on Facebook, and if you sneak it in quickly, maybe no one will notice.

Perhaps there is a good reason. Maybe you find yourself missing that person's blog posts and updates, or you decided their tweets were too fascinating to pass up. Maybe you realize that they in turn, decided to unfriend you as well, and you just can't live with yourself over it. How could they not have at least skimmed your brilliant series on Hootsuite versus Sendible?

Over the course of my 6 years on social media, I've had about a handful of social media "friends" I have unconnected with, which in the scheme of things is rather little. I felt good about my decision to unfriend at the time, but now I'm having a touch of social media bad conscience, or "unfriender's remorse," we might call it, with one in particular.

The Egg Out the Window

One of these "friends" is a former high school classmate, John, who has been posting repeatedly on my school's LinkedIn alumni group about his troubles, which basically are that he, and his young son, are in danger of losing their home. He is being perceived by the banks as not working or bringing in enough income, as he is a freelance consultant in the technical music industry. Various alumni have posted comments trying to help, including suggestions for lawyers and methods he can make an appeal, but he recently posted that nothing has helped, and he is officially "in trouble."

I feel terrible about his situation. If it were me, I'd want everyone I had ever known to be willing to help me out, even if it were just a little bit. Maybe someone knew someone else? Maybe there was an organization, a group, a resource that would make all the difference. But in truth, he needs work, and I don't know of any, particularly in his field, which is rather eclectic, although he says he will take anything. But social media is supposed to help with this kind of thing. It saves lives everyday. After all, thanks to Facebook, a Palo Alto student, Jacob Boehm, who was traveling in Malaysia, was just located after being missing nearly a week.

I feel terrible, but I'm also "aware" of a few things. About a year or two ago, I had found John when I was reconnecting with former high school acquaintances, and I friended him. He friended back, but then a month or so late, unfriended, explaining in a note that he was limiting his Facebook to only close family and friends. It was fine, I simply took it in stride, briefly noting to myself that social media was about more then that, that the whole point of it was to expand your circle, beyond who you already knew.

So that's the social media memory part I'm referring to, the part that rears its ugly head when someone wants or needs something, and you have a ridiculous, stupid, petty memory that somehow interfered. So I feel ridiculous and stupid about John, and that the memory of his unfriending me even came up in my mind. How could the mere act of unfriending hold a candle to the thought of being homeless, and with a child, no less! But it did.

And there's another memory, too, this one in real life. Another small twist in the equation. It took place during my sweet sixteen party, (yes, I'm going back that far), during which I was gifted with the incredible Crosby, Stills & Nash album, "Shadow Captain," and wore a somewhat odd pink dress with puffy sleeves that I have no idea how I acquired. Forget the dress...more about the song in a bit.

John appeared, uninvited, which was a bit odd to begin with, but then high school can be like that. To be cordial, I let him in, and at one point during the party, he found some eggs from the kitchen refrigerator, and decided to toss them out the window of our 11th floor apartment. I didn't notice until he had already started, and others began "egging" him on. A crowd started to gather on the sidewalk, and I was afraid the police might show up any minute. The party changed deteriorated to a near nightmare (despite "Shadow Captain" in the background), and I ended up confronting John outright and asking him -- telling him-- to leave. I had never done anything like that before. Thankfully, he did, but everyone gave me strange looks afterwards, like I was the one doing something wrong. Was it so terrible to throw eggs out the window? Maybe I'd just been too goody goody about it.

So...perhaps the only thing more ridiculous about my feeling guilty about not doing more now to help John, is remembering the unfriending incident and, on top of that, the egg out the window incident. Social media meets real life, is yet another lesson here. But I admit it, I am holding a grudge. I need to learn to be more generous. I need a bigger heart. I need to let go of stupid incidents from the past. I will try harder to help.

I hope everything will turn out OK for John and his son, and that he gets the help he needs. I also hope for his sake, that he doesn't have to learn the hard way that his social media "friends" aren't the real deal.

PS I hope that John, should he read this, will be heartened by the lyrics from Verse 3 of

Shadow Captain:

I can see your hands are roughened
By the wheel and the rope.
I'd like to look to you for hope,
I think it's hiding there.

10 Lessons in Innovation from Walt Disney

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:39:00 +0000

Happy August, everyone! I'm taking a brief break from blogging this week to work on new projects, so I am republishing some of my favorite blog posts from the first half of this year. I hope if you missed them the first time, you enjoy them the second time around! This post inspired by visit to the Disney Family Museum, was originally published January 3, 2011.

For those of you who are new here, this "mini-column" published on the occasional Monday, and focuses on marketing inspirations, misfires, and my real life experiences as a consumer with campaigns that worked and didn't work, and a look at their pros and cons. This post is inspired by my recent visit to the Walt Disney Family Museum, a wonderful institution that opened in San Francisco's Presidio area last fall, and is probably one of the most comprehensives chronicles of a life I have ever witnessed. While everyone (OK, pretty much everyone) loves Disneyland and Disneyworld, few really know the details surrounding Walt Disney's life, and the entrepreneurial spirit that characterized his career. Every challenge he met, he rose above. Every no, he turned into a yes. He succeeded in selling millions of Mickey Mouse watches in the height of the Depression, and reinvented himself during World War II, creating educational and military films at cost for the good of the cause. Walt had class and style, and a verve and passion for the wild west as much as for outer space.

I left the museum feeling moved and inspired, humming"It's A Small World" and wondering what kind of wonderful innovations Walt would have added to the social media world if he'd only lived long enough to tweet, update, blog, and upload to YouTube. We'll never know, of course, but we can surely use our imaginations,. In the meantime, he left a great legacy and captured nearly a century in one lifetime. So without further ado, here's a pictorial view of my Walt Disney marketing inspirations --so much of what he did is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. The images are so strong, I don't really need to write anything else, but feel free to add your own captions as you see fit. After all, creativity and innovation are what it's all about, and in the end, aren't we all big kids? Walt would have seen it that way, I'm sure.

1. Have A Vision

2. Create A Cornerstone Product

3. Staff Up! Organize a Great Team

4. Take Risks

5. Embrace Technology

6. Be Relevant for Your Time

7. Do Something Interesting With A Book

8. Prioritize Offline Experiences

9.Conquer Synchronicity

10. Understand Packaging

So there you have it...my Walt Disney-inspired thoughts on innovation! So, what about you? Do you admire Walt Disney, and what if any marketing lessons have you learned from him, for your own careers?

Photos: Walt Disney Family Foundation and archival

Google+ Tips and Tricks: 8 Blog Posts I Found Useful

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:33:00 +0000

I've begun to test the waters in Google+, and while I disagree with some out there who feel this platform could eventually replace Facebook and Twitter (I just don't think the average user is going to spend the time sorting out "Circles" and "Hangouts," for example), I do like the fluidity of the Stream structure it offers, and the availability to easily share links and open up chats. There is, as some have noticed, some redundancy and confusion in the Circles, which I think Google will need to refine down the line. Will I always take the trouble to share info with one Circle vs another, for example? What if my relationships change over time...will I take the time to drag and drop folks to reflect these changes? Not sure, but I also know that while I was one of the early adapters to Facebooks List feature, which allows you to create categories for new friends, I rarely use this tool except as an initial organizer.

In the meantime, I've received so many great overviews in my inbox and through searches this week, that I thought I'd share my top 10 here with you. I'm also sharing my profile link here.

Good luck with Google+, and feel free to share your favorite tips posts here.

1. Mashable: 10 Hints and Tricks for New Users
2. Flyte Blog: Managing Your Privacy Settings
3. Copyblogger: Is Google Plus the Ultimate Content Marketing Platform?
4. Pamorama: 25 Google Plus Resources
5. Bill Handy: How to Search Google Plus
6. Simply Zesty: 10 Awesome Video Tips
7. PC World, 8 Quick Tips and Tricks
8. Blogging Bookshelf: 61 Google Plus Tips, Thoughts, and Requests

Final note: in reviewing many of these posts, the overall verdict seems to be positive, with the majority of users viewing Google Plus as a welcome change from Facebook, and a more streamlined user experience. I agree that integration with YouTube needs to happen, and the default photo uploads from Picasa were something of a shock for me when I reviewed my own profile, as I pretty much forgotten about Picasa and had relied on Facebook and Flickr! Anyone else?

Caroline Jaffe Pickett, @carriewriter

PR and Social Media Go Together, If You Give Them A Chance

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:03:00 +0000

During the course of the last year or two, I've met many public relations specialists. I've written press releases for some, and for others, I've handled media outreach and story pitching. In nearly every instance, social media was an afterthought. They either didn't "get it," or they didn't think it was important, and it surprised me that I had to deliberately bring social media up, as if it hadn't been the fastest growing phenomenon since sliced bread.

"I don't like Twitter," I heard a lot. Or even worse, "my client doesn't like Twitter." "Facebook is too confusing," I heard. Or, "I don't know how to do video."

Sometimes, I heard the opposite comment, that pr firms expected social media to transform their lives, and provide instant results for their clients.

Wrong mindset! Social media is used to build online community and brand. It can be about selling eventually, but people buy from those they know and trust, and that can take a while. Not only that, but if your audience senses you're trying trying to sell to them too quickly, or they haven't gotten enough value from their connection, they're going to sign off and tune out.

Social media can best be used to enhance the public relations activities you already have going on, much in the same way it's used to enhance traditional marketing. Think of it as the dressing on your salad!

Here are a few tips on how to enhance your pr efforts with social media, for press releases and events specifically.

1. 0n the press release, include not only your client's website, but any of their social media profiles. If they don't have any yet, set up a Twitter profile at the very least, and start following relevant people or organizations of interest. You can also use Twitter to set up a hashtag for your event or news, which will help establish a social media online "trail."

2. Make sure to include the Share button on your release, to make it that much easier to spread the information.

3. Research bloggers who might be interested in covering your product or event, and reach out to them individually, with specific pitch letters that show you are familiar with their posts. Don't send out a generic note--they will ignore it. (I know that as a blogger, I have always responded to pitch letters that were specifically addressed to me, and that got to the point quickly, typically in the first paragraph.)

4.Graphics always enhance and liven up your releases, so include photos in the body of your release, with a link to your Flickr set, if you have one. Press releases with video and YouTube links have been proven to get more traction then those without, so take every opportunity to add multimedia when you can.

5. In order to build buzz, try introducing a social media contest in the weeks before an event, where your community can earn a prize or a discount by retweeting or sharing your information. You can award the winner at your live event. Encourage social media posting during the event to build online brand, as well as SEO.

6.Use your own company blog if you have one, to publish your release and info about your event, and use SEO techniques to heighten your online visibility. A strategically written blog post may also contain links to other companies and individuals, who will ultimately see that you linked to them, thus increasing your brand awareness. This recently happened to me on a blog post I had republished as a result of Peter Falk (Columbo's) death. I had linked to Radian6, and their community manager saw the mention and retweeted my post!

These are just some of the ways you can integrate social media with PR tools. Please post in the comments if you have any other experiences or ideas.

Build and Design a Microsite With Flavors.me

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:05:00 +0000

I've been exploring various Splash page, or About Me, sites over the last week or so, and one of my favorites so far is flavors.me. I read about this program in Mashable, and was inspired to give it a try. I was impressed with how user-friendly this program is, and its highly customized features. I created this page on the screenshot you see here in about 20 minutes on my iPad, and plan to tweak and embellish on my computer, as I need the upload functionality for that. I also still need to add my bio, which doesn't appear to work on the iPad.

The free version of this program offers plenty for those just wanting a test run, including 4 social media profile links, some dynamic template designs, as well as layout and type size selection. One of the standout features is that when users click on your social media profiles, they get a pop up of your live stream, and not just the profile link.

The premium version is $20 a year, and includes features I think are well worth it, such as a Contact form, nearly 20 profile links, real-time stats, and more custom design features. Premium users also get included in the Directory listing, and while this seems like a good idea, I don't know the page views on this, so it remains to be seen. I also don't know the SEO of this site versus other competitors, such as About.Me, although I noted that a metadata optimized SEO feature is included in the premium version.

If you consider that the premium version could almost replace a full website, the price is fair, and the usability is straightforward.

I briefly tried out About.me as well, and while I liked the interface, I was surprised it did not allow users to type custom titles for an added URL. In other words, the program defaults to the web page title, which may not be the content you want to focus on.

Has anyone else explored various About Me sites? Please leave a comment or a link to your favorites!

Blogging on the iPad 2 with BlogPress: Part 3 - Formatting Text

noreply@blogger.com (caroline jaffe-pickett) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome everyone, and happy Friday! OK, I'm advance publishing here, so I'm just thinking Friday ahead of time...In the earlier videos this week, I showed how to upload photos both using the live camera feature in BlogPress, as well as accessing your iPad media library. I also showed how to tag your posts, as well as schedule them in advance.

So here's my 3rd and final post of this video series, and I've got two videos here that illustrate how to format the text when you're blogging in BlogPress. One shows how to change the color of the text, and the other illustrates the hyperlinking function.

I hope you enjoyed the videos, and feel free to comment here on your adventures in blogging, either on the iPad or iPad 2. I look forward to comparing notes with you.