Full disclosure: 2010 brings loads of celebrations for me: 25th wedding anniversary, 20th year as a home-based entrepreneur, our oldest son’s high school graduation [where this image was taken] and three children who turn 21, 18 and 16 – wow! life is good. Hey – companies – if you’re looking for a fabulous Boomer spokesperson, here I am.

In April 2009, I wrote ...]]> Can the 40 plus market be the pot of gold after the 20 and 30s rainbow?

Full disclosure: 2010 brings loads of celebrations for me: 25th wedding anniversary, 20th year as a home-based entrepreneur, our oldest son’s high school graduation [where this image was taken] and three children who turn 21, 18 and 16 – wow! life is good. Hey – companies – if you’re looking for a fabulous Boomer spokesperson, here I am.

In April 2009, I wrote about Boomers and social media stats. Because the post attracts a good bit of traffic every month, this tells me that there’s lots of interest out in Boomers and social media marketing.

As a Boomer, I know how much our generation spends. And, I know how much our purchasing decisions are influenced by not just our media habits, but also by others in our household.

[Hey, Old Spice Guy, who do you think is buying Fiji, Matterhorn and Denali? Moms with teenage boys who want them to work out like a gym rat, but smell like they don't sweat. Thanks for making if fun -seriously - to buy products that make my young men smell like awesome guys.]

Over 78 million people fall into the Boomer category born between 1946 and 1964.

If you’re looking for a reason to looking into this group, check this out. Nielsen recently released a report calledWhy Marketers Can’t Afford to Ignore Baby Boomers.

Mismatch: Boomer Buying Stats and Advertising Budgets

Boomers spend 38.5% of consumer product goods dollars BUT Less than 5% of ad dollars target adults 35-64
Most marketers target 18-39 year olds AND the influential and affluent 40+ market is largely ignored

Nielsen Marketing Facts about Boomers

* Dominate 1,023 out of 1,083 consumer packaged goods categories
* Watch the most video: 9:34 hours per day – really?
* Comprise 1/3 of all TV viewers, online users, social media users and Twitter users
* Time shift TV more than 18-24s (2:32 vs. 1:32)
* Are significantly more likely to own a DVD player
* More likely to have broadband Internet access at home

Top 10 Websites for 18-34 and Baby Boomers
Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, YouTube, Microsoft, AOL, and Wikipedia all made both lists. Ask and Amazon rounded out the Baby Boomers list while Fox Interactive Media and Apple were on the 18-34 list. Hat tip to #commentz, produced by Sarah Evans, for the link to the Nielsen post.

Where do Boomers fit into your business?

I don’t think of myself as a career counselor and mentor, but other people seem to. Lately I’m getting these questions a lot: How did you get there? How can I get a promotion? Should I quit my job? How can I start a consulting business? How did you get started in social media?

What does it mean when people start wanting to know what it takes to get ...]]> Or . . . How Did you Get from Here to There

I don’t think of myself as a career counselor and mentor, but other people seem to. Lately I’m getting these questions a lot: How did you get there? How can I get a promotion? Should I quit my job? How can I start a consulting business? How did you get started in social media?

What does it mean when people start wanting to know what it takes to get what you got that you have?

Almost two years ago, I wrote two posts that I still recommend today:

Write from the Start . . . How to Launch a Creative Consultancy

Getting Started with New Media Consulting

I was thinking about writing a here to there post later, maybe in August when it’s closer to my company’s 20th anniversary [and I will write a longer one then – so stay tuned]. Since I’ve gotten several requests for career counseling, all from well-meaning folks, I decided to answer the frequently asked questions I get about who I am and what I do.

Let’s start out with a very illuminating insight . . .

Sitting in the back seat on a late night car ride home, two young ladies told me who they are. One said: I am a raconteur. The other said: I am a healer. I asked: What am I? They both said: Only you know.

So, you go first. Who are you and who do you want to be?

Not when you grow up, because hopefully you’ll always be a bit childlike, but right now, tomorrow and the next day.

If you contacted me and you’ve found your way here because of this link, my personal apologies for not letting you buy me lunch so you can “pick my brain” right away. Before we meet in person, I’ll save you time by answering questions. I’ll also ask you to think about what you need to know. I hope you find this helpful and that you achieve all of the success you deserve, both in your personal and professional lives.

Did you catch that? “Achieve all of the success you deserve.”

What does success mean to you? More money, free time, prestige, power, connections, travel? Take a minute to write down what success means to you.

For me, success is not about money – it was once, but it’s not now. Now it’s about reaching and teaching.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long have you been in social media?

My fascination with technology and communications goes back to sixth grade when I was the audio-visual person for my school. The only reason I took the job was that I didn’t get picked to be a patrol girl and I wanted to have some responsibility. I found out I really liked A/V stuff. In high school, I led the radio club – early podcaster? Backing up a bit, at 10 I took my Brownie camera to Springfield and took pictures of a historic tree coming down at Abe Lincoln’s house – a photojournalist?. At 17, I wrote my first computer program as an accounting student at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Three years later, as a senior marketing major, my business and technical writing professor offered to recommend for a position as a writer at a company in Chicago. I said no thanks, I want to be a sales rep.

Wait – the question is “How long have you been in social media?”

To me, social media is about technology, communications and relationships that mix online and in real life encounters bonded by a glue we call relationships. If you’re talking about two-way communication on social networks, I’ve been on LinkedIn since May 23, 2005 and on twitter since March 17, 2003. Facebook? At least three years. Blogging? Taught my first course in fall 2004 and started this blog in 2006.

How can I start a social media consultancy?

Yes, people do ask me to help them write their business plan over lunch. Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Read The E-Myth first. And, take a look at the links mentioned earlier in this post.

I want to do what you do.

Oh- are you talking about being a mom, photographer, entrepreneur, wife, blogger, volunteer, leader – what? What about what I do is attractive? Who do you want to be in three to five years?

Do you make megabucks?

How many is mega?

Will you share your plan?

Yes, watch what I do – it’s all out there.

Can I pick your brain?

No, you may not. Have you ever been through the Inside Ancient Egypt exhibit at The Field Museum? Yes? Then, you know why it’s offensive to suggest that you do that to someone else.

Can I buy you lunch or a drink?

Yes, if we don’t talk about social media or work, we’re friends and we have something to celebrate together.

Can you help me get social media and PR speaking and consulting gigs?

Believe or not, people really do ask me to recommend them for the same kinds of business opportunities I’m after. Much better: be a peer and find out how can we refer each other. Would you think of asking your competitor to recommend you without knowing how to refer them?

Do you know lots of people?

Yes.

Should I start my own business or work for someone else?

Do you need more than one income besides yours to survive?

What should I do first?

Know three things: what kinds of work you love doing, what kinds of companies you want to work for and how you want to make your money.

Can you help me find a job?

That’s your job. But, if I do find a way to make a connection for you, I will.

How about you – how did you get hired or start your business? What other questions do you want me to answer?

Photo provided by Shutterstock.com in exchange for credit – thanks Shutterstock!

Facebook. Is it just Facebook? Or, is Facebook something bigger than Facebook? How will “The Social Network” profile the business of communication – and capture the spirit of our time?

On October 1, “The Social Network” premieres in theaters. I first heard about this movie from an independent film producer who predicted social networking in movies would be a trend to ...]]> “Why did they make a movie about Facebook? It’s just Facebook.” college junior watching trailers for “The Social Network”

Facebook. Is it just Facebook? Or, is Facebook something bigger than Facebook? How will “The Social Network” profile the business of communication – and capture the spirit of our time?

On October 1, “The Social Network” premieres in theaters. I first heard about this movie from an independent film producer who predicted social networking in movies would be a trend to watch. That was about a year ago. Now that the film’s release is a few months away, the first trailers are out this week – as are the preview reviews.

AllFacebook.com Says The Social Network is Worth Watching

The much-hyped movie, “The Social Network”, which is a sensationalized version of the history of Facebook, has landed on the web. While not much more is revealed in the latest trailer, there’s a number of actual clips from the movie included in this video preview. It’s clearly aiming to be a dramatic movie and it’s actually looking like something worth watching. While Facebook is concerned about drawing negative publicity to the company, the clips don’t appear to be too damaging, although they definitely are drama-filled.
Source: AllFacebook.com Full Trailer for The Social Network Arrives

IMDB links to over 700 stories

IMDB fans can check out “The Social Network” on IMDB.
Did you know IMDB links to a new desk? Here’s where to find over 700 stories about “The Social Network.”

The Social Network Trailer

Scored by Nine Inch Nails
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails composed the score. Mashable calls him the “king of internet controversy.”

The Social Network Opens at The New York Film Festival

“The Social Network” was chosen to open the New York Film Festival on September 24.

““It’s exceptionally rare to discover a film that so powerfully captures the spirit of its time; The Social Network is such a film. David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin are a director/writer team, like [Sidney] Lumet and [Paddy] Chayefsky before them, that make this movie not only of the moment, but reflective of larger cultural issues as well, and confirm their position at forefront of contemporary cinema,” says Richard Peña, Selection Committee Chair & Program Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Last month, I taught a Facebook class. Three days before class started, one of my students heard about Facebook for the first time. How do you think this movie will raise awareness about social networks?

Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook profile says, “I’m trying to make the world a more open place by helping people connect and share.” Who do you think this movie is really about?

Looking for a way to save on your 2010 BlogWorld and New Media Expo registration? There’s a link at the bottom of this post.

Depending on when you get here, the discount may or may no longer be good. Early bird registration closes on July 15. Wondering if BlogWorld is the conference for you? Check out Wired PR Works BlogWorld coverage.

The 2010 BlogWorld & New Media Expo will take place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, beginning with the exclusive ...]]>

Looking for a way to save on your 2010 BlogWorld and New Media Expo registration? There’s a link at the bottom of this post.

Depending on when you get here, the discount may or may no longer be good. Early bird registration closes on July 15. Wondering if BlogWorld is the conference for you? Check out Wired PR Works BlogWorld coverage.

The 2010 BlogWorld & New Media Expo will take place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, beginning with the exclusive Social Media Business Summit (TM) conference on October 14th and continuing with the BlogWorld & New Media Expo and Conference October 15th-16th.

The first day is a social media business summit. Here’s my coverage from two of the 2009 keynotes along with a link to my flickr set.

Embracing Awesomeness in 140 Characters

Steve Rubel on Lifestreaming via Posterous

BlogWorld New Media Expo Images

Will you be there?

Save 20% NOW on BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2010 registration with the code “EBIRD”

Full Disclosure: Clicking on the links in this post and on banners in this site will lead the browser to my affiliate site. If you buy a product or register for an event after clicking, the company will register the sale to my account and I will receive a commission in exchange for promoting or mentioning the program. If you make a purchase through this site, let me know so I can thank you personally.

It’s funny. When we work with our clients, we don’t talk about popularity or influence as much as we do about thought leadership and measuring results. Influence comes in when we talk about ...]]> Continuing on in an informal series of posts about influence inspired by the Fast Company influence project, here’s one with references to many sources, including Wicked. Originally posted on July 9, 2008, the information is updated with new numbers and the addition of a new slant: leadership.

It’s funny. When we work with our clients, we don’t talk about popularity or influence as much as we do about thought leadership and measuring results. Influence comes in when we talk about who we want to connect with and why. How do the three relate?

How about you? Are you influential or popular or a leader?

For Galinda, a Wicked witch it’s all about being popular . . .

When I see depressing creatures
With unprepossessing features
I remind them on their own behalf
To think of celebrated heads of state
Or specially great communicators
Did they have brains or knowledge?
Don’t make me laugh!
They were popular! Please –
It’s all about popular!
It’s not about aptitude
It’s the way you’re viewed
So it’s very shrewd to be
Very very popular like me!

Artist: Kristin Chenoweth
Song: Popular

What does “popular” mean?

1490, “public,” from L. popularis “belonging to the people,” from populus “people.” Meaning “well-liked, admired by the people” is attested from 1608. Popularity “fact or condition of being beloved by the people” is first recorded 1601; popularity contest is from 1941. Popular Front “coalition of Communists, Socialists, and radicals” is from 1936. Popularize “to make a complex topic intelligible to the people” is from 1833.

Source: Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/popular (accessed: July 09, 2008).

How about “influence?”

c.1374, an astrological term, “streaming ethereal power from the stars acting upon character or destiny of men,” from O.Fr. influence “emanation from the stars that acts upon one’s character and destiny” (13c.), also “a flow of water,” from M.L. influentia “a flowing in” (also used in the astrological sense), from L. influentem (nom. influens), prp. of influere “to flow into,” from in- “in” + fluere “to flow” (see fluent). Meaning “exercise of personal power by human beings” is from 1439; meaning “exertion of unseen influence by persons” is from 1588 (a sense already in M.L., e.g. Aquinas). Under the influence “drunk” first attested 1866. Influential “powerful” is from 1734

Source: Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/influence (accessed: July 09, 2008).

How about “Leader”?

1. One that leads or guides.
2. One who is in charge or in command of others.
3.
a. One who heads a political party or organization.
b. One who has influence or power, especially of a political nature.
4. Music
a. A conductor, especially of orchestra, band, or choral group.
b. The principal performer in an orchestral section or a group.
5. The foremost animal, such as a horse or dog, in a harnessed team.
6. A loss leader.
7. Chiefly British The main editorial in a newspaper.
8. leaders Printing Dots or dashes in a row leading the eye across a page, as in an index entry.
9. A pipe for conducting liquid.
10. A short length of gut, wire, or similar material by which a hook is attached to a fishing line.
11. A blank strip at the end or beginning of a film or tape used in threading or winding.
12. Botany The growing apex or main shoot of a shrub or tree.
13. An economic indicator.

Source The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Compare and Contrast: popular and influential and leader

Orange: a popular marketing color

“Popular marketing” gets 70,600 Google results

update: now 85,300

“Influential Marketing” gets 37,300 Google results with two names mentioned most often at the top: Seth Godin and Rohit Bhargava, social media star and Digital Strategist for Ogilvy 360 – could Seth and Rohit also be popular?

update: now 171,000 results and Fast Company now has an Influential Marketing section
“Leadership marketing” gets 105,000 results. Marketing Profs hosts a thought leadership marketing section.

How to get to be popular

Set up a popular social media profile

Learn how to hang out with popular people

Share the spotlight with celebrities

How to be influential

Read Influential Marketing Blog

Time lists their version of the 100 most influential people.

Top 10 Emerging influential blogs project

Social Medial Influence

Measurement

Tracking Blog Popularity

See how Onalytica measures PR blog influence

“How to be a Leader” gets over 33 million results in a Google search. How does being a leader relate to your marketing and PR strategies?

Thanks [again] to Brendan Cooper for the original inspiration for this post – and for clarifying what the Friendly PR Index is and and is not.

Your Turn: Would you rather be popular, influential or a leader?

“It’s a wild, unwieldy, imperfect, and hopefully fun way to take a look at the wild, unwieldy, imperfect and certainly fun world of social media.” Mark Borden of Fast Company writes in his post today called Popularity, Ego and Influence – What is the Influence Project?

When Fast Company sent me an email invitation to join in, I must admit I jumped right on board, wrote this and thought maybe there ...]]> How do you feel about Fast Company’s The Influence Project?

“It’s a wild, unwieldy, imperfect, and hopefully fun way to take a look at the wild, unwieldy, imperfect and certainly fun world of social media.” Mark Borden of Fast Company writes in his post today called Popularity, Ego and Influence – What is the Influence Project?

When Fast Company sent me an email invitation to join in, I must admit I jumped right on board, wrote this and thought maybe there was something that was valuable somewhere, And, yes, I was curious about how far and fast influence could spread.

Just into a day or two into this campaign and the reviews are mixed. Take this one about how the Fast Company Influence Project turns off online influencers.

Right now, the value lies in a lesson for the “how not to” case study section. And, as it turns out that, according to this project, I am not very influential at all – at least in terms of getting people to click on a link about the influence project.

If this is all there is – a call to get others to click on and visit a URL – then there really isn’t that much worth reporting. After all, anyone can track URL shortener stats, retweets and likes or comments every day. Collectively, there may be some project stats that we can all use – or not.

When I first found out about this project, I thought there must be some kind of tracking code or program to follow a select group to see how what they shared what was important. Kind of like following seeds in the wind, seeing where they settle and watching how they bloomed and reseeded. Where does information go? Does it matter who sends it out? Is there a way to map influence for global good?

But, that’s not the case – yet. From what I can see, it is what it is: a click-through counter that measures out results as icons in motion with images of a person’s influencers stacked in revolving tiers.

Even with all of the negative initial reactions, I have to thank Fast Company for bringing the subject of influence front and center. And, I’ll follow the accompanying blog that covers influencers and their stories as part of a Fast Company feature story for the November 2010 issue.

How do you think The Influence Project will affect your relationship with Fast Company?

Image credit disclosure: thanks to Shutterstock for providing images.

The Influence Project, by Fast Company, is a campaign within a campaign. Fast Company’s 2010’s Most Influential Person Online-‘s tagline is you are more influential than you ...]]>
This will be one for the best-of case studies book. And, for me, it’s already fascinating to see how bloggers, social media thought leaders and internet marketers are spreading the word – in their own way – to their networks: email, blog posts, twitter updates and Facebook links have all found their way online.

The Influence Project, by Fast Company, is a campaign within a campaign. Fast Company’s 2010’s Most Influential Person Online-‘s tagline is you are more influential than you think. The link in this paragraph goes to my site, Barbara Rozgonyi on Fast Company’s 2010 Most Influential Person Online site as does this one. What happens when you click on a link from someone? You’ll be added to their sphere of influence and invited to start your own site.

Although the site is only a few hours old, you can quickly see the influence building for people who have major networks. All in the name of measuring influence – and getting your picture in the November 2010 issue of Fast Company.

Fast Company first contacted me about this project via a direct message on twitter on June 23.

The project?
A visual experiment called The Influence Project that will purely track how influence spreads via digital word-of-mouth.

You are one of the first people in the mix. As you know, influence is more than popularity, it’s affecting people. You embrace your community and you’ve created a loyal group of people that love to hear what you have to say and that you enjoy engaging with as well. You are in an influencer and we want you to be part of this.

From today’s email . . .

Check out the quick tutorial in the ABOUT THE PROJECT section and learn more about the guidelines, how we are measuring, FAQs and more. You can also follow Mark Borden’s blog about the project – http://www.fastcompany.com/1666288/welcome-to-the-influence-project An important note – upload a great photo and 140 character bio line for yourself since this is the only opportunity you’ll get to create this GET STARTED section. And, as I mentioned in my email last week, your photo will appear in the November 2010 issue of Fast Company mag along with possible coverage both online and in print.

Get started and become one of Fast Company’s most influential persons online.

YOUR TURN

Who’s who on your personal list of most influential people – on or offline?

What ...]]> Yes, that is me with Southpaw, who represents the Chicago White Sox on twitter, at games and community events. Taken at the Eat.Drink.Tweet. event at US Cellular Field in June 2010, this picture is one of many from my Chicago White Sox Tweetup Album. Thanks so much to Amy Jensen Martin of Digital Royalty for inviting me to represent Social Media Club Chicago on this panel and to Alana Golob, also of Digital Royalty, for being the event coordinator.

What an honor to sit alongside Brad Boron of NHL Chicago Blackhawks; Amy Jensen Martin of Digital Royalty; Sarah Evans of Sevans Strategy and Mark Teahan of Chicago White Sox. Scott Reifert, vice president of Chicago White Sox communications, moderated the panel discussion. In this video, we talk about how we got into social media.

Another question was about a social media success story. As the other speakers before me quoted numbers and great success – you would expect that from @nhlblackhawks – right?, I wondered what I could add. After all, the numbers from my client’s success stories didn’t add up that high and SMC Chicago’s members spill over into the 2100s, not into five or six digits. So, I brought the numbers down, way down into the smallest, most personal interaction: one to one. Because, to me, it’s the smallest of interactions that can have the biggest effects.

When I traced how I wound up sitting between Brad and Amy, the source came back to an invitation on Facebook from Sarah to attend a party at The Wit on a rainy January Saturday night in Chicago. I wasn’t planning on going. I emailed the invitation to a friend and suggested she go. It sounded like fun, but I had other plans. She called me right away – what time do you want me to pick you up? I went. I met Amy and two other moms from my town, which is 22 miles west of Chicago. The image I’m using now on my social networks is from that night. Five months later, Amy called. Six months later I was on the Eat.Drink.Tweet. panel. Today I’m writing a post about it.

How can the next social media interaction you take lead to a success story for everyone? Where do you get your social media inspiration?

Image gallery: Southpaw with Barbara Rozgonyi; social media moms including Xan Pearson and Amy Hesser at The Wit tweetup – and Barbara Rozgonyi, Amy Jensen Martin, Sarah Evans and Duong Sheahan – also at The Wit.

Today, I teach wired writing workshops to train companies and writers how to communicate more effectively online. That’s why I’m excited to see a new online, and hard cover, style guide.

“The ...]]> Flash back to 2000. . .. that’s the year I bought http://wiredwriting.com. With plans to use the site as a space to teach people about how to communicate more effectively online, I knew that writers would need to upgrade their skills – even if they were A+ students offline.

Today, I teach wired writing workshops to train companies and writers how to communicate more effectively online. That’s why I’m excited to see a new online, and hard cover, style guide.

“The Ultimate Sourcebook for Writing, Editing, and Creating Content for the Digital World,” from Yahoo!, is online now and available for sale on Amazon.com on July 6.

Polished and expanded for its public debut, “The Yahoo! Style Guide” covers the basics of grammar and punctuation plus a multitude of topics with a Web-specific focus. Yahoo! editors discuss effective writing and editing for an online audience, techniques for streamlining copy, basic Web codes, Internet law, search engine optimization, and more. Before-and-after examples of how to clean up problem copy abound.

. from http://styleguide.yahoo.com

Whether you’re a novice or a pro, you can search to find the information you’re looking for. Can’t find the answer? You can always ask an editor. Here’s a look at a few sections that jumped out at me.

Shape Your Text for Online Reading

How to Write Strong Headlines for Web Copy

Editing 101: Best Practices for Online Copy

Yahoo! Style Guide Table of Contents

Build your own word list, using Yahoo’s as as starter.

Voices, tone and content vary inside companies. A style guide resource steps in when a call is in question. I like the way Yahoo! offers downloadable word lists. That way you can add your own and change their guide to match your preferred usage.

How about you? When do you or your company use a style guide?

Need a wired writing workshop speaker for your company or your group? Let’s talk: corywestmedia @gmail.com or 630.027.7530.