As I sit here, back home in Cleveland for the holidays, I reflect on what’s been a very interesting year for me - actually, the most interesting than any in the past. I’ve learned a lot about myself, on personal and professional levels, as I’ve gone through a lot of changes this year with family, friends, and my career - with most recently, my lay off. But even with all the highs and lows, I’ve enjoyed every second of it and wouldn’t change it a bit.
As I sit here, back home in Cleveland for the holidays, I reflect on what’s been a very interesting year for me - actually, the most interesting than any in the past. I’ve learned a lot about myself, on personal and professional levels, as I’ve gone through a lot of changes this year with family, friends, and my career - with most recently, my lay off. But even with all the highs and lows, I’ve enjoyed every second of it and wouldn’t change it a bit.
There’s no hiding from it. Everywhere you go, you’re bound to hear someone talking about the recession and more specifically, the recent record breaking numbers of unemployment in the U.S. Yours truly wasn’t even recession proof - but there’s got to be some sort of light at the end of tunnel, right? Well, there’s no reason to wait until you get to the end of the tunnel. With the staggering number of people that are getting laid off, we all need to remain vigilant on what could happen and take the necessary steps to be ready if it does. (more…)
Looks like I was thrown into the meme mix of sharing 7 things you may not know about me by Kellye Crane, David Mullen and Beth Harte. A little different than what you may normally read here but hey - I figure it’ll help you all get a better grasp of who I am (or just become a bit more scared). Either way - here it goes: (more…)
Yes, I know Thanksgiving is gone and past but I don’t need just that day to give thanks. I had a rather large thought that finally came full circle yesterday, which happened to be my birthday - but this post isn’t for the fact of that joyous day 27 years ago. This thought came about as I woke up yesterday and turned on the good ‘ol lappy that seems to want to croak any day. Anyway, I woke already to numerous messages wishing me a great birthday and shout outs from friends and family, online and off. Then the day progressed and the messages multiplied and I eventually spent about 30 minutes last night thanking every single person. As I reflected on everyone’s thoughts and wishes for me, I realized several things that took me back through the last crazy month of mine.
I’ve always been a giddy child on Christmas Eve. Sitting there, staring at all the gifts, waiting ’til my mom said it’s ok to open just one (although, most of us can vouch for taking a peek at more than one). Well, the time has come to unveil a gift for you all - my blog’s redesign! As that kid waiting by the Christmas tree, I’m super ecstatic and proud to be opening this gift - albeit slightly premature as there are still small tidbits that need to be fixed yet.
To be honest, I’ve never really been much of a political person but I’ve always been for voting and making your voice count. In what seems like the biggest election that most can remember, celebrities are making their voice count through campaign songs, commercials and videos. They’re utilizing their community of fans and followers to help promote the election (regardless of which party they may be for).
Earlier this week, I came across a great video called 5 Friends. It’s a celebrity filled video created to urge people to vote. They take a funny spin on it that you’ll just have to watch and see but the video is entertaining and thought provoking. The title of the video relates to their lasting message: Tell 5 Friends. That’s it. Just tell 5 of your friends about the video, about voting. Great ‘viral’ spin they put on the video, which has already garnered close to 1 million views since Oct 1st (includes a censored and uncensored version - big boy words;)). Imagine if everyone who watches it sends it to 5 friends. The buzz about the video would skyrocket. So, take a look at the video and be sure to send it to your 5 friends!
I’ve tagged 5 of my friends (I would’ve added more but I’ll stick to the gameplan) so they can have a watch of the video as well:
Amber Naslund, Deb Robison, Frank Martin, Connie Reece and Beth Harte.
Surround yourself with those who you’ll benefit from.
What’s this mean to me? It means creating an environment that surrounds me with people who are conducive to my focus in life, personally and professionally.
Personally, I’m a very optimistic person that tries to stay away from the negativity in life, so surrounding myself with like minded people creates a positive group of friends around me.
Professionally, it focuses more on what your industry or niche is. Twitter is the perfect example as social media marketers are looking to follow similar focused people. We *typically* want to create a stream of information that we can learn & grow from and vice versa to those who follow us. That is the benefit that comes from Twitter but really any business relationship. It’s what makes industry events so fun; the networking and sharing of ideas (and a few drinks) with industry leaders.
Don’t forget though, this is a two-way street. This needs a mention but most people in any form of a relationship eventually realize if a person is using them solely for their own benefit.
What’s this quote mean to you? I’m sure there are different perspectives so feel free to share!
With as much negativity that has been going on in the world recently (and in the past several years) its nice to imagine this:
A lil’ off topic but I’m sure we’ve all wished this one time or another.
Last night, I was lucky enough to attend The Kanye West Glow In The Dark Tour. The show, which also featured the great sounds of Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D. and Rihanna, was simply spectacular. Keep in mind, we were at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater, so only part of the area/set is covered from the elements. The elements, last night, were in full effect as we had 30mph winds and sporadic thunderstorms. Nonetheless, the artists did their thing as the skies eventually came to calm later in the night.
So, you’re asking yourself, what do concerts have to do with the digital age? Well, it’s a semi-rant dealing with the fact that this venue (along with most, I’m sure) do not allow you to bring in digital cameras. I’ve felt strongly against this the past couple of concerts I’ve been to and as I’ve become fully engulfed in the digital marketing world. As technologies continue to evolve (multi-megapixel camera phones, iphone, etc), these venues/artists who don’t want to us to share our memories with our online communities will have a harder and harder time stopping it.
Now I know this may sound kind of petty (no it didn’t ruin my time at the concert) but it just goes to show you the resistance some people have to the evolving world of digital media. It deals with more than just our industry, it affects all industries. It’s their understanding of the digital age and knowing how the evolution affects their respective industry. Take advantage of the opportunities. Realize the benefits. How much more revenue would a venue take in if they were to sell cameras next to a beer or pizza stand? Either we continue to force the issue and find the means to digitally experience these concerts or accept it and take advantage of the change. The choice is theirs.
As much as marketers have to stay afloat on current trends and with what’s going on now, we have to be willing to educate ourselves through what our peers and experts have written in industry related books. Here’s a list I’ve compiled that I’ve read, currently on my bookshelf and those that are on my ‘to-get’ list:
Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking - Andy Sernovitz
Waiting for Your Cat to Bark? Persuading Customers When They Ignore Marketing - Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg
All Marketers Are Liars - Seth Godin
Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People - Marc Gobé
Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything - Don Tapscott
Purple Cow - Seth Godin
The New Influencers: A Marketers Guide to the New Social Media - Paul Gillin
Marketing to the Social Web: How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business - Larry Weber
The New Rules of Marketing & PR - David Meerman Scott
I'm an online marketing professional with a focus on building community-centric strategies through social media. I'm passionate about my career as well as the people I work with. The views expressed here are of my own and not those of my employer. Sonny Gill © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
