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A link is a promise. Don't break it.

Five ways sharing links can build relationships instead of breaking faith

11 January, 2013
1
by Rob Cottingham

Suppose you read a tweet or a Facebook update: an urgent message about something truly vile that a public figure has said. Outraged, you click through... and discover that, actually, what they said is far milder.

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Pixel-perfect social media graphics

How right-sized graphics can lend a whole new dimension to your online appearance

10 December, 2012
0
by Rob Cottingham

Most organizations would never send their leaders to a news conference in pizza-stained sweatpants and a moth-eaten Planet Hollywood t-shirt. But a startling number of them do the digital equivalent.

They stretch low-resolution logos and graphics to serve as cover images. They shovel photos online without noticing that the call to action is getting cropped out. Use intricate, complex images as pinkie-nail-sized profile photos.

The result is a blotchy, pixelated, distorted, unreadable mess.

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Social Speech Podcast, Episode 3: Maggie Fox

28 March, 2012
0
by Rob Cottingham

This episode: Social Media Group founder and CEO Maggie Fox

Only a few years ago, business - especially non-tech Fortune 500 business - was pretty skeptical about social media. One of the first people to break through that barrier was Maggie Fox, CEO of Social Media group. And she did it by creating solid strategies rooted in tangible business goals, breaking ground with companies like Ford.

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Social Speech Podcast, Episode 2: with Tod Maffin

20 March, 2012
0
by Rob Cottingham

If you were to assemble a herd of top-notch researchers, and tell them "Find me someone who embodies public speaking, social media and podcasting," chances are fights would break out as several of them vied to be the first to get to Tod Maffin's door.

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Is your web site a Lisa or a Nelson?

Why you should help users recover gracefully from their mistakes

15 March, 2012
2
by Rob Cottingham

We all like to talk about how organizations can recover from their own customer service failures: the gadget that won't connect, the handle that snaps off, the delivery that never arrives.

But how about when the customer screws up? How easy do you make it for them to recover lost information, correct a mistake or get out of a dead end?

Put it this way: if the web is like an episode of The Simpsons, is your site more like helpful, compassionate Lisa, or Nelson "Haw, haw" Muntz?

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A social media Valentine

14 February, 2012
0
by Alex and Rob

Dearest Valentine,

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Just because you have numbers doesn't mean you have insight

6 January, 2012
2
by Rob Cottingham

One of the most seductive things about social media is the way it allows us to quantify things. I have more friends than she does – I must be more popular. That blog post got more hits than this one, so that one's more effective. We have more Twitter followers this month than last month, so we're on the right track.

Numbers are lovely that way. In a world where everything seems open to interpretation, numbers offer certainty. Five is bigger than three: end of argument.

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The social speech starts long before you take the stage

Engage your audience before your speech

12 December, 2011
0
by Rob Cottingham

A lot of speeches begin with someone introducing you to the audience - reciting your background and qualifications, and then encouraging them to greet you warmly as you head to the microphone.

And once the applause dies down, you're looking at a sea of people who are probably as unfamiliar to you as you are to them. Your first few lines not only have to launch your speech, but establish a rapport and some degree of trust with your audience.

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Clingy

(woman to friend, walking past store with multiple Friend Us signs in the window) Yeah, that's just what I look for in a brand: clingy and emotionally needy.

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The family that shares together

(mother to daughter, who is holding her mobile phone up to a piece of cake while her brother scowls) I told you to share that with your brother. I did NOT say to share it using TwitPic.

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