Back in the days when I was in sales, bc – before computers, we relied on a red bound directory to tell us who to call on. While you can get much richer and deeper information faster on the Internet, making a list of target companies focuses your efforts. And, having a set of filters lets you sift out the best matches from the millions of options out there. A site called manta.com lists over 67 million companies. Whether you …

SUMMARY: Social media is gaining respect at a critical time – when budgets are being formulated. And this attitude adjustment is having a major effect on marketing spending. MarketingSherpa January 5, 2010

MarketingSherpa asked this question:
Which statement best describes how social media marketing is perceived within your organization at budget time?

Answers
7% Social media produces measurable ROI – increase budgets liberally
17% Social media is basically free – let’s keep it that way
27% Social media value is unknown – why invest more?
49% …

Even though I don’t have an iPhone, I want iPhone apps. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve said, “If I had an iPhone, I could _______________.”

That’s the personal side.

From the business side, I looked into making iPhone apps for clients a few months ago. We found a developer who said the cost started out at around $800, which is a small price to pay for the cool factor. What stopped us? The developer – who said, …

Happy 2010! In this first post of the year, we’ll take a look back at 2009 highlights. How will you remember 2009?

More interested in where we’re going than where we’ve been? Then browse on over to Convince and Convert’s Colossal Ultimate List of 2010 Social Media Predictions.

Test your 2009 knowledge by taking the 2009 Quiz New York Times.

2009 Culture: Books, Movies, Songs Lists

Publishers’ Weekly Best Books of 2009 includes comics, religion, mystery, poetry

NPR’s Best 2009 Books List …

It’s almost the end of the year, so I decided to take a look back, review and wrap up my top 12 posts.
This tidy bundle fits into a 34 page social media marketing, PR, twitter collage ebook, which you can download here.

How I chose my top marketing, social media and PR posts . . .

True or False?

Based on traffic.

Number of comments.

Ranking by keyword.

Read popularity.

Highest retweets.

If you answered false to all, then you are right! Each post was selected …

Did you do this, too?

I’ll admit it. I sent out a flurry of “Happy Holidays” and “Season’s Greetings” hybrid-type announcements: news, wishes and an invitation to a social media event.

No sales stuff, but not too much tinsel and sparkle either.

After I let the boys open a box from a friend tonight [ who ALWAYS wraps EVERYTHING] and found that nothing was wrapped, I was a bit deflated. Yes, it’s a theme gift. Yes, I’ll love it – I …

Investing in social is trendy. Marketing Sherpa’s Chart of the Week shows that, across the board, industries will be upping social marketing budgets by as much as 79% over 2009. Wow! But, how much were the budgets in 2009? That’s an x-factor that’s not given.

In our experience, we’re seeing clients shifting marketing funds away from advertising and print collateral to content, PR and social marketing. How did your company allocate its 2010 marketing budget?

New Chart: Change in Social …

Confession: I love jewelry that sparkles – preferably a lot. To make stones sparkle, they have to be cut to catch light. To be attractive, they need to be shaped. To be displayed, they have to be set. Stones come in many colors, sizes, cuts and shapes. But, they all start out as a rough piece of rock.

Content is the same way: rough at first, then shaped, cut, colored, polished and set. Here’s an update on an article about how …

Thanks to Steve Stokes of Stoked Studios for covering Social Media Club Chicago’s first anniversary event on October 22, 2009. Many people asked about how they could watch the video of the panel discussion about community and social media – click here to go the video.

SMC Chicago President, Jeff Willinger of RightPoint Consulting moderated the panel discussion. Thanks so much to our panelists: Ramon DeLeon of Domino’s Pizza, Sarah Evans of Sevans Strategy, Gerald [and Olivia] Haman of Solution …