The Perfection of Marketing, by James Connor - A Book Review

Midsized companies have trouble “getting it” when it comes to marketing. Ownership and leadership tend to be sales oriented. Branding is unfocused. Marketing initiatives come and go like the wind because there is no long term plan in effect and no metrics established to monitor results.

If you are a frustrated marketing manager in a midsized firm, you should read The Perfection of Marketing immediately. I can give you three good reasons to do so.

1. Reading it will make you realize you are not alone, and you’ll feel better.
2. Getting your boss to read it might change his or her mindset - the book…

How to Use LinkedIn

Book Review

LinkedWorking, by Frank Agin and Lewis Howes
Generating Success on the World’s Largest Professional Networking Website.

Have you ever wondered how to use LinkedIn? People ask me that all the time and I could never come up with much of an answer.

That is, until SOBCon09, the fabulous Blogger Business School brainchild of Liz Strauss and Terry Starbucker.

I’m eating lunch - some excellent mac and cheese - and I ask this fellow sitting across to me how the heck to use LinkedIn. That was a spectacularly good move, because the fellow happened to be Lewis Howes, the LinkedIn guru and with Frank Agin,…

Book Review - World Wide Rave, by David Meerman Scott

David Meerman Scott is my favorite author on the topics of social media, new marketing, and new public relations. His writing is crystal clear, his ideas are provocative and common sensical (a tough combination), and he likes to use real life examples of how companies are transformed by doing crazy things like listening to customers, talking about benefits, and making use of social media to build a loyal base of enthused customers.

His latest book, World Wide Rave, has the tagline “Creating triggers that get millions of people to spread your ideas and share your stories.”

Now, whether it be…

Book Review on Joyful Jubilant Learning

Do you know who this man is? To find out, click here, and learn why every marketer or advertiser needs to know - and needs to read his book.

Spiritual Renewal Monday

Over the last couple weeks we’ve had some pretty involved discussions here on blogging and online marketing. I feel the need to take a step back, to take a spiritual breather. I thought I’d share a few quotes from a profoundly moving book I’m reading, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World, by Henri J.M. Nouwen.

“When the deepest currents of our life no longer have any influence on the waves at the surface, then our vitality will eventually ebb, and we will end up listless and bored even when we are busy.”

“When we keep claiming the light,…

25 Writers Who Are Shaping My World

Here’s a meme I found on Karen Swim’s blog that should be fun for any writer or avid reader. It’s part of a month long celebration of reading, writing, and books. For details, check out Karen’s meme post.

In no particular order, these are my top 25 writing influences. What are yours? Participate in the meme if you care to, or just comment here. I’m curious!

The Bible
Plato
Gustave Flaubert
G.K. Chesterton
Albert Camus
C.S. Lewis
Thomas Merton
Woody Allen
John Cleese and Graham Chapman
Michel Tournier
Warren Zevon
John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Bruce Springsteen
Edgar Allan Poe
Robert Graves
Paul Bowles
Franz Kafka
Anne Rice
Hunter S. Thompson
Philip Jose Farmer
Philip K. Dick
Rod Serling
D.M. Thomas

…

Announcing! “How to Write a Web Site” Group Project

Fellow blogger and copywriting Karen Swim and I noticed something important not long ago - small businesses are under served when it comes to creating content for their Web sites.

Karen and I think small business owners need help. You can have the greatest programmer in the world, and the most eye catching design, but in the end, it still boils down to what words go where.

At first Karen and I thought about writing a book. But then we thought, hey, we know a whole group of experts whose collective wisdom far, far, exceeds ours.

Who is this group of content wizards?…

UK Slang, Round 2 - Join Me!

Image by SBishop via FlickrDanny Wallace’s book Yes Man is full of UK slang expressions which readers were generous enough to help me decipher. Now that I’ve finished Danny’s earlier book, Join Me!, I’ve got several more expressions to add to my list. Here they are, with my best guess as to their meaning.

(By the way - if you’re interested in online media, social media marketing, and social behavior, you’ll especially enjoy Join Me! The story of how Danny builds his collective is highly instructive - and, hilarious. Visit the Join Me! website to learn more.)

UK vs. American English, Round 2

Nutter. Someone we would…

Dig Your Job - Great Gift for New Job Seekers

G.L. Hoffman just released Dig Your Job, which he calls “The Most Definitive Career Advice Book”. It’s available in hard copy and as an e-book.

I’ve read it and recommend it, especially for folks just entering the job market. Times being what they are, job seekers need all the help they can get, and there’s lots of it here. What I really like is the short, informative chapters and links to sites he recommends for more instruction on his multitude of topics.

I actually had an extremely small hand (a fingertip, really) in G.L.’s book, and he was gracious enough to acknowledge…

UK Readers, Please Help Me Understand

Image via WikipediaOne I love about the UK is their wonderfully expressive version of the English language. (It is the original version, after all!).

Say YES! to Yes Man

After reading Danny Wallace’s fabulous and funny Yes Man, a young Londoner’s story of what happened after he decided to say YES! to everything, I have several observations and questions about UK slang and idiom. Can you help me understand? (BTW, check out my Yes Man review, and if you like it, please give it a “Yes” vote. Thanks.)

UK vs. American English

Details. Apparently when you say “send me his details,” you mean send…

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