Spring break ends today. It’s back to school tomorrow. Where do you like to go to getaway? For our getaway, we drove 4.5 hours north to Door County Wisconsin. The plan was to look around and spend the night. Door County Four Hour Vacation To Do List 1. Eat pancakes and drink hot cocoa at…
Happy Easter, Passover and Spring! Wishing you and yours a beautiful and blessed day! Here’s a picture of of my sister and me with our four Easter cuties taken when they were little at our first family home in Oak Park. From left to right: Warren, Lori, me, Peter, Phoebe and my niece Andrea. Patrick,…
Through the years, I’ve enjoyed being a practical joker on April Fool’s Day. I loved calling my dad to tell him something that was obviously a joke and seeing how long he would go for it. He was a smart guy so even though my joke fell flat fairly quickly, I still enjoyed dreaming one…
Social media is the leading way the study subjects report finding out about causes – and in some cases, that information spurs further action like donating or volunteering. Above all, it sparks conversation about issues – and that’s good news for causes seeking greater visibility. Katya Andresen CSO and COO Network for Good How about…
Back in 1983 could anyone have predicted how mobile marketing is changing the way we do business? As customers rely more and more on smartphones to connect them to their networks and companies, it’s critical for small business to know what’s coming up next. Thanks to AT&T Chicago and Erin McGrath, I got the opportunity…
Are you watching The Academy Awards tonight? Here’s where to find coverage live online, twitter profiles to watch [track #Oscars on twitter here] and what’s in the Oscar backstage app [I’ll be checking out the Press Room Cam :)]. What would you add? Enjoy the show and thanks for sharing! Academy Awards Live Coverage ABC…
Taking my daughter along to Women’s Day at the Chicago Auto Show was a treat. We got manicures. We took silly pictures. We found out where to plug headphones into headrest DVD players. We ate cupcakes. We sat in soooo many cars. But, the best part was being a part of a new show at…
Coming up next week on February 20, SMC Chicago presents a panel discussion on how to use social media for lead generation. Join SMC Chicago at Howl at the Moon to learn how authors, small businesses, and bloggers use social media to find leads and grow their businesses. Doors open at 5:00 and the panel with Brad…
Thanks to Connie Burke and GM for inviting a group of us social media types to join them for Media Day and Social Media Day at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show. As one of the bloggers on the crew, I enjoyed experiencing the show in the company of friends. Will you be at the Auto Show…
Since the movie Catfish [read my review later in this post] came out in September 2010, it seems there’s a renewed and fresh interest in the movie’s once secretive premise: “Don’t let anyone tell you what it is.” It’s funny that the tagline is relevant in so many ways right now. There’s even a TV…
Thanks to IAPD/IPRA for inviting me back to speak at the Soaring to New Heights annual conference, and to present the WIRED 2.0 system for the first time. The original WIRED social media marketing system workshop was built on Words, Intentions, Routes, Experiences and Design. A more modern and progressive model, WIRED 2.0 runs on World, Integrate,…
Thanks to IPRA/IAPD for inviting me back to speak at the Soaring to New Heights annual conference. For those who missed my Panoramic PR session, or have questions, here’s the session guide and slides. What’s your biggest question about how to manage PR for Parks and Recs? Located in the New Orleans room at the…
Thanks to IPRA/IAPD for inviting me back to speak at the Soaring to New Heights annual conference. For those who missed my Panoramic PR session, or have questions, here’s the session guide and slides. What’s your biggest question about how to manage PR for Parks and Recs? Located in the New Orleans room at the…
What do you think about Facebook’s social graph? Want to know what the new search tool could mean to you and your business? Here’s my interview with radio station WDCB, Chicagoland’s Choice for Jazz, News and More. Thanks so much to news director Gary Zidek for asking great questions!!! Image: screen capture from Mark Zuckerberg’s…
Really, no more questions? Or answers? On January 31, LinkedIn will “be retiring LinkedIn Answers.” An email announcement from LinkedIn also included this information: “As you’ve seen, we’ve made major upgrades to the professional news, commentary and conversation features on LinkedIn. And we’re just getting started. In this process we evaluated how our current products…
On January 25 and 26, I’ll be presenting two programs at the 2013 IAPD/IPRA Soaring to New Heights annual conference. Thanks to Joan Scovic, marketing and sponsorship coordinator at the Palatine Park District, for recruiting me to be a speaker. Wow – how the world has changed since this social media and marketing presentation for parks and recreation districts I…
Have you heard about the JOBS Act and crowdfunding? Here’s an infographic that tells the story in stats. What’s intriguing to me is section about the numbers behind startups and small businesses: 565,000 new businesses launch every month, which adds up to 6.780,000 new businesses every year. The average annual initial financing per startup? $78,406….
Big news for CES: bloggers and reviews push the needle on electronics buys. A new report breaks down influence and shows that 31% of people surveyed say blogs are most likely to influence a purchase. Technorati Media’s full 2013 digital influence report also shows that tablets will be the biggest tech craze in 2013. What the…
During his NMX keynote, Scott Monty mentioned a stat I found intriguing. So I tweeted: 67% of millennials believe it’s their responsibility to provide brand feedback #fordnmx #nmx After I tweeted the stat and many people retweeted it, I researched where the number came from. Turns out it, and a whole mix of other meaningful numbers, come…
As we wrap up 2012, here’s a look back at social media’s 2012 milestones. Which platform gets your 2012 MVP award: YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+, tumblr, MySpace, or _________? Source: The State of Social Media 2012 by The SEO Company Facebook 2012 Year in Review Now the largest social network in the world…
Christmas is only a few days away. Let this be your last-minute guide to a) giving tech lover gifts b) making purchases that may count as 2012 tax write offs or c) rewarding/self-gifting. You decide, but let me know if you pick something out. Last Minute Holiday Tech Gift Guide All all of these gift ideas…
Technology, healthcare, politics and entertainment: the top topics for TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and bloggers. Recently released, the 2012 Web Influencers Survey reports on insights into how media gets news now. Not surprisingly, reporters, journalists and producers now turn to social media and the web to mine for sources and stories more and more. According…
Looking for THE best 2012 holiday party in Chicago? Here’s your invitation to join SMC Chicago for The SMOBILE Holiday Party, sponsored by AT&T. $10 tickets cover networking, program, food, beverages and music. Register right here or over at the SMC Chicago Holiday Party event site. You’re invited to join Social Media Club Chicago for…
What are you most thankful for this year? Did you know we have Abe Lincoln and Sarah Josepha Hale, a 74-year-old editor of a woman’s magazine, Godey’s Ladys’ Book, to thank for this national day of Thanksgiving? Prior to 1863, each state held its own Thanksgiving day. Before the day gets away and we rush…
Tomorrow, all three of our children will vote in their first presidential election. It’s a big day for us and a big day for America. In 2008, I took our daughter to vote for the first time. And, I had two tickets to the Rally in Grant Park. I wrote about my experience here and I’m reposting…
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