Managing the Gray - Marketing for the New Media Professional

I just had an amazing experience in customer service from Comcast and felt that it would be easier and quicker to share in a podcast rather then in a blog post.

With all the flack they have gotten over the years, I’ve actually been very fortunate to have a mostly good experience with them and the last 24 hours really proves that when a brand pays attention to the conversation happening out on the web about them and actively works to engage in that, good things can happen.

If you are not in the mood to listen, the short version of the story is that last night I made a snide remark about the lackluster quality of my HD picture on Comcast during the Celtics game. Comcast saw that and tweeted me back minutes later. This morning I got a call from their service center. This afternoon someone came out. Now my HDTV rocks! THAT my friends is customer service and how it should work all the time.

Brands need to wake up to the fact that “new media” isn’t going away and in fact, I’d argue that it isn’t new anymore, but is here and at the forefront so you either wake up and pay attention or you lose business to they company that is paying attention.

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I seem to have picked up several new listeners from my show on the Manic Mommies which is great. If this is your first show then welcome!

I’m excited to say that I have a new call in number for the show. It is 1-866-384-4522 and if you are a listener of more then one of my shows, that number is going to work for all of them so write it down or throw it into your phone.

Mentioned on the show

• PodCamp NYC 2
  
• mDialog’s PodCamp NYC Video Channel
• PodCamp Boston 3
• MITX
• The Ultra Creatives Podcast

I also mention the scholarships I’m going to be giving away for PodCamp Boston 3, but you’ll have to listen to get the details.

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Kristin and Erin from Manic Mommies swung by on a Sunday morning for conversation and coffee. We talk about a lot of topics including the General Motors sponsorship of their Mommy Escape (the picture here is my wife AT the Escape), their recent trip to the BlogHer Business Conference and the growing of their brand. Not only are they friends of mine, but I’ve really loved watching them grow over the three years since they first started podcasting.

The best part about having them over is that it reminds me how much fun it is to have conversations on podcasts. I don’t do that as often as I should. I think it is a new goal for me

If your curious about a whole other side of mine, we recorded an episode of their show where we only talked about parenting. When it is up I’ll put a link here.

Update: The episode of Manic Mommies is now available here.

Posted in New Media, Podcast | Comments(4)

I’m just back from my time in Austin, TX attending SXSW and wanted to share my thoughts with you about it. Were you there? If so I’d love to hear your thoughts. Give me a call at 206-309-4729 and leave a comment. I’ll play it on the next show.

I talked a lot about what was so great for me about the conference. It was a mix of the people, the events and the overall vibe of it all. The food was great as well! *grin*

Links to some things I talked about:

• My photos from SXSW
• The Fray Cafe
• Jane McGonigal’s Keynote
• SXSW For Newbies video series (client)

And one thing that I think most of us took for granted was that Twitter stayed up the whole time. Last year is when it really broke out and the servers got crushed. They mentioned upgrading the servers just before the conference started and it seemed to work great. Way to go to the team behind the scenes on that one.

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My friend Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins called me out in a recent blog post.

She wanted to know one tangible way to break out of the fishbowl and get more people into new media. Rather then thinking about it long and hard I hit record and gave the first thing to come to mind. I’d love to hear how else you are are getting new people to try out things in this space. I’m sure we all have stories and sharing them can only help others so please do share.

Call in with your ideas to 206-309-4729 or leave them as a comment on this post. I can’t wait to hear what is on your mind.

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I woke up this morning and the first thing I saw on the web was this blog post from Mitch Joel talking about virtual worlds and it got my mind rolling as I brought the kids to school. When I got home rather then sharing my thoughts in a blog post I thought it would make a better podcast so I could just rattle off my thoughts about how the usability of virtual worlds must get better, how kids are growing up on them and how more people need to start thinking about virtual worlds as social networks.

Some links mentioned on the show in case you want to find out more:

• Webkinz
• Second Life
• Littlest Pet Shop VIPs
• Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

I also briefly mentioned at the end of the show two client projects we are working with on Facebook. One was the online trivia game from Trivya and the other was the aerie kissing booth.

Feedback always welcome at 206-309-4729 or drop me an e-mail.

Posted in Virtual Fun, Podcast | Comments(3)

I’ve been getting asked by lots of people lately, “How do I break into new media?”

I’m a firm believer that all the tools are out there and the great thing is that anyone can start today if they want to. There is no velvet rope, no casting couch, everyone is invited to the party. But, I do think that if you really want to do this as a career (which is what most people are asking me about) then there are some other things you need to think about.

I didn’t state the obvious which is to get in on the ground floor with a company working in the space. I completely forgot to say this during the show, but it is a great way to do it. While The Advance Guard isn’t hiring at the moment we are always open to the idea of interns who are willing to work hard and get some great experience at the same time.

It is more about hard work, passion, curiosity and determination then about any tool, trick or tantrum. Get out there and make it happen. You’ve got the tools, but do you have the drive to make it happen?

On the show I mentioned that I’d love to hear what your goals for the year are. Call them into 206-309-4729 or drop me an e-mail.

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A new year full of opportunities for you and your business. What resolutions are your setting? Can you measure your success? Will you know when you achieve them? I hope so and talk about that on today’s show.

I also rave about how much I enjoyed Seth Godin’s new book Meatball Sundae. It was the perfect thing to read on the first day of the new year and I encourage you to buy yourself a copy and then give another one to your boss so that they can figure out that new media isn’t a magic silver bullet to solve all the problems that the company is currently in. The company must change as well. Of course, I’m still laughing at my kids reaction to the title as well. “That’s gross” is what I heard and I couldn’t agree with them more.

On the show I mentioned that I’d love to hear what your goals for the year are. Call them into 206-309-4729 or drop me an e-mail.

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I knew the last show would get some conversations going and I’m glad that people reacted in a positive fashion to the ramble cast that happened. I hoped people wouldn’t mind it being a little rougher then usual so thank you for all the fun comments.

Today we have lots of feedback from various people on the topic and we put the idea to rest. Although, lets be honest that the conversation is always moving forward and never really dies in today’s world which is a great thing.

Comments can be called into 206-309-4729 as always.

Posted in Podcast | Comments(3)

When an idea gets bouncing around in my head I’ve got to get it out.

Originally I wanted to talk about this concept of some people you know online are Friends (with a capital F) and some are friends (with a lowercase f). Whitney Hoffman said something about this in an e-mail to me the other day and it has had a hook in my brain ever since.

In the end I decided to just hit record and brain dump into the microphone. What turned out is a short show that I hope gets a conversation going because I’m very interested in your thoughts. Please share them in the comments are leave a voice mail at 206-309-4729.

As suggested on the show, don’t forget to subscribe to Six Pixels of Separation when you have a moment.

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The last show sure did get your attention! Lots of voices on today’s show as the comment line lit up with people sharing their thoughts on stats and my reaction to them. As always you can call into 206-309-4729 at any time to share your thoughts.

This show focuses in on your passion but also talks about Facebook and the recent stuff that happened with Beacon. I give a brief overview so that you can be aware of what happened. For a much more detailed overview I highly suggest checking out Matt Dickman’s amazingly detailed post.

Some links to items talked about on the show:

• My Facebook Group
• Now is Now Facebook Page
• NewMediaProfessional.com
• Dave Winer’s Podcasting Post
• Seesmic

I hope that you get out of this what you need today. If not, we’ll catch ya on the next show! If you get a second and want to leave a review on iTunes, I sure wouldn’t complain. *grin*

Update - I realized after I posted this that podcasting should never be about “first” in any sort so I’m changing my own rules on the Seesmic invites and am going to pick 5 people at random to give them to. Not fair that people on the East Coast and Europe get them and by the time the West Coast wakes up they are gone.

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Last night I had the chance to speak to a class at Emerson College about interactive marketing. It was an interesting mix of ideas, skills and mindsets. I’m still amazed at some of the things they didn’t know about as well as ones they did know about. I should have asked for a syllabus because I’d be curious how it was being structured.

Today’s show is driven by listener comments. You can always ask a question, provide feedback or just say hello by calling into 206-309-4729.

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I’m fresh from PodCamp Boston 2 and full of energy and since I’m trying to insure that I channel it appropriately I figured I’d share with you my thoughts. Plus it plays well into the question I keep getting around how people can break into new media. I have some pretty clear thoughts on this and share them on the episode. Comment line always open at 206-309-4729.

Don’t forget that if you want to get every new episode that comes out for free, you can click here to add it to iTunes. Just click on the subscribe button when you get there and you’ll get them all.

Links to items discussed on the show:

• Bob Goyetche’s video of the PodCamp Circle Discussion
• Rule #4 removal discussion
• Julia Roy’s energy
• Anyone with Dartmouth College contacts?
• Beach Walks With Rox & The Luck of Seven
• The Advance Guard
• Friends of The Advance Guard on Facebook
• I’ll Believe You (client) in theaters November 9th
• Association of Downloadable Media

I also mentioned a new project that I’m working on and looking for a couple of BETA testers to help me try something on their mobile phones. E-mail me if this sounds interesting to you.

Posted in Events, Podcast | Comments(1)

A special episode today focusing in On The Luck of Seven. If you haven’t heard about this I was instantly hooked the moment I first heard about it over the summer. I don’t know Noel. I’ve never met him. But, I’ve been watching and reading of his travels since he set our this summer on 7-7-07.

I asked him seven questions and he answered them. Instead of inter cutting my questions I decided to just let his answers roll with the background noise and sounds. Feels much more real that way.

Please consider donating to the On The Luck of Seven and definitely subscribe to his video podcast and check out his photos. The one shown here he took the day after he recorded his questions. You never know where he is going to be checking in from.

The comment line is still 206-309-4729 and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this show. Especially if you step up and donate as well.

And, if your curious here is the original goodbye video I mentioned on the show.

Posted in People, Interviews, New Media, Podcast | Comments(2)

I wanted to take some time today to update my listeners on what I’m doing for work. I had hoped for at least a couple of days of quiet and relaxation but that didn’t quite happen. Right out of the gate I had some clients hire me to help them try out social media. So on today’s show I talk a bit about who they are, play a comment from Europe and also talk about how we have got to break out of this echo chamber we are currently in if we are ever going to be successful.

Links to things talked about on the show (full disclosure that the first three bullets are clients of mine as discussed on the show):

• Rhett Butler’s People
• Ronnie: The Autobiography
• My Home 2.0 (video trailer, photos)
• Valeria Maltoni
• Geoff Livingston

The comment line is always on at 206-309-4729.

Posted in Podcast | Comments(2)

As most of you know by now I have resigned from my job and am jumping head first into the deep end of being a hired gun freelancer. It is certainly an exciting time right now and I was encouraged to share with my listeners how I came to the decision and what I’d share with others who might be thinking about the same thing since I’m hearing lots of grumbles out there.

So, today we talk about calculated risks, taking chances and figuring out what you love and hate. All things that were important to me and that should be important to you. I’ve also got a great comment from Paul Colligan that focuses on the assigning value discussion we have been having, but that also fits into my world right now as I try to figure out what to charge people who hire me.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. The comment line is always on at 206-309-4729. If you like the idea of hiring me for some work or looking for a speaker at your next event please drop me an e-mail and we can get chatting.

Update: Transcript of this podcast here.

Posted in Podcast | Comments(5)

I knew that the last episode was going to generate comments from the listeners and as you’ll hear that was certainly the case. I always want your voice to be heard so please call into the comment line at 206-309-4729 anytime a thought hits you.

This episode talks a lot about different concepts of monetizing your podcast. How to assign a value for your show. How to think like a business rather then an individual. The concept of banding together. A lot of topics indeed. Lots of information to consume and most of it is from the listeners of the show rather then just me.

I said it on the show and I’ll say it again here. I’m totally into bartering. It is a model that has worked since the beginning of time and will continue to work. I’m very open to the idea as long as both sides get what they want out of it. I’m also into the idea of sponsorship when all the pieces fit. The fact that Managing the Gray has gone over a year without a single sponsor does bother me. I haven’t actively gone out looking for one, but that is another matter.

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I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. A LOT of thinking.

In conversations with people and in watching what is going on I’m starting to wonder about the roles of podcasting networks, the roles of advertisers and if content producers are selling themselves short across the board. I’m not going to say I’ve got the answers because I don’t, but I had to record this show to get some of the ideas out of my head to start the conversation.

Earlier this week there was a Boston Tweetup and Clarence Smith Jr. really got me marinating on some pretty deep topics. Then going to the StartCooking.com hosted movie screening for No Reservations. Those two things really hit home and more in common in my mind then most people would have thought.

Then when I got a call in from Jay Moonah about the recent Jaffe iPhone news it all came together and I had to record this episode.

Are we all selling ourselves short? Are new groups such as the Association for Downloadable Media going to help solve the problems? What do you think? I want to hear from you! Leave a comment here or call me at 206-309-4729 and leave your thoughts.

Really looking forward to the conversation that follows.

Posted in New Media, Podcast | Comments(10)

Playing on the new media playground is in full effect today as I pour a cup of coffee, fire up CastBlaster and ramble for 20 minutes on what is on my mind in the new media space. Everything from the importance of taking time off from the world and unplugging from the net, to reviewing a couple of books that I thought were worth sharing. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions or anything else to say just call up and leave a voice mail at 206-309-4729. I’d love to hear from you.

Links from the show:

• Whitney Hoffman calls in about “Cream Cheese Sessions” (I love this idea and think we need to get one going in the Metro-West Boston area)
• The 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
• Rule the Web by Mark Frauenfelder
• 8apps.com

I’m also giving away a few MagStay Pro connectors from Thoughtout.biz. Just drop me an e-mail if you are interested. Work with MacBook Pros.

Posted in Podcast | Comments(5)

I am very excited as today you get to hear me and podiobook author J.C. Hutchins sit down for a great conversation about his new book coming out and about new media in general. I’ve been a huge fan and listener of the 7th Son book series and thus I’m excited for the 7-7-07 release of the third and final book.

This interview is part of a 50 podcast interviews in 50 states initiative that J.C. Hutchins thought up and I’m proud and honored to be the Massachusetts representative!

Links from the show

• Subscribe to 7th Son podcast
• J.C. Hutchins Official Web Site
• Ministry of Propaganda
  

As I upload it I am about to celebrate Independence Day here in Metro West Boston and I hope that if you are celebration that you have a happy and safe holiday. To any military reading this in any corner of the globe, thank you for what you do and stay safe and keep doing what you do.

Posted in Books, New Media, Podcast | Comments(2)