I wish I could say that I planned, 11 weeks ago, for #30Thursday number 11 to happen on November 11th. However, there is no way I am that organized. I also did not plan, in the beginning, for #30Thursday to fall on Veterans Day. However, I am kind of glad that it worked out this way. On a day when we stop and think about people who are far from home, who are far from home because they are fighting for our right to sit on our tushes and read blog posts, it seems fitting to share knowledge. Because really, in the end, all wars are about maintaining the ability to be ourselves, right? And who we are in this instant are people who want to read, learn, and share. With that, I give you 30 fantastic posts this week, two of which relate specifically to the importance of today. Enjoy!
1. The first post for this week is by Michelle Davidson, and it’s called Marketing and Sales Must Work Together, Not Point Fingers. If you are a scholar/fan of Integrated Marketing & Communications, this post is a must-read!
2. Tom Moradpour tweeted out this post by Heidi Cohen, which compares Twitter to a cocktail party. Heidi does a great job of pointing out that a lot of people send out 3 tweets, then leave without seeing how people respond. You wouldn’t do that at a party, right? Well, let’s hope not, anyway 🙂
3. It might shock you that I’m including a post about Klout given my previously verbalized feelings about Klout. However, this post by BrightMatrix, tweeted out by my friend Quality1, is the best post on Klout I have ever seen. Check out New Metrics Are No Excuse to Continue a Pattern of Lazy Analytics: An Example Using Klout and see why Klout is just the beginning of the analysis process!
4. Amber Cleveland AND Beth Harte tweeted out this post by @ConversationAge (Valeria Maltoni) so I knew it had to be good. When you read Why PR is Misunderstood and Misapplied, you begin to see that PR and Marketing departments have a lot of work to do when it comes to defining themselves in this new age of Social Media. Well written, fascinating post!
5. Cheryl Burgess wrote a really powerful post this week about crisis management in Social Media. As it turns out, 1/3 of all global CEOs are not prepared to deal with a Social Media crisis. This should not scare you away from Social Media. Rather, it should emphasize how key it is to have a plan.
6. Saw this post tweeted out by @socialanswers and it’s a good one. Written by Seth Kravitz, you definitely want to check out Social Media Is Not Just A Fad. Phew.
7. Are you blogging your heart out but seemingly not getting any reaction to your works of art? Mark Schaefer gives you ten reasons to keep on blogging. Fantastic post.
8. My friend @CelsiusMI tweeted out this amazing treasure trove of information from Mashable. Bookmark this post, called 32 New Social Media Resources You May Have Missed, by Zachary Sniderman.
9. Want a chance to participate in a study that sounds really really interesting? My friend Linda Machado tweeted about this post. Visit Tiffany Monhollon’s post, “How Does Social Media Affect Trust Between PR & Journalists?” and then participate in her study!
10. CPollittIU tweeted out this post by Kyle Placy. Social Media has become so much a part of our daily lives that a new device has been created to measure tweet levels in major cities. Placy explains more in his post called The Social Integration of Twitter.
11. Apart from the views on agencies present in this post, there is lots of food for thought in this post by Eric Brown. Give Is Content Marketing the New Advertising” a read, over at Jason Falls’ Social Media Explorer. Tweeted out by my friend @amoyal.
12. David Crouch of ten24 Web Solutions wrote a really neat post summarizing last weeks #IMCChat and also discussing influence as it applies to companies. Definitely beyond the realm of Klout here. Read Three Characteristics of Influential Companies and enjoy!
13. My friend Allen Mireles said it all when she said, “You need to read this post yesterday.” Just when I thought my #30Thursday was kinda cool, Danny Brown published 317 Ways To Succeed in Social Media. Everything in the world you could ever want to know in 1 post!
14. Hopefully Jason Mikula thinks my #30thursday title is okay, but he makes a great point about folks who use numbers in their blog headlines. Well-researched and well written!
15. My friend Cate Colgan sent me this post from Epic Thanks. Today, Veterans Day, we send our virtual respect to a veteran who is doing so much to help other veterans. A changemaker defined.
16. The amazing Lou Imbriano encourages you to look always for that new beginning. He did, and he is all the happier for it, even if not everyone can understand it.
17. One thing we don’t hear much about in this era of Social Media is how it might be making people more accountable for what they say and do. My friend Tristan Bishop ponders this in a post he wrote called “The Age of Accountability.” Voice your opinions!
18. Always wondered exactly what metrics you should look at when it comes to Social Media? Social Media Examiner tells you the 8 Social Media Metrics You Should Be Measuring! Fantastic information there.
19. Sometimes, we take for granted that our friends know we appreciate them. Beth Hoffman didn’t take that risk and used her blog to highlight a friend of mine – Molly Campbell. A beautiful post by Beth followed by a hilarious piece by Molly. What could be better?
20. My poor friend Gaga decided to generate her own real-life content to blog about. Crazy lady – wish her healing vibes as you read about why Gaga should stay in the garden – and off her feet for awhile!
21. An important topic and an insightful interview can be found if you read What Can We Do To Help The Troops in Afghanistan. On this important day, check this post out!
22. This week at pushingsocial.com, Stan tells you the new rules for winning the blog game. Is it a lot of work? You betcha. But he will help you along the way!
23. Suzanne Vara took a post by Chris Brogan about community as currency and put her own spin on it, asking whether your community is an asset, currency, or both. What do you think?
24. My friend Joe Ruiz (@SMSJoe) said I must include this post by Matt Ridings, who wrote the post over at Brass Tack Thinking. The post is called Judgment Day: Social Media and Your Front Lines, and interestingly, it treats a theme other posts this week dealt with – how to prepare for Social Media crises. More than that, though, Matt points out what few do – training for crisis management begins with your HR department and the hiring process.
25. One great thing about following Kay Whitaker and Amber Cleveland of Sterling Hope is that you gain very interesting insights into the new world of publishing. In her post Perpetual Outsider, Kay talks about how few people out there are offering book reviews for e-books only. And yet…Amazon claims that e-books are outselling print. Something askew there?
26. My friend @knowledgebishop tweeted out this amazing post by Ty Sullivan, which appeared over at FohBoh. When it comes to customer service, it all comes back to a Beatles Song: Let It Be. Such an interesting and detailed take on the Beatles and customer service, all in one post 🙂
27. Wise wise words from my friend Maya Paveza this week. Expectations Help Avoid Discomfort, and by the way, discomfort can be really uncomfortable!
28. Dawn Westerberg offers advice that would make John Jantsch proud. In her post called Prime the Pump of Your Referral Engine, Dawn notes that if someone is not a good match for you, lead them in the direction of someone who could help them. They’ll appreciate it and you, and that kind of buzz is good to spread!
29. Remember when Pay-Per-Click ads were all the rage? Shannon Suetos, guest posting over at ConvinceandConvert.com, wonders if Twitter Advertising is a threat to PPC. It might be the end to banner ads as well.
30. Finally, rounding out the week, I include Chris Brogan’s post called Absorb Emulate and Innovate. Where does emulation end and stealing begin? Give it a read!