A bloggy experiment

By Margie Clayman | July 8, 2011 |

This is not a real post and I’m not even going to pretend it is, so let’s just get right on down to brass tacks, shall we?

Oh, that’s me. OK, so, I’m forking over my blog to YOU in August.

Let me explain.

I want you to put in the comments something you’d like me to write a post about. It could be a topic, a movie, a musician, or some other sort of prompt. I will choose 31 of your ideas, and those will be my posts next month. You’ll get mentioned, of course, when I get to your post.

Why am I doing this? Well, three reasons, really.

1. I am very very close to 100 subscribers here on ye ole blog, and I might even get there by August 1st. I want to thank you for that!

2. I believe my Engagement Series will also be done by August 1st, so my desire to think up topics will be used up for awhile

3. And as for 3, well, I’ll be honest. I am so overwhelmed with how good so many people in this space have been to me this month that I feel like few things could be more fun than working on a project with you all.

So start leaving your ideas here. I’ll leave entries open till Monday and then I’ll announce on Tuesday what August will look like here.

Sound good? I hope so! 🙂

Posted in Marketing Talk

36 Comments

  1. Nancy Davis on July 8, 2011 at 7:27 pm

    Lets see, I love this idea. My birthday is in August, so I am going to suggest a post about the looking back that we almost always do when our birthday comes around.

    Or, you could write a post about my favorite comedy of all time The Blues Brothers. That movie has so many gems in it!

    I love this idea! I really can’t wait to see what everyone else comes up with!

  2. Brian Rice on July 8, 2011 at 9:45 pm

    Margie,

    What a great idea! I would love to read “A Day in the Life of Margie Clayman” as I am constantly in awe with how you maintain working a full-time job and still find time to be a prolific blogger/commenter/Tweeter/etc. It would be interesting to read your tips for maintaining a balance between the two and how to scale your efforts.

    Best of luck with this series.

  3. Tanya Lavoie on July 8, 2011 at 10:25 pm

    I am always trying to find balance! Working, family, and now adding social media – I have this
    to be a challenge – always inspired by folks who have figured it out!

  4. Janice on July 8, 2011 at 11:51 pm

    Yes, Brian, I have even asked Margie how she does it all. Let’s hope she tells us!

  5. Ellen Cagnassola on July 9, 2011 at 9:09 am

    Margie
    Write about why you get what you give in life and business. Why communication is vital in building business relationships. If one party in that relationship is more open & helpful are they perceived as weak, if so why?

    I have my own theories.

  6. Lou Imbriano on July 9, 2011 at 9:31 am

    Hi Margie,

    Would love to see you write a comparison of the ad business today compared to when your family started the agency. I think you can provide very unique insight to the major changes and even the different nuances to the business. Hope you agree it would be a fun and interesting post.

    My best,
    Lou

  7. Jim F on July 9, 2011 at 9:39 am

    I’m not sure if you cook but perhaps you could take on a cooking challenge ie preparing somethinng you’ve never attempted before and then blog about the experience.

  8. Alan Berkson on July 9, 2011 at 12:46 pm

    Margie,

    You’ve written a lot about getting started with Twitter and social media. I’d like to see one post that I can refer people to that ask: “How do I get started with this Twitter thing?”. Perhaps a curation of links to some of your old content plus some updates?

    -Alan

  9. Daria on July 9, 2011 at 12:47 pm

    I am writing a mini Series on entitlement and would love to hear your perspective on that topic!

    Some others:

    What do the numbers mean? aka readers, fans, followers, etc. – open any doors? why do you want more?

    Blogging as a hobby or a profession – why do we do it?

    Does having ads on your site affect how people view your writing?

    How many popsicles are reasonable in a 24 hour period? – my kids are definitely pushing the limits 🙂
    What is the online version of the dream when you are at school or work and realize you’re naked?

  10. Kaarina Dillabough on July 9, 2011 at 12:50 pm

    I like to read stories of the ilk of:

    “If I knew then what I know now”…lessons learned and how I applied them. Perhaps an over-used topic, but one that still resonates

    A perspective on “social media” from the minds of greats. What would Einstein/ Mother Teresa/ da Vinci, etc. think of what’s goin’ on today online?

    A movie trailer of wisdom sound bytes. Much like you did with the Beatles post, I can envision you taking movie trailer bits, mashing them all together to tell a story of success and failure, heroism and defeat…kinda’ a Toy Story meets the Bourne Identity meets Serpico meets….

    Unfortunately, I could go on and on, but will leave it at that…FWIW (borrowing that from my good friend Davina at 3HatsComm Cheers! Kaarina

  11. Ryan Cary on July 9, 2011 at 12:55 pm

    The value of a liberal arts education, ten years on… I have had more than one interesting, unanticipated conversation with members of our Kent State peer group on this subject in the past week, so something must be in the air. 😉

  12. Mimi Meredith on July 9, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    All the suggestions above are great ones! Now…if you can just set it all to great lyrics!

    Today, I’m launching a challenge on my blog to give up criticism for a month. I would love to have your take on this challenge and to see if you and your community would like to join in.

  13. Corinne Edwards on July 9, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    Dear Margie –

    Are you seeing the trend here?

    People want to know more about the nebulous Margie Clayman.

    There was a thing going on a few years ago where you were “tagged” to write “25 things you don’t know about me.”

    I’m tagging you.

    Who are you anyway?.

  14. Christina Pappas on July 9, 2011 at 2:39 pm

    LOVE this idea! Thanks for opening the floor to us Margie!

    So I am recently unemployed and I actually got my last job as a result of my activity on LinkedIn and I know employers ( I did it too) look at candidates online profiles during the recruiting stage so…how much does Klout matter to a job seeker? Anything we should do more/less of when we are in the market for a job? How can we leverage social media and our connections made there to support our search?

  15. Tom Redwine on July 9, 2011 at 6:22 pm

    Margie, thanks for allowing us to chime in, and special thanks to Kaarina Dillabough for tweeting about it!

    My suggestion for a blogpost is that you write about research tools and methods you use to determine the reach of your social media efforts. Everyone always wants to know who’s listening and what they think, but I don’t think everyone realizes that there are tools & methods to find out, and a simple explanation of that may be an interesting blogpost.

    I look forward to seeing what you select in the upcoming month!

  16. David McGraw on July 10, 2011 at 8:22 am

    Indians penant race fever….enough siad 🙂

  17. Bill Dorman on July 10, 2011 at 9:35 am

    I would like a post about me; I mean I can only talk so much about myself at my site, huh?

    I like Kaarina’s suggestion of how the historical great minds would have used social media if it was available in their time.

    The other might be what is the new ‘real’? There is a disconnect of an online persona vs how you ‘really’ are in life; even if you write about every thing that has ever happened to you. I see you (anybody) online but does your life really look like when you aren’t online. How much is online an escape from reality at times.

    That’s all I have……….

    • Gini Dietrich on July 10, 2011 at 4:19 pm

      I also would like a post about Bill.

      • Bill Dorman on July 11, 2011 at 8:01 am

        That would be a real thrilla’…………and I could personally be responsible for crashing and burning Margie’s site………..:)

  18. Nicole Fende on July 10, 2011 at 12:59 pm

    Well I love all the suggestions above. Since you are doing it for a month, here is one more.

    I’ve just finished The Tipping Point (an oldie but a goody). I love the concept of modeling the spread of a business idea or product (of course I do, I’m a numbers geek!). How do you find and leverage the Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen in your day to day online life.

  19. Gini Dietrich on July 10, 2011 at 4:19 pm

    Knowing how good you are with books, I’d love to see the top 10 books you recommend (fiction and/or business) and why.

  20. Ann Odle on July 10, 2011 at 4:29 pm

    I just found you (and added you to my google reader list) from Gini Dietrich off of Twitter. What a great idea you’ve got here. In August, I’ll be visiting family in Texas for 10 days (I hesitate to call it a vacation). My parents are getting older and one is in failing health; not much I can do as an adult child 1500 miles away from them.
    Its going to be a long time to spend with them; I’d be interested to see how other people relate to their parents; dealing with aging, disease, and long distances like this.

  21. Pamela Ross on July 10, 2011 at 4:31 pm

    Hi Margie,

    What a great idea! I love Gini’s suggestion on your top 10 books – I’m always looking for recommendations.

    I’d also love to learn more about you and how you have managed to write such a successful blog – 100 subscribers is amazing, especially for someone who also has a full time job.

  22. Elaine Spitz on July 10, 2011 at 4:33 pm

    Margie, this is an awesome idea…since I love to sing, I’d dig it if you’d put together a list of your all-time favorite songs (oop, there’s a post for me to write) and we can compare notes. August is gonna be fun for you and a great read for the rest of us!

  23. Ken Mueller on July 10, 2011 at 4:35 pm

    1. Blogging as therapy/catharsis
    2. If I were… (insert names: Gini Dietrich, Chris Brogan, President Obama, Justin Bieber, etc)
    3. Getting “Muelleriffic” as a commonly used word in the English lexicon
    4. If dogs ran social media for us…
    5. The ABC’s of Blogging/Social Media – A Kids’ Guide

  24. Andrea Donahue on July 10, 2011 at 5:35 pm

    “Social Media” – is this an oxymoron? Is chatting with someone online really the same thing as having coffee with them? You can’t hear me laugh or cry, can’t hear the tone of my voice, we can’t hug. Are we really socializing if we are never face-to-face?

    Just wondering…..
    *hugs*
    😎

  25. Janice on July 10, 2011 at 6:12 pm

    Margie,

    I’d love to offer you a new experience… Have you had a chance to get out on a farm? If so, I am sure there is something in agriculture that could be a totally new experience for you. And I think I could arrange for you to have a great experience to write about people who produce food that goes on our tables!

    Jp

  26. Brandon on July 10, 2011 at 6:21 pm

    Here’s one for you. I’m cheating a little, as this is very close to an interview question I will be asking others soon, but regardless:

    You are throwing a dinner party for no less than 3, no more than 7 (because place settings come in 4s and you are eating also.) Who is invited? Why? What is being served? What is the topic(s) of conversation?

    You may invite anyone from the past, present, or future. You may discuss anything and they will answer honestly.

  27. Moxie on July 10, 2011 at 6:32 pm

    Margie, how does a little blogger break through in the online world? Thank you!

  28. Michael Palko on July 10, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    I’d like to see a WINK post; wink is an acronym for What I Now Know.

    Talk about what you’ve learned in this business, what the absolutes are and what you’d do differently if starting over.

  29. Andrea Donahue on July 11, 2011 at 1:50 pm

    I’m not the smartest person on the planet, but not the dimmest. I fall somewhere in between. Why I cannot use Facebook to my own satisfaction, while others are all over that bandwidthwagon, continues to mystify me. I still, as you may know, love LiveJournal. Compare and contrast (I just wanted to write that!) Facebook with LiveJournal in that respect. Specifically, each’s capability to share information with, or not share inofrmation, with whomsoever one wishes. If you want to mention Google’s ‘circles’ here that would be swell as well.
    Love, Emmiegray 😎

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