tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35734494358032309852024-03-05T07:04:25.649-06:00JonMKee.comA blog about personal interests including Disney World, web content management technology, and other random thoughts.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-17855375875850270772014-04-23T08:54:00.001-05:002014-04-23T08:54:21.427-05:00Walt Disney World Tips: Memory Maker - Worth the Money?Have you ever dreamed of having a photographer follow you around on
your Walt Disney World vacation to take photos of you and your family so
that everyone can be a part of your magical memories? Well, the <a data-mce-href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/memory-maker/" href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/memory-maker/" target="_blank"><span class="iwtermhighlight">Disney Memory Maker</span></a> package isn't quite that -- but it's pretty close.<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
<b>What is <span class="iwtermhighlight">Disney Memory Maker</span>?</b><br />
<span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_marker"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_marker"></span><span id="__caret"></span></span><span id="__caret"><span id="__caret"></span></span>If you've been to Walt Disney World, you have probably seen the photographers for <a data-mce-href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/photo-pass-service/" href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/photo-pass-service/" target="_blank">Disney PhotoPass</a>
around the parks. Disney PhotoPass is a free service where
photographers are there to take pictures for you (using both their
camera <i>and</i><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_end"> yours) at
the most popular locations throughout the parks and resorts. Once you
are done posing and getting the perfect shot, they simply scan your
pictures to a </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_end"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_end">Disney PhotoPass </span>card that you can then use to view and purchase the photos via the</span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_end"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_end"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_end"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_start"> </span></span></span></span><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_11_start" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_13_start" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_12_start" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_13_end" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_start"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_start"><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_12_end" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span></span></span><a data-mce-href="#mce_temp_url#" href="https://app.inboundwriter.com/iw/#mce_temp_url#"><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_10_start" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_11_end" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_start"><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_9_start" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span></span><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_10_end" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span>My Disney Experience website<span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_9_end" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span>. </a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_start">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjDcoMyTgxjRVa9jeX7QIuMRU01QKReRwRb07S9MzhueeX2HhQIMNzk5nDvpzZCB8l6C9IapEAUDOor7gCAuwLU3sdIHPYuq6YhXeDFgAb47EhGX3ArXzxWPsYxCDCHXS-JQSPXdcIv1Q/s1600/wdw201409962374387_6957674475_18.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjDcoMyTgxjRVa9jeX7QIuMRU01QKReRwRb07S9MzhueeX2HhQIMNzk5nDvpzZCB8l6C9IapEAUDOor7gCAuwLU3sdIHPYuq6YhXeDFgAb47EhGX3ArXzxWPsYxCDCHXS-JQSPXdcIv1Q/s1600/wdw201409962374387_6957674475_18.jpeg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How did the good fairy get in this magic photo?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_end">The </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_end"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_end">Disney PhotoPass team </span>uses
high quality equipment, knows all the best angles, and can even take
"magic photos" (photos that magically add Tinkerbell, Stitch, and other
characters to your photos as shown to the right) to enhance your visit.
Plus, it saves you from lugging a camera around all day and can even be
tied to your</span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_start"> </span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="_end"><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_14_start" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span></span><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_20_start" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span><a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/my-disney-experience/bands-cards/" target="_blank">Disney MagicBand</a><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_20_end" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span><span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_14_end" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span>.
Disney PhotoPass is a great service, but anyone that's used it in the
past knows that it can be a bit pricey (about $15 per photo).<br />
</span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_marker"></span><span id="__caret"></span>Therefore, Disney has introduced a new offering, th<span class="iwtermhighlight">e Memory Mak</span>er package. The<span class="iwtermhighlight"> Memory Make</span>r
package allows you to get digital copies of any Disney PhotoPass photo
as well as all photos taken on the various attractions that sell ride
photos, for one price. And if you buy in advance, there's a pretty good
discount (sometimes it's even included in your vacation package), but
you can also buy it while at the parks too.<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
<b>Doe<span class="iwtermhighlight">s Disney Memory Mak</span>er Make Sense?</b><br />
To
me, it was a no brainer. When we go to Walt Disney World, I want to
capture all of our magical memories, but when either my wife or I are
not in almost every photo, it takes away a little bit of the magic.
Plus, while we have a decent camera, it's far from top-of-the-line, so
knowing that a professional photographer using professional equipment is
taking the picture, adds a lot of value.<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
It
also makes sense if you're the kind of Walt Disney World visitor that
likes to buy a lot of the ride photos on Space Mountain, Splash
Mountain, and the other big attractions. Because those are included in
the Disney Memory Maker product, we ended up coming home with copies of
multiple pictures from each of the rides. And because it was was the
first time on some of the bigger rides for our youngest, knowing that we
could print out those photos for her without paying $25 - $50 each was
well worth it.<br />
<br />
But for me, I've saved the best part for last.
Nothing makes your magical memories better than enhancing your photos
with Disney graphics, borders, and more. It really does make your
magical memories, even more magical!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLW8U_FQuh1zmBHmZW6bAjaZ6nXGzDU0p8_loDFfTptCHJ3GKmoi6OPf4B4lww_0SVlHOyhetnn0qJDdpX4t77BBU8TT-3h227azjZMDl6sk6M6IMNdS88e-rJfYBxFmT2LdvFXUOMalh/s1600/wdw201409962334139_6957620260_18.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLW8U_FQuh1zmBHmZW6bAjaZ6nXGzDU0p8_loDFfTptCHJ3GKmoi6OPf4B4lww_0SVlHOyhetnn0qJDdpX4t77BBU8TT-3h227azjZMDl6sk6M6IMNdS88e-rJfYBxFmT2LdvFXUOMalh/s1600/wdw201409962334139_6957620260_18.jpeg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It doesn't get much more magical than this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After each of our Walt
Disney World visits, I like to make each child their own photo book so
that they can remember all of the magical memories from their visit. And
it's worked -- because of the photo books, my children remember things
they did there when they were two or three years old. But my point is
that being able to add some extra magic to the photos is certain to make
this year's edition the best yet.<br />
<br />
If you're not the kind of person that's going to take a bunch of pictures<span class="iwtermhighlight">, Disney Memory Mak</span>er
probably isn't for you. But for our visit, we had about 175 pictures
taken, which works out to less than $1 per photo, so I'm pretty good
with that. And because we bought it in advance, we found ourselves
wanting to take more pictures, which can't be a bad thing.<br />
<br />
I think
Disney got this one right and I'm confident you won't regret buying the
Memory Maker package on your next visit to the Walt Disney World
resort.<br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_15_start" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span>I
hope that this has been helpful. If you have a Disney
question, I’m happy to help. Feel free to shoot me your question on
Twitter
(I’m <a href="https://twitter.com/jonmkee">@jonmkee</a>) or via email (jonmkee
at gmail dot com). Have a magical day!<span data-mce-style="overflow:hidden;line-height:0px" data-mce-type="bookmark" id="mce_15_end" style="line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><i>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </i></b><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Linked In,</i></b></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Google Plus</i></b></span></a><b><i>, or follow me on</i></b> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></span></a><b><i>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</i></b></span></span>
<br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-77477339555068025062014-04-21T10:48:00.000-05:002014-04-21T10:48:59.415-05:00Your Disney World Vacation -- To Stay On or Off Disney Property<br />
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One of the most important decisions you’re faced with when
planning your <a data-mce-href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/" href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/" target="_blank">Walt Disney World</a> vacation is to decide whether to stay on or off Disney property. Having done both
over the years, we’ve uncovered some Disney World tips that can help you decide which is right for you. </div>
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<a href="http://www.orlandovacation.com/disney-world/discount-disney-vacations/images/DisneyCharacters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.orlandovacation.com/disney-world/discount-disney-vacations/images/DisneyCharacters.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Your Disney World Vacation -- Staying Off Disney Property</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.visitorlando.com/">Orlando</a>
is such a
popular tourist destination that you can find everything from basic
hotel rooms
to villas, suites and full houses for rent, helping to ensure that you
can easily find something that's perfect for your stay. The
sheer quantity of available options alone makes staying off property
attractive, but some of the other advantages include:</div>
<ul>
<li>Lower costs.</li>
<li>More room / space.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Less of a “commitment to Disney” (many people I’ve
talked to feel like if they stay on property, that’s all they should do –
but with <a href="https://www.universalorlando.com/">Universal Studios</a>, <a href="http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando/">Sea World</a> and a bevy
of other attractions in Orlando, staying off property allows you to feel less
inclined to commit only to “the Mouse”).</li>
</ul>
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On the flip side, you lose a lot of the perks that make
staying on property worthwhile (noted below). In addition, you end up having to deal
with things like:</div>
<ul>
<li>Additional costs for rental car / parking / etc…</li>
<li>Dealing with the hassle of getting into and out
of the parks each day.</li>
<li>Not being able to setup your <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/my-disney-experience/fastpass-plus/">Disney
Fastpass+</a> ahead of time.</li>
<li>More time spent traveling -- time is your most precious resource on vacation, treasure it.</li>
</ul>
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People often forget about these other costs associated with staying off property, so one of my favorite <span class="iwtermhighlight">Disney World tips</span>
is to calculate whether these costs make up the delta between
what staying on property would cost. Obviously this varies with each
scenario, but is an important consideration to keep in mind.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Your Disney World Vacation -- </b>Staying On Disney
Property</b></div>
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The past few years, we’ve opted to stay exclusively
on
property. In fact, this year, we spent our entire Disney World vacation
on property (in years past, we've taken a few days to venture off
property, but my kids just love the <a data-mce-href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/magic-kingdom/" href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/magic-kingdom/" target="_blank">Magic Kingdom</a> so much, we ended up there most days*). With young children, not having to deal with rental cars and
being able to come and go as we please to allow for naps and other breaks
proved to be a big selling point for us. But beyond that, there are a ton of
advantages to staying on Disney property, including:</div>
<ul>
<li>Free transportation and luggage service (including
in-room luggage delivery) to and from the airport via <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/magical-express/">Disney’s
Magical Express</a> (if you’re traveling with kids, the value of this service
can’t be understated).</li>
<li>Access to <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/extra-magic-hours/">Disney’s
Extra Magic Hours</a>, hours that the parks are only open for guests staying on
property (another of our Disney World tips is this: while it tends to be super crowded because most people on the property
feel the need to take advantage of it, the lines are still shorter than during
normal hours).</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>No driving / parking / etc., it’s all handled
via the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/planning-guides/in-depth-advice/resort-transportation/">Disney
Transportation System</a> (DTS).</li>
<li>The ability to configure FastPass+ attractions
in advance (it helps guarantee you can ride the rides you want, when you want
to, and don’t have to spend the first chunk of your day setting up your FastPasses).</li>
<li>The ability to stay at some of the <a data-mce-href="http://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/" href="http://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/" target="_blank">Disney Vacation Club</a> (DVC) properties, which are generally very nice.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>More of an “all-inclusive” feel, even though it’s
not technically “all-inclusive”.</li>
</ul>
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If you’re looking to remove some of the stress from your Disney World vacation
(and who isn’t, really), staying on property helps with that quite a bit too. Plus,
it’s more affordable than you think. Sure, if you want to stay at the higher
end resorts and villas near Epcot and Magic Kingdom, you’re going to pay for that, but if you can get by
with a standard hotel room, you can stay on property for about $100 a night –
that’s not bad. As for the downsides:</div>
<ul>
<li>Generally, you are paying a premium for these benefits and depending on where you stay, those premiums will be higher or lower.</li>
<li>Like
everything else in the world of real estate, it’s all about location.
We prefer to stay near <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thebestmagic.net/uploads/7/5/6/4/7564913/4134043_orig.jpg?189" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thebestmagic.net/uploads/7/5/6/4/7564913/4134043_orig.jpg?189" height="320" width="266" /></a></div>
the Magic Kingdom, but my brother prefers to stay
near Epcot. Knowing which hotels best meet your needs and how to get
from one to the next will save you a lot of time.</li>
<li><span data-mce-style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span data-mce-style="mso-list: Ignore;" style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span data-mce-style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';" style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>While
the Magic Hours and Transportation System are benefits, if you’re not
going to use them, or find them cumbersome to use (DTS works better for
certain properties), the additional cost might not make sense (another
of our Disney World tips: If you can stay on the monorail, you'll have a
better chance of staying on whatever schedule you've planned -- they
run on a much tighter schedule that the bus system).</li>
</ul>
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So, which do you prefer? I don’t think you can go
wrong
either way, and while we prefer to stay on property now, that might
change when
our kids get older (their favorite park is the Magic Kingdom, but they
might like the bigger rides at Hollywood Studios as they get older). I
hope that this has been helpful. If you have a Disney
question, I’m happy to help. Feel free to shoot me your question on
Twitter
(I’m <a href="https://twitter.com/jonmkee">@jonmkee</a>) or via email (jonmkee
at gmail dot com). Have a magical day!</div>
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<i> * - One of my favorite Disney World Tips for
those with young kids is to visit one park in the morning, go back to
the hotel for naps/rest during the afternoon when the parks are most
crowded, then head back later. Kids don't need to ride every ride a
dozen times to have a magical experience.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><i>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </i></b><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Linked In,</i></b></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Google Plus</i></b></span></a><b><i>, or follow me on</i></b> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></span></a><b><i>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</i></b></span></span>
<br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-4379353521654799252014-04-15T09:56:00.000-05:002014-04-21T11:04:17.492-05:00Disney World Tips: 5 Tips for Your Trip to Disney World in 2014<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
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Those that know me know that I’m a bit of a Disney nut, but
never was this made more clear than on our recent trip to <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/" target="_blank">Disney World</a> this
April. And while I thought I knew quite a bit about how to maximize the
Disney World experience, I also learned a few things. </div>
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</div>
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So, here are some Disney World tips I picked up to help you get the most of out of
your visit to Disney World in 2014:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/allthingsd.com/files/2013/05/Disney-MagicBand.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Understanding Disney's Fastpass+ is crucial towards having a great Disney World vacation." data-mce-src="http://i2.wp.com/allthingsd.com/files/2013/05/Disney-MagicBand.jpg" height="131" src="http://i2.wp.com/allthingsd.com/files/2013/05/Disney-MagicBand.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Master
Fastpass+</b> – If you’ve done any research on Disney lately, you’re certainly familiar
with the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/my-disney-experience/fastpass-plus/">Fastpass+
technology</a>. And while the technology continues to evolve (which will render
much of what’s written here outdated soon enough), understanding which rides
have the longest wait times and when, will allow you to get the most out of
your visit. Rides like <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/splash-mountain/">Splash
Mountain</a>, <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/space-mountain/">Space
Mountain</a>, and <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/big-thunder-mountain-railroad/">Big
Thunder Mountain</a> are generally the longest waits from about 10 am to 7 pm,
so if you want to hit those rides, you should fastpass those during the busy
times. Other popular rides like <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/peter-pan-flight/">Peter
Pan</a>, <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/haunted-mansion/">Haunted
Mansion</a> and <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/pirates-of-the-caribbean/">Pirates
of the Caribbean</a> offer wait times of less than 15 minutes early and
late in
the day, so hit them then, and save your fast passes for the big rides.
Another of my favorite Disney World tips is to keep track of the various
parade times because they are popular, and even
sought after rides like Splash Mountain will see wait times drop
significantly
during those times.</li>
<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Plan your
days efficiently</b> – One thing that stuck out to me on our most recent trip
is that being at the park between 1 pm and 5 pm is not very efficient. It’s
obviously the most popular time of the day, so all of the ride times are
inflated, but it’s also generally pretty hot, so you end up spending more time waiting in line <i>and </i>more money on
water/snacks/etc… What we found was taking advantage of Disney’s transportation
system, we could head back to the hotel and swim (or just relax), then head
back to the parks at night when the lines were shorter (and the weather was
more pleasant). For those with little ones like us, it served as a great way to
keep them fresh.</li>
<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Take time
to experience the “other” attractions</b> – Of course the big rides are a
primary reason to visit WDW, but this is maybe the favorite of my recent
Disney World tips in that we really tried to focus on some of the other
experiences during this visit. Take time to stroll through the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/epcot/">World Showcase</a>
and <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/epcot/innoventions-east/">Innoventions</a>
at Epcot, or take in some of the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/hollywood-studios/indiana-jones-epic-stunt-spectacular/">stunt
shows</a> at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – you never know how much you’re going
to enjoy them until you try em. In fact, three of our kids favorite rides from
this visit were the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/walt-disney-carousel-of-progress/">Carousel
of Progress</a>, <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/epcot/spaceship-earth/">Spaceship
Earth</a>, and the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/hall-of-presidents/">Hall
of Presidents</a> – who <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thedisneyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/hop1-425.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Disney Vacation Tips: When it's hot, check out indoor attractions like Disney's Hall of Presidents. " data-mce-src="http://thedisneyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/hop1-425.jpg" height="144" src="http://thedisneyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/hop1-425.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
knew!</li>
<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Meet the
characters</b> – Being the father of two young girls, meeting the characters
(especially the Princesses) is a must, but there various ways to do this. If
you can afford it, the best way is to do one of the many character meals that
allows you to meet several characters at one time (all while getting a decent meal!).
Though it’s a bit pricey, it does allow you to save a lot of time (which is
really your most valuable commodity on vacation) versus waiting to meet each
one individually, and really has an impact on the overall experience. Disney
has done a great job of minimizing character wait times by allowing you to use
Fastpass+ to see the more popular characters too, so even if you don't dine with them, don’t miss out on seeing
Mickey, Cinderella and all the rest during your next visit.</li>
<li><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
fireworks are great, but what comes first is better</b> – Disney World’s
fireworks are among the best in the world, but for me, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csHXSd8C60Q">Celebrate the Magic</a> show
that precedes them is even better. Leveraging some pretty sophisticated
projection technologies, imagineers turn Cinderella’s Castle into the movie
screen and project popular movie scenes onto it. Combined with the songs your
kids know and love, it’s a great way to prepare for the fireworks and has
something for everyone. You can see fireworks anywhere, but this is something
uniquely Disney.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So hopefully these Disney World tips help you get more out of your
vacation and I’m working on upcoming posts about how to make your visit even
more magical, whether it makes sense to say on or off property, and more. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have a Disney question, I’m happy to help. Feel free
to shoot me your question on Twitter (I’m <a href="https://twitter.com/jonmkee">@jonmkee</a>)
or via email (jonmkee at gmail dot com). Have a magical day!</div>
Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-70757235375515569782013-09-30T15:02:00.000-05:002014-04-15T09:41:24.780-05:00It's time to say goodbyeI’ve been pretty fortunate. <br />
<br />
I’ve been a member of the workforce for twelve years and have had the privilege of working with some pretty amazing people. And while my role has changed over the years and I’ve even changed companies, there have always been constants in my professional life – good people, good technology, and a good work/life balance.<br />
<br />
But I’ve realized something very important, and that is that when it’s time for a change, it’s time for a change. Whether that change is being driven by technology problems, personnel changes, or any of the other factors that cause you to be less than satisfied, when it’s time, <i>it’s time</i>. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
And it’s normal to be afraid. Everyone fears change. <br />
<br />
The idea that you’re essentially throwing away everything you’ve invested to start anew is a scary proposition, especially when it’s coupled with the notion that the grass <i>isn’t </i>always greener, that perhaps you’ll find yourself in a similar (or worse!) situation in the not too distant future if it doesn’t work out. <br />
<br />
But, we can no longer settle for second best. Just “getting by” means getting beat, and that costs people their jobs. You need to have the power to do whatever you need to do to be successful and as famous entrepreneur <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSharkDaymond" target="_blank">Daymond John</a> once said, "the secret to power is being decisive," so being afraid won't get you anywhere.<br />
<br />
If you’re relying on an old, out of date technology to support your web initiatives, you’re making it easier for your competitors and harder for your customers. As a marketer, the pressure you’re under is exponentially higher than it was even three or four years ago and because of that, you need a technology that affords you the opportunity to get the <a href="http://www.ektron.com/Products/Digital-Experience-Hub/" target="_blank">best of the best</a> across all of your <a href="http://www.ektron.com/Blogs/Megan-Menesale/Demystifying-Digital-Experience-Management%E2%80%93Engagement--Conversion--Retention/" target="_blank">digital channels</a>. <br />
<br />
But most importantly, you need a partner. You need someone that will take the scary aspects of this change away. And that’s where I come in. I'm here to help you say goodbye to your old web content management system and hello to <a href="http://www.ektron.com/" target="_blank">Ektron</a>. I’ll help you unlock the potential that your digital strategy holds to provide a measurable, noticeable ROI. And I’ll build a relationship with you so that if you ever experience tough times, you’ve got someone to turn to.<br />
<br />
If you’re thinking about upgrading your <a href="http://www.ektron.com/Solutions/Web-Content-Management/" target="_blank">web content management system</a>, now is the time. It's time to seize the opportunity to replace an outdated technology with a better product and keep your business moving forward. It's time to say goodbye because only then, will you have the power.<br />
<br />
<i>And for those of you thinking this post was about something completely different, well, I’m sorry to disappoint… ;)</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><i>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </i></b><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Linked In,</i></b></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Google Plus</i></b></span></a><b><i>, or follow me on</i></b> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></span></a><b><i>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</i></b></span></span>
<br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-41487456866226158492013-08-23T07:40:00.000-05:002013-08-23T07:40:35.072-05:00In a Minute: Why Global Content IS the Next MobileAs a thought leader in the space, Ektron prides itself on being able to offer our customers the latest technology when they need it. A few years ago it was support for the mobile initiatives, today I believe it's delivery global content in a localized fashion.<br />
<br />
Check out the video below to see what I mean:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/JNwG5baUSdc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><i>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </i></b><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Linked In,</i></b></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Google Plus</i></b></span></a><b><i>, or follow me on</i></b> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></span></a><b><i>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</i></b></span></span>
<br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-88676446648210126452013-08-16T08:10:00.000-05:002013-08-16T08:10:58.667-05:00Should Every Employee Think Like A Sales Person?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was 22 when I started my first full time job. I was right
out of college and eager to make my mark on the world. My father, who had a
very successful business career, has always been my mentor personally and
professionally, so I wanted nothing more than to impress him, and help him see
that all of his (and my mother’s) hard work in raising me was going to pay off.</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/4593547008/hF3EE8844/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/4593547008/hF3EE8844/" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And so like every other like-minded person, I was the first
person in the office every day and many times, was the last person out. I was
making <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ok</i> money for someone my age
and knew that because we were a small company and I was the lone sales and
marketing person, there were a lot of people depending on me to keep the lights
on. The place wasn’t going under if I sucked, but we certainly weren’t going to
grow very fast if that was the case.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It took me a little while to get going, but once I did, we
started winning a lot. We won so much, that we had to move into larger spaces
(twice) and grew the company more than 500% personnel wise. But it wasn’t until
I was a couple of years in that I realized the most important, career changing concept
that altered my work behavior forever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s not how long you work, it’s how effective you are when
you’re there. Yes, it’s very cliché and I know I’m not the first person to
share this thought, but it was a big, light bulb moment for me, so I’ll take it a
step further. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I believe that every employee should think like a sales person. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here’s what I mean. Sales people are compensated in a very clear and precise manner. Sell this much, earn this much, rinse
and repeat. And great sales people generally become sales managers and know
that whether you work 40 hours a week or 60 hours a week, as long as you’re
hitting your numbers, you’re good. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But other areas of the business usually aren't able to do as good a job clearly defining the goals for their employees. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, why can’t this concept be applied to other areas of the
business? </span>For example: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To the web developer, complete projects X, Y and Z. Just focus on these three
projects. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To the marketing executive, your target for the month is to drive X
number of leads and get this number of attendees to the event. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To the customer
support engineer, your target is to close X number of cases each month. </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And
so
on. It seems simple, but so many businesses don't really have direct targets
in place (or don't tell the employees about them) to help provide this
kind of direction.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The point I’m trying to make isn’t that we should set
minimums for every role in the company, it’s clear we have enough people trying
to get by with doing the minimum. My point is that we should set more clearly defined
goals for everyone in the company because so many people wander through their
career feeling that as long as they’re <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">busy</i>,
they’re doing their job. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works; when I realized that busy doesn’t
equal productive, I became a much stronger member
of the team. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For the next three months, I want you to try something. Set
clear goals for yourself and really focus on them. Don’t get bogged down by
all the other side BS, just focus on your goals, like a salesperson focuses on
the deals they’re working that quarter. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I promise you, you’ll be more productive, the results will
be better, and you’ll be home for dinner much more often. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </i></b><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Linked In,</i></b></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Google Plus</i></b></span></a><b><i>, or follow me on</i></b> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></span></a><b><i>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</i></b></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-50390933269663575112013-04-23T09:44:00.001-05:002013-04-23T09:44:05.352-05:00Why I Love Disney WorldThis Saturday, my family is heading down to the happiest place on earth, otherwise known as <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/" target="_blank">Walt Disney World</a>.<br />
<br />
We, like many others (including just about any family with young children) love it there. But it's not because of the warm weather (you can go lots of places for that) or the rides (Six Flags is 30 minutes from here), to me, it's the way people are when they're there that makes this place so special.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>As a child</b></span>, I had the privilege of visiting on several occasions. My parents purchased a timeshare (that I think they still regret today) that forced us to go there every few years. I have nothing but fond memories, but having been there now a few times as a parent, I realize that it's far from a vacation when you're chasing little ones around in crowded spaces day after day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Splash_Mountain_-_Magic_Kingdom_-_Walt_Disney_World.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Splash_Mountain_-_Magic_Kingdom_-_Walt_Disney_World.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
But, what I do remember from my childhood is riding all the same rides that are still there (Space Mountain, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, etc.). While these rides have undergone some modernization, they're practically identical to how I remember them.<br />
<br />
And sitting down in the seat instantly brings back memories of sitting in those same seats with my parents and siblings (I can still picture my brother Chris reciting the "hold on to your hats and glasses" disclaimer before Big Thunder Mountain starts, over and over again).<br />
<br />
It's nostalgia for sure, but it's something more than that -- it's consistency. We all strive to be consistent, yet few truly achieve it. Disney excels at it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>But it's not the rides </b><span style="font-size: small;">that make this place special</span></span>. Maybe it's the characters? Watching your child's eyes light up when Mickey Mouse is 20 feet away, or when Cinderella dances with the prince right before your eyes, or Tinkerbell flies through the sky -- it's difficult to describe. It's like watching the storybook come alive and to a young child, there might not be anything better.<br />
<br />
But I don't think that's it either. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I strive to be a good parent</b></span>, to teach my children the difference between right and wrong, how to be polite and well mannered, and to treat others as you wish to be treated. And often times, it goes in one ear and out the other. I think many other parents have the same experience. They're kids -- they listen when they want to and tune out when they don't. And we're working on this...<br />
<br />
But, in the two previous trips that we've taken our kids down to Disney World, I can only think of one time where we had an incident. One. Over almost two weeks time. Fourteen hour days (many without naps). With two kids under the age of 5. That's fairly impressive.<br />
<br />
And in fact, I can think of dozens of instances where they were better to and with each other, helping each other, and playing with each other. It's like they put being siblings on hold for those few days.<br />
<br />
It's amazing what a Mouse can do.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>My point is </b></span>that while we enjoy the weather, the rides, and the kids being able to see the characters, what I enjoy the most is the atmosphere.<br />
<br />
It's a world within our world, where what's happening outside the 30,080 acres of Disney-owned property simply doesn't matter. It's not that it doesn't matter, but that it doesn't impact what's happening inside the parks. The "cast members" that work there make you feel at home and welcome, you're not (really) worried about someone stealing your stuff, and generally, people are all in a great mood.<br />
<br />
It's like it brings out the best in who we are as humans, something that I hope we all bring home with us.<br />
<br />
I know that there are Disney-haters out there, that can't stand how commercialized it is, that are frustrated that there are full aisles of toys at <a href="http://www.target.com/" target="_blank">Target </a>with nothing but Disney toys and clothes, and I get that. But, within the confines of the Disney properties, I'd challenge anyone to find me a better place to show your kids what's possible in life if they believe. <br />
<br />
I love Disney World because it shows us what we're all capable of being -- kind, generous, courteous, polite. I know that I strive to be all those things and I hope my kids pick up on that, because it's one thing to tell them to act like a princess, it's another thing for them to see it for themselves.<br />
<br />
Seeing is believing, and I love what I see when we vacation there. We're all as humans just better people when we're there, and that's why I'll take my kids there every chance I get.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><i>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </i></b><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Linked In,</i></b></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Google Plus</i></b></span></a><b><i>, or follow me on</i></b> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></span></a><b><i>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</i></b></span></span>
<br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-50329126488604553552013-03-28T07:55:00.003-05:002013-03-28T08:02:20.185-05:00Shaka Smart Doesn't Want to WinLet me be clear -- I don't blame any coach for not wanting to takeover the basketball program at the University of Minnesota. It's a great institution, but I imagine that when you're recruiting against North Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana and Florida for the top recruits, winters in Minnesota are a factor...<br />
<br />
But seeing <a href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9106022/shaka-smart-remain-coach-vcu-rams" target="_blank">this article on ESPN.com</a> last night got me thinking -- coaches like Shaka Smart, Brad Stevens, Mark Few and the like are afraid -- <b>afraid of winning</b>.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, these guys are all terrific coaches and based on what I've seen and read about them, they all sound like wonderful people, but how are these guys not getting vilified for what they're doing? They are among the best in their craft and yet, when better opportunities present themselves, they turn the other way.<br />
<br />
If a big free agent takes more money to go to a perennial loser, he gets crucified -- but these guys pass on real opportunities to win, and win big, yet choose to stay put, and everyone applauds them. I don't get it.<br />
<br />
Look, out of the bunch, Stevens has the most reason to stay because he's taken his program as far as he possibly can without actually winning it all. But, let's be honest, what he was able to do involved the perfect storm of senior personnel, right breaks in the brackets, and a couple of fortunate bounces. He might be lucky enough to have that happen once a decade, which if I'm a true competitor, isn't enough.<br />
<br />
But look at Gonzaga this year -- their bracket was setup for ultimate success and they fell short. What more could they have asked for? <br />
<br />
Can you go 20-9 at VCU or Butler or Gonzaga, get a good seed in the tournament, and play to the second weekend, probably. But, can you do it consistently and hang banners -- highly doubtful.<br />
<br />
I understand why these guys are staying put (high income, lower pressure, personal reasons, etc.), but passing on opportunities to win at big time programs like UCLA shouldn't get these guys kudos, it should get their AD's worried that "good enough" is all they are striving for.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><i>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </i></b><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Linked In,</i></b></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Google Plus</i></b></span></a><b><i>, or follow me on</i></b> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></span></a><b><i>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</i></b></span></span>
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<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-14444356320356284102013-03-06T15:36:00.000-06:002013-03-06T15:36:04.125-06:00What’s the (Share)Point?<!--[if !mso]>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you’ve browsed the Ektron website, you’ve undoubtedly come across content regarding Ektron’s best of breed approach, the <a href="https://www.ektron.com/Products/Digital-Experience-Hub/" target="_blank">Digital Experience Hub</a>, and “Connectors” to several leading technologies like <a href="https://www.ektron.com/Products/Digital-Experience-Hub/#2555" target="_blank">HubSpot </a>and <a href="https://www.ektron.com/Products/Digital-Experience-Hub/#817" target="_blank">Salesforce.com</a>. One of the most prominently featured integrations is with Microsoft SharePoint. And while the integration itself is pretty easy to explain, understanding all the potential benefits of this integration provides isn’t always as clear. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />And while Ektron can replace SharePoint altogether, if there is an opportunity to leverage both technologies for the best outcome, that’s really our preference. Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to provide four great examples of leveraging Ektron and SharePoint together:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLV76d6jx9vbR9gkGDPU-XMihCaVQaSWX1VSbiq96XssA3JyeGU0kFnstUTQAPNOIorAY0Y5cAnprReahNzHQFn9dCDehu1flWQXIiWfRSl8JhS_cMWMmxchyiSggvO63TaVo41NAoih-N/s1600/photo1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLV76d6jx9vbR9gkGDPU-XMihCaVQaSWX1VSbiq96XssA3JyeGU0kFnstUTQAPNOIorAY0Y5cAnprReahNzHQFn9dCDehu1flWQXIiWfRSl8JhS_cMWMmxchyiSggvO63TaVo41NAoih-N/s1600/photo1.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>1. There’s No Way We’re Moving Our Assets</b><br /><i>No one denies that SharePoint is at its best when it is being used for asset management and collaboration. It’s what it does and it does it pretty well. Unfortunately, sometimes it does it too well in the sense that an organization becomes so reliant on SharePoint for asset management, that the thought of moving assets away from SharePoint makes IT shudder. </i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />But, never fear. With Ektron’s <a href="https://www.ektron.com/Products/Digital-Experience-Hub/Microsoft-SharePoint-Connector/" target="_blank">SharePoint Connector</a>, this frightening event is eliminated because the Connector provides the ability for content editors in Ektron to reach into SharePoint to grab assets for use on the website. Ektron can run the public website and those assets can either be referenced within SharePoint or duplicated in Ektron, and if it’s the latter, the Connector will create a synchronization relationship with SharePoint so that when either version is updated (via SharePoint or Ektron), both are updated accordingly.<br /> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If your assets are stuck in SharePoint, that’s not a problem with Ektron.</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7Cf6i36IBCTdQVLDAawJuL2bhyphenhyphenCZflsDk_oMB-3KsAuA6UVUPsbYpTo54L-sZMAz9CrEW4n6X5SVU13-RNdPS1MmYsT1PE9b63yuMBlQ4bzIs-0aM4a7lZ8XMUWxSr4opnBvXuFslYmL/s1600/photo2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7Cf6i36IBCTdQVLDAawJuL2bhyphenhyphenCZflsDk_oMB-3KsAuA6UVUPsbYpTo54L-sZMAz9CrEW4n6X5SVU13-RNdPS1MmYsT1PE9b63yuMBlQ4bzIs-0aM4a7lZ8XMUWxSr4opnBvXuFslYmL/s200/photo2.gif" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>2. Our Content Editors Don’t Want to Learn a New System</b><br /><i>Similar to the thought of moving a large number of assets out of an existing system, many organizations cringe when the topic of re-training their content editors comes up. You know the old phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” – well that applies here. If the majority of your content editors are creating content and completing their tasks as needed, don’t make them change. Instead, allow your power users to learn Ektron so that when enhancement to that content is necessary, a small subset of users can take care of it. It’s not the best scenario to be authoring in multiple systems, but it might be a whole lot less painful.</i><br /><br /><b>3. We’re Happy With SharePoint, We Just Need More</b><br /><i>Similar to the prior business case, users aren’t always looking to move off of SharePoint because of the user experience (though that’s sometimes the case). In many cases, they just need functionality that SharePoint doesn’t offer. Some of Ektron’s workflow and publishing capabilities, <a href="https://www.ektron.com/Products/Ektron-CMS/Multilingual-Sites/" target="_blank">globalization tools</a>, and search engine optimization components are items that SharePoint (and other web content management tools) simply don’t have. Therefore, a hybrid approach also solves this issue in that content editors can continue to use SharePoint as they always have if appropriate, and can now leverage Ektron to take advantage of the benefits it offers. </i><br /><br /><b>4. Migration from SharePoint Scares Me</b><br /><i>Migrating from one technology to another can be an intimidating proposition. Depending on the format and technology of both systems, sometimes it’s really easy. Other times, not so much. If you want to migrate from SharePoint to Ektron, administrators simply setup the Connector to pull all of the content over from SharePoint automatically. Once this is done, you can re-organize, update, and categorize content as needed. It’s as a clean a migration process as there is.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i></i><br />Look, there are more than <a href="http://www.rackspace.com/knowledge_center/whitepaper/6-things-every-manager-should-know-about-microsoft%C2%AE-sharepoint%C2%AE" target="_blank">100 million SharePoint users</a> worldwide. It’s not going anywhere and if a vendor tells you that you need to throw out SharePoint entirely (against your will), there’s an ulterior motive there. For <a href="https://www.ektron.com/" target="_blank">Ektron</a>, we’re happy to either work with SharePoint or to replace it, and what that should tell you is that we’re putting your best interests first. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </i></b><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Linked In,</i></b></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Google Plus</i></b></span></a><b><i>, or follow me on</i></b> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></span></a><b><i>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</i></b></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-12508207214957644772013-02-19T15:30:00.001-06:002013-02-19T15:30:22.941-06:005 Traits of a Successful Higher Ed Website<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Over the
past decade or so, we’ve had the opportunity to work on a variety of higher
education web projects. This experience includes regional institutions like the
<a href="http://www.ut.edu/">University of Tampa</a> and <a href="http://www.stritch.edu/">Cardinal Stritch University</a> to nationally-known
establishments like <a href="http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/">Northwestern
University</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">, </span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The
University of Notre Dame</span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">,</span></span> and <a href="http://www.vmi.edu/">Virginia Military Institute</a>. And while each
project has distinct goals and objects, there are definitely common attributes
that have contributed to their success.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s no
surprise that Ektron is one of the <a href="http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/2071233/ektron_continues_momentum_in_web_content_management_marketing_optimization_and/">leading
web content management tools for higher education institutions</a> given the
expansive toolset and out of the box functionality it provides, and our
partnership with Ellucian to provide an <a href="https://www.ektron.com/Solutions/Web-Content-Management-for-Higher-Education/">Ektron
Ellucian Edition</a> only further cements our commitment to higher education.
But for me, there are five elements that really contribute to delivering a
successful higher education website.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mobile Really Matters</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When’s the
last time you saw an <18 year old sitting at a workstation? Seriously, think
about it. The next generation of workers knows mobile and tablets better than
we can even imagine. So it only makes sense that higher education institutions
focus on delivering the best mobile experience possible since it’s highly
likely that most students will be visiting the sites on those devices. It
leaves the discussion wide open for adaptive/responsive web design versus
mobile specific templates and apps, but if your target market is shopping on
mobile devices, you best make sure your experience for those users is
optimized.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Take a Student Focus</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are two
typical ways in which higher education websites are organized from an
information architecture standpoint. The first is to organize things by
department and by business unit, essentially. And that works, but I don’t find
that to be the optimal layout. Instead, I prefer a second option, which allows
you to group content by use; using headings like Campus Life, For Parents, and the
like leads to a much more engaging experience than Academics, Athletics, etc…</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Don’t Hide Your Stripes</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Personalizing
the web experience is of huge importance for any website, but especially in
markets as competitive as higher education. Therefore, it’s critical that on
your home page (and high value landing pages), that what makes your institution
unique is loud and clear. If you have the top math program in the country, make
sure that’s prominently featured. If your basketball team is #1 in the country,
that might be just as important to a segment of users. Schools have reputations
whether they’re willing to admit it or not, so don’t hide from it, embrace it,
and personalize your experience as much as you can.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Big vs. Small is Less Important Than Ever</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We all know
that David can tame Goliath, but that’s especially true in the higher education
vertical. Students are less concerned with going to a large school in favor of
finding the school that best fits their needs. Identify your competitive
advantages and make sure they’re highlighted throughout the site. Using
personalization elements like <a href="https://www.ektron.com/Products/Marketing-Optimization/">Ektron’s Content
Targeting</a> can help deliver the ideal message to your prospective students. Your
basketball program might be 12-20, but if the average graduate earns 15% more
than the school with the top program, delivering that message is essential and students
will respond to it.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First Impressions Matter Most</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I hit on
this a bit with mobile, but your user experience has to be truly unique to
attract today’s top talent. Stop designing as a traditional institution and
instead create your site with the type of experience that engages the user from
the first click. Teenagers have an even smaller attention span than us college
graduates, so the whole ‘you don’t get a second chance to make a first
impression’ adage truly applies.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><i>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </i></b><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Linked In,</i></b></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Google Plus</i></b></span></a><b><i>, or follow me on</i></b> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><b><i>Twitter</i></b></span></a><b><i>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</i></b></span></span>
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<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-24819819740392896712013-01-23T14:58:00.000-06:002013-01-23T14:58:23.435-06:00Why 2013 IS the Year of Marketing Integration<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marketers have more tools at their disposal than ever before. From marketing
automation tools like Marketo and Eloqua to email marketing tools like Exact
Target and hybrid tools like </span><a checkedbycsshelper="true" href="http://www.ektron.com/Products/HubSpot/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HubSpot</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, the opportunities for
marketers to enhance their current campaigns are endless. Please check out the
video below to see why I believe that 2013 is the year of marketing integration.</span> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kP6brSy7pPc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</em></strong></span></span>
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<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-10485858454986130172013-01-04T15:25:00.000-06:002013-01-04T15:26:31.736-06:00My Goal for 2013: Slow DownIf you're like me, and I assume if we're connected via any of the social channels in which you're accessing this that you are, I'd like to provide a suggestion for 2013: s<strong>low down</strong>.<br />
<br />
We keep getting faster at everything we do. Our cars go faster. Our phones and computers provide information faster. Heck, even our news is delivered as it's happening. And I'm not saying that it's a bad thing.<br />
<br />
But I think we're missing out on a lot by trying to go so fast. For everytime I see a parent checking their email instead of watching their kids participate in something or everyone checking email at a red light instead of enjoying the scenery, I just wonder if we're not all missing the point of life and community. <br />
<br />
Life is about experiencing things both through our own eyes and those of others. It's great to be happy for others when they have great experiences or when they find success, but isn't it even more important to stop taking for granted all that we have and to start appreciating the things we've been afforded?<br />
<br />
My daughters have all sorts of toys in the car -- without them it'd be tough to remain sane. However, with all the lights up for the holidays, I've encouraged them to stop and look around instead of remaining focused on their various games. When they did, they noticed the excitement and beauty of the different decorations and it made me realize how much we were missing. I'm still going to let them play with the toys on long trips, but on short trips, I'm going to work harder to get them to look around and see what's happening around us because they're missing some pretty cool things.<br />
<br />
If you want to talk about the politics of how our country has changed in the last 30 years that's fine, I'm no Obama supporter, but I do think technology has played a large role when it comes to family values, responsibility, and overall goodwill towards each other. Twenty years ago, we had to be decent to each other because we couldn't hide behind devices. We couldn't post bad things about people via Facebook because it didn't exist. We couldn't miss out on our children growing up because there were way fewer distractions.<br />
<br />
I'm as guilty as anyone else of always being in a hurry to get to whatever is next on my plate, but I've realized, that I need to slow down and enjoy the moment. Things are really good right now and if we don't take time to enjoy it, we won't have anything to look back on in the future. Rushing to get to the next thing means giving less attention to what's happening right now -- and that's not right.<br />
<br />
So go ahead with your diets and exercises and quitting things and any other new year's resolutions you might have for 2013, but also step back and try to slow down life as much you can. Put down your phones and tablets. Look out the window. Take more deep breaths. See what the sunset looks like with your own eyes (and not thru someone's post on Facebook). Enjoy what it is we have, because you never know when it'll be over.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</em></strong></span></span>
<br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-56285246019873981622012-12-19T11:49:00.001-06:002012-12-19T11:49:33.366-06:00A Look Back at 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2012 has been a really interesting year for me both
personally and professionally. Some ups, some downs, but more ups than downs,
which is how you want it to be, so you won’t see many complaints here. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On a professional level, <a href="http://www.ektron.com/?jkee">Ektron</a> continues to be an
innovative thought leader in the WCM space, so I’ve got job security and I work
with good people. On the personal side, my family is doing well and looking
forward to another Christmas, which to many is the best time of the year to
spend with family, so that’s good too. </span></div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But let’s take a look back at how we got here:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
Let’s Talk Business<o:p></o:p></h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2012 has been a year of change at Ektron. I’ve seen good
friends move on to take on new opportunities and had the pleasure of meeting
new faces that are as excited about the vision Ektron has as I am. These
changes were highlighted by the naming of <a href="http://www.ektron.com/Press_Release/?itemid=129377" target="_blank">Ektron’s new President</a> (Tim McKinnon)
and the release of <a href="http://www.ektron.com/Products/Web-CMS/Web-Content-Management/?jkee" target="_blank">Ektron version 8.6</a>, a major release in many aspects.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had the opportunity to develop new, long-term partnerships with clients like <a href="http://apartments.com/">Apartments.com</a>, <a href="http://www.gftforex.com/" target="_blank">GFT Forex</a>, the <a href="http://www.isms.org/" target="_blank">Illinois State Medical Society</a>, <a href="http://www.morleynet.com/" target="_blank">Morley Companies</a>, the <a href="http://www.cuna.org/" target="_blank">Credit Union National Association</a>, and others, while working diligently to continue to strengthen relationships with existing customers like <a href="http://www.iplpower.com/" target="_blank">Indianapolis Power & Light</a>, <a href="http://www.culligan.com/" target="_blank">Culligan</a>, <a href="http://www.wolterskluwer.com/" target="_blank">Wolters Kluwer</a>, and others. It's these relationships that I truly enjoy the most because I love watching clients succeed and knowing that I played a role in that success (big or small) is something that means a lot to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aside from the Ektron WCM specifically, the digital market has seen a major
shift in several areas such as mobile, where we’ve grown from simple “mobile-friendly”
websites to responsive web design and true multi-channel support. We can thank
<a href="http://www.apple.com/" target="_blank">Apple</a> and <a href="http://www.android.com/" target="_blank">Android</a> devices for driving this as much as anybody, but it’s caused
anyone that manages web properties to rethink what they’re doing and ensure
that the platform driving their website is going to be nimble enough to adapt
to the ever changing market.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’ve also seen changes in the level of personalization that
users now expect from their web experience. That “one-size-fits-all” site
you ran out there in 2009 is no longer capable of producing quality leads and
delivering the customer experience that users now expect. Tools like <a href="http://www.ektron.com/Products/HubSpot/?jkee" target="_blank">HubSpot</a>,
<a href="http://www.marketo.com/" target="_blank">Marketo</a>, and <a href="http://www.eloqua.com/" target="_blank">Eloqua</a> are opening up the Marketing Automation market that’s
really been somewhat limited in the past.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s been really fascinating to watch, but what it all
really comes down to is how to give the user what they want, where and when
they want it. Talk about a society of instant gratification…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h3>
In The Middle<o:p></o:p></h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Transitioning a bit between both professional and personal
worlds, I’ve gotten really involved in social media and networking this year. I’ve
been active on social media for a long time online via <a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and
whatnot, but really spent a lot of time participating in offline events with
the <a href="http://socialmediaclub.org/chapter/chicago" target="_blank">Social Media Club of Chicago</a> and others. I’ve met some really amazing
people that are even better in person than they are online! I’m grateful for
all the new friendships that I’ve made in 2012 and many of them started at
SMC events.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
Let’s Talk About Me<o:p></o:p></h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpGVcSae5UnexDdQHK7Q7CKZELLCTLlBdIpYtqUVGRRJVcnht9ElEMzejrd1dqQxW8qzMo9VWbeNhX-r0BNdI3xFqvut1QJZdIMD-JNun6zX8UzaGRVlQSL_hOhIejNN3RCXhWc1dFgei/s1600/keira_payton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpGVcSae5UnexDdQHK7Q7CKZELLCTLlBdIpYtqUVGRRJVcnht9ElEMzejrd1dqQxW8qzMo9VWbeNhX-r0BNdI3xFqvut1QJZdIMD-JNun6zX8UzaGRVlQSL_hOhIejNN3RCXhWc1dFgei/s320/keira_payton.jpg" width="246" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like most of us (I imagine), I find myself turning around
and wondering where did the time go? It seems like summer just ended and now we’re
less than a week from Christmas – it just doesn’t seem possible. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve seen Payton perform her first dance recital, turn 5,
<em>yes 5</em>, at Disney World, and head off to kindergarten. And I’ve watched Keira grow
from this curly haired ball of energy into this really sweet, affectionate
little person. We’re so blessed to have them and they constantly amaze Tess and
I with the things they do (and say!). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were no really big life changes (no new babies, we
didn’t move, etc.), but <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com/2012/08/three-things-ill-always-remember-about.html">we lost people that were close to us</a>, which is always
the hardest thing to reflect on. I've found that the best way to cope is to try to maintain a positive outlook
and stay focused on the things that I can control. If you don’t, you’re really
going to miss a lot.</span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
Wrap It Up<o:p></o:p></h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The end of each year gives us an opportunity to look back and take stock of everything we've experienced. The new year though, gives us an opportunity to look forward. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's great to learn from the past, but it's the things you have to look forward to that mean the most. Thank you to everyone that made 2012 a successful year and I look forward to seeing what 2013 has in store. From our family to yours, I wish you the warmest holiday wishes and the best in 2013.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQVu0ShD6nuHtss1Kyom0ZFHjzOXsXHto7D6E1WnEjCc65RWsjuADblxkJQ71nh6_CpC2fuSHCVlIANKY5MuShmofw7qZuDSpXXO7uw3crtc9iUELz6uKCuUN2ou7iyEoUZO-1FmhcCDl/s1600/66C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQVu0ShD6nuHtss1Kyom0ZFHjzOXsXHto7D6E1WnEjCc65RWsjuADblxkJQ71nh6_CpC2fuSHCVlIANKY5MuShmofw7qZuDSpXXO7uw3crtc9iUELz6uKCuUN2ou7iyEoUZO-1FmhcCDl/s320/66C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</em></strong></span></span>
<br />
</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-14233279065625031172012-12-14T11:25:00.003-06:002012-12-14T11:25:45.602-06:00Five Ektron Enhancements That You Should Be Thinking About for 2013<div class="blogPostTitle">
As we wind down another wonderful year, I've come to find that a lot of our customers haven't had an opportunity to see the latest and greatest functionality that an Ektron-powered website has to offer. Therefore, I wanted to share my list of <b>Five Ektron Enhancements That You Should Be Thinking About for 2013</b>:</div>
<div class="blogPostContent">
<ol>
<li><b>Bringing Everything Together with The Digital Experience Hub</b> -- Ektron's biggest product enhancement in version 8.6 was the introduction of the <a href="http://www.ektron.com/Products/Web-CMS/Digital-Experience-Hub/?jkee">Digital Experience Hub </a>(DxH). The DxH provides a middleware layer that makes integrating Ektron with other technologies, <i>and other technologies with each other</i>, infinitely easier. Plus, out-of-the-box integrations with SalesForce.com, Microsoft SharePoint, HubSpot, and others provides a huge development cost savings. Beyond the backend integration, the DxH allows Business Users to access information from these systems via the Ektron Workarea and even perform tasks like tying HTML Web Forms to third party databases like SalesForce.com.</li>
<li><b>Maximize ROI with Marketing Automation Technologies</b> -- One of the most prominent integration selections with the DxH is in the area of Marketing Automation technologies such as <a href="http://www.ektron.com/Products/HubSpot/">HubSpot</a>, Marketo, and Eloqua. By providing a tightly integrated solution between these technologies and Ektron, Marketers have more power, <i>and information</i>, then ever before.</li>
<li><b>Reach More Prospects and Customers with Social Media</b> -- Ektron's <a href="http://www.ektron.com/Products/Web-CMS/Social/">Social suite</a> has continued to evolve with the growth of the social media channel and now includes the ability to publish content out to social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In, as well as pre-built integrations with many social media technologies.</li>
<li><b>Float In The Cloud</b> -- We've all heard the buzz about <i>The Cloud</i>, but many of us aren't sure if it's the right fit for our business. Obviously, that's not something I can decide for you, but it's good to know that in addition to Ektron's support for the Microsoft Azure Cloud via our <a href="http://www.ektron.com/Products/Web-CMS/Cloud-Manager/?jkee">Cloud Manager </a>technology, support for additional Cloud infrastructures such as Amazon EC2 are due out in early 2013.</li>
<li><b>Do More With Mobile</b> -- We are becoming more and more of a mobile society wanting information faster whenever (and whenever) we are. Ektron's enhancements in this area have been well documented, but continued enhancements to provide more mobile preview options, additional support for responsive design, and more are coming in 2013.</li>
</ol>
In addition to these elements, for those interested in seeing what else is coming in 2013, I encourage you to visit the Synergy 2012 section to <a href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/" target="_self">view the presentation </a>titled <i>Flight of the Phoenix</i> (Phoenix is the code name for the next Ektron release). It provides a lot of great information about Ektron's roadmap. Happy Holidays!</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</em></strong></span></span>
<br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-51895924845921024752012-11-27T09:19:00.001-06:002012-11-27T09:19:42.125-06:00How to Avoid Becoming a Social Media Disaster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://9.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/16-social-media-disasters-of-2011/Red%20Cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://9.mshcdn.com/wp-content/gallery/16-social-media-disasters-of-2011/Red%20Cross.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><a href="http://mashable.com/2012/11/25/social-media-business-disasters-2012/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mashable</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
recently posted an article on the </span><a href="http://mashable.com/2012/11/25/social-media-business-disasters-2012/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11
Biggest Social Media Disasters of 2012</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (thanks </span><a href="https://twitter.com/suzannecohen01"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">@suzannecohen01</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for sharing)
featuring major brands like </span><a href="http://mcdonalds.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">McDonalds</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.gap.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gap</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.kitchenaid.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kitchen
Aid</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.stubhub.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stub Hub</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. This begs the question
– if major brands like these can slip up, what does a smaller organization need
to do to effectively govern their social media messaging?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are four tips to help ensure your organization doesn’t
make this list next year:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Leverage Available Workflow Controls<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On many of these posts, it’s clear that the
author had a quick thought and posted it immediately in hopes of achieving the
maximum engagement. However, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">striking
while the iron’s hot</i>” isn’t nearly as important as ensuring that the
message is appropriate before posting. I get that the post about Obama’s
grandmother was time sensitive (being that it happened during a debate, right
after he made a comment about it), but in almost any other context (whether you
like him or not), that type of comment wouldn’t be well received. And while
many social media tools don’t have integrated workflow capabilities, many web
content management systems like (and including) </span><a href="http://www.ektron.com/?jkee"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ektron</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> do, which can really help here.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Test Humor Before Posting<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’re all super funny on </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> – we’re like a universe full of
Jerry Seinfeld’s and Louis CK’s. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Not
quite</b>. In fact, we’ve all probably posted a thing or two that we found
really humorous only to find that no one else found it nearly as enjoyable.
Humor is something that definitely needs to be used on social media outlets to
make your messaging more <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">human</i>, and
while more crude posts might be ok on </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
(where you’re likely more surrounded by friends than
customers/partners/potential consumers), you still need to exercise caution. </span><a href="http://socialmediademand.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/5-social-media-virtues/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think
before you post</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Remember Driver’s Ed<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe your Driver’s Ed teacher didn’t tell
you this, but mine did, and it’s stuck with me. He said, “Would you do X if
there was a police officer next to you?” It could have been turning on a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Turn on Red</i> or doing a funky U Turn
in an area where they’re not allowed, but the exercise was meant to get you
thinking about whether or not you’d do something if the person able to punish
you for doing it was right there. There isn’t really a social media police to
speak of, but think of your boss, a customer, or a social media person you look
up to and ask yourself the same question – it should help keep you out of
trouble…</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Use Common Sense<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The one element that carries true in these
examples is that if a little common sense had been applied, many (if not all)
of them could have been avoided. Take McDonalds for example – if you ask people
to share stories about their experiences with McDonalds and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only</i> expect positive responses – that’s
simply naïve. In fact, research shows that users are much <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more</i> likely to share a negative experience via social channels than
a positive one. Same goes for the retailers that tried to use the shooting in
Aurora, Colorado or Hurricane Sandy as an opportunity to move merchandise –
common sense definitely would have prevailed in those instances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To err is human. We all make mistakes and for better or
worse, social channels like </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,
</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked In</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instagram</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.foursquare.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Foursquare</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and others allow those
mistakes to be magnified. But, if you apply a little common sense, you’ll be
that much better off. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </span></em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and </span><a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></em></strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-35757167689908945292012-11-15T16:01:00.002-06:002012-11-15T16:01:55.062-06:00A Look Back at Ektron’s Synergy 2012 Conference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlGO7s_pNLqgFlgeC-bot3PdjLpf412kbbie0sqo-Fv_zaPLX9gk2EkF9w72bZilqh0cxLyX0oGxWSnfRRXOUOCu31IsCODC0F_4_lIwXZT9Ff_9zDGSYo9ivneVwWIk-VrkhEBZcJcez/s1600/lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlGO7s_pNLqgFlgeC-bot3PdjLpf412kbbie0sqo-Fv_zaPLX9gk2EkF9w72bZilqh0cxLyX0oGxWSnfRRXOUOCu31IsCODC0F_4_lIwXZT9Ff_9zDGSYo9ivneVwWIk-VrkhEBZcJcez/s320/lounge.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow. I have to admit -- I was a bit of a skeptic when I learned we were hosting our annual conference in Washington, D.C., the day after the election. I thought people would be distracted, flights would be too expensive, or maybe people just wouldn’t want to travel this close to Thanksgiving. And with sessions running until almost 5 pm on Friday, I expected it to be a ghost town on Friday after lunch (indeed it was quite the opposite).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But <i>wow</i>, that was a great experience for the Ektron community.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have the privilege of being one of the few folks that have had the opportunity to attend every Ektron Synergy conference over the past six years. This includes two trips to Boston, two to Orlando, last year’s craziness in Las Vegas, and this year’s patriotic version in the capital. This means that I’m more than capable to share what made this year’s conference one of the best (at least in the top 5!).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Keynotes</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Synergy has always featured excellent keynote presentations from industry leaders and experts like </span><a href="https://twitter.com/lwelchman"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lisa Welchman</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln8-rKA-r2w" target="_self"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Microsoft</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and others. However, this year’s group was pretty ridiculous. Not only were they talking about hot topics like </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/beep"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Responsive Web Design</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/lukew"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mobile First</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, they focused on </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/sliewehr"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the most important takeaways from Synergy</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and were engaging, energetic speakers. I highly encourage you to check out the webcasts of them if you have the time (available here: <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/26846449">http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/26846449</a>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><img alt="sliewehr" height="76" src="http://www.ektron.com/uploadedImages/Ektroncom/Content/Community/Blogs/Ektron_Blogs/Jon_Kee_Blog/sliewehr.gif" title="sliewehr" width="504" /></b></span><br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Networking Focused After Hours Events</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While most conference attendee’s primary focus is to learn about the latest technology enhancements and industry trends, I can make an argument that the most valuable part of attending the </span><a href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy" target="_self"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ektron Synergy </span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">conference is the opportunity to network with other users, partners, and the Ektron team. For me, it’s a chance to connect old friends, long-time customers, and colleagues with new friends, prospective users, and new customers. The community that Ektron fosters is really a strong advantage that allows us to engage our community members at a much more personal level than the standard vendor/client relationship. If you don’t believe me, join the <b>Ektron Inner Circle </b>(</span><a href="http://www.ektron.com/community/nominate/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ektron.com/community/nominate/</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) to see for yourself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img alt="dschuller" src="http://www.ektron.com/uploadedImages/Ektroncom/Content/Community/Blogs/Ektron_Blogs/Jon_Kee_Blog/dschuller.gif" title="dschuller" /></span><br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Customer and Partner Led Sessions</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In many of the conferences that I attend, the majority of the sessions (outside of the keynotes) are led by the technology vendor or primary sponsor. With Ektron Synergy, that’s not the case. While there are Ektron-led sessions around new functionality and complex technical elements, many of this year’s sessions were led by Ektron clients and partners. The story changes dramatically when that’s the case because they’re not up there just telling you only about all the positives of their experience with Ektron – they’re up there relating their honest experience. This is very powerful, and one reason that I think we’ll see even more client and partner presentations at the next Synergy conference.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><img alt="ektronbacon" src="http://www.ektron.com/uploadedImages/Ektroncom/Content/Community/Blogs/Ektron_Blogs/Jon_Kee_Blog/ektronbacon.gif" title="ektronbacon" /><br />
<h2>
True Social Participation, Online and Offline</h2>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I come back to my point earlier about Ektron’s community, but go back and check the tweet stream for the hash tags #ektron, #EktronSynergy, and my personal favorite, #ektronbacon. Not only will they be wildly entertaining, but it will help paint a picture as to what the event really brought to the table. The connections people made; the key information pulled from each session; really, the true value that attending an Ektron event has to offer. I've embedded some of the best for you throughout this post.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="stacy" src="http://www.ektron.com/uploadedImages/Ektroncom/Content/Community/Blogs/Ektron_Blogs/Jon_Kee_Blog/stacy.gif" title="stacy" /> </span><br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Access to the Roadmap</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every conference aims to leave you with one or two things to look for in the near future. In year’s past, Synergy has focused on the big Version 8 release or the Digital Experience Hub. However, this year, more sessions included information not just about how Ektron got here, <i>but where Ektron’s going</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Highlights from the forthcoming </span><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/ektron/flight-of-the-phoenix" target="_self"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Phoenix release</span></a><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/ektron/flight-of-the-phoenix" target="_self"></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> talk about the <b><i>Awesomizer </i></b>and other user experience enhancements that are sure to make any content author or business user jump out of their seat. And it’s not that Ektron has ever lacked innovation, it's just that we’ve always held it a tad closer to our chest. We’re proud of how we got here and even more excited about where we’re heading.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a fun event and if you had the opportunity to attend, I want to extend a sincere <i>Thank You</i>. We love to get our customers and partners together as much as possible and that’s why you’ll see even more events including regional user groups, developer meet-ups, and more in 2013. We hope that you had a great time, I know I did.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Special thanks to </span><a href="http://ameexusa.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brian Browning</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for taking so many great photos and for allowing me to use them here.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </span></em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and </span><a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></em></strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-36427529808948932052012-10-26T10:57:00.000-05:002012-10-26T11:06:04.187-05:00Do You Really WANT To Be Social?<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
The other evening, I attended the most recent <a href="http://socialmediaclub.org/chapter/chicago/events">Social Media Club of Chicago</a> event. It featured a great panel, was well run, and very well
attended. During the course of the evening, one of the founders made a comment
to the effect of<em> ‘have fun with social media’</em> and it occurred to me – <strong>it is
indeed that simple.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOw5Hp8Piowmgw_wqc5pCIrx0ZKgQy3P_iwOCaad2Qx2RFMjqgJyASbd319mK91Wa2R8eex4sVs894uzOtD3_mi0wqzLbuXlk-sAsa8vD97-suvDMr_3qPf1UIlABptGGL505CoFIoKdN/s1600/social-media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOw5Hp8Piowmgw_wqc5pCIrx0ZKgQy3P_iwOCaad2Qx2RFMjqgJyASbd319mK91Wa2R8eex4sVs894uzOtD3_mi0wqzLbuXlk-sAsa8vD97-suvDMr_3qPf1UIlABptGGL505CoFIoKdN/s1600/social-media.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We always do things better when we enjoy what we’re doing
and are passionate about it. And the other evening, there were a lot of people passionate
about social media in one place. However, I strongly believe that there is a
huge segment of social media users that feel like they’re forced to
participate or are doing it for the wrong reasons. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As human beings, <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com/2012/10/being-inherently-social-guest-blog-by.html">we are inherently social</a>. But some people are
indeed more social than others. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some like to go out and do things every
weekend. Others enjoy sitting on the couch and catching up on the backlog of TV
shows on the DVR. So it absolutely makes sense that some people are going to be
more attracted and by proxy, more passionate, about socializing via technology
since they are indeed, more social “offline”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some ways to figure out if you’re really passionate
about social media:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What does
your content look like?</b> If you’re only posting press releases, broadcast
messages, and not “<a href="http://mashable.com/2012/03/29/humanize-brand-social-media/">humanizing</a>” your online efforts at all, it probably comes
across that way. People don’t want to interact with robots, they want to
interact with other people that have emotions and stories and whatnot. Take a
look at your <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> wall, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/">Twitter</a> feed, etc. and see what kind of content
you’re posting – does it interest you? If not, it probably doesn’t interest
others either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What’s
your avatar?</b> Is it a generic Twitter-issued graphic? Is it your
professional head shot? Is it a cartoon character? While all of those can be
used, I think it’s important to use a picture of you, and really to change it
from time to time. Your avatar is how you’re identified online, so again, in an
effort to humanize your online efforts, it should reflect you, and how you
look/feel today. The head shot from 15 years ago, while it might make you look
good, isn’t really helping…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Are you
excited to post things or is it just another “to-do” item?</b> If social media
is really work to you in the sense that you classify it as something you have
to do like filling out expense reports or cleaning off your desk, you should
probably stop. Now for all you yelling at your computers, hear me out – I’ve
said this before and I’ll say it again – the best part of social media is the
people you meet. If social media is just another item on the to do list that
you mark off and move on, without seeking to engage with other users at any
level, you’re probably not going to see much of an impact. It’s just the truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How often
do you really <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">participate</i>?</b> We all
post and re-post others things regularly, but how often are you really
participating in the conversation? Whether it’s interacting in a tweet chat
like <a href="http://www.twitter.com/foodiechats">@foodiechats</a>, commenting on blog posts or status updates, or simply
conversing with other users via these channels, these are all forms of
participation, and the folks that are most successful in this realm (outside of
celebrities/athletes/etc..) are ones that sincerely engage with their
connections. It’s called social media, not broadcast media, which implies that
there is interaction, and give and take, not just one way communications.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cool thing about social media is that you can present
yourself however you want to be presented, so if you’re into muscle cars and
bug collecting, you can talk about those things and connect with others that
share those hobbies much more easily than you can “offline.” The information is
there, the people that WANT to connect with you are there, the only thing
missing is the effort.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to grow your network, meet new people, or
establish yourself as an expert in a specific area, the opportunity is there.
All I'm saying is that you need to have fun doing so, and you'll make stronger connections and have a better experience. And if you're not one of the more social people out there and social media isn't for you, that's ok. Maybe one </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">day you will be as passionate about it as I am.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And if you are interested in learning more about social media, I hope to see you at my session at </span><a href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy" target="_self"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ektron's Synergy Conference </span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">next month where I'll be talking about social media.</span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </span></em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and </span><a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></em></strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-76242460079157652802012-10-23T09:00:00.000-05:002012-10-23T09:00:06.099-05:00Being Inherently Social (Guest Blog by Elly Deutch)As we move closer to <a href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/">Ektron's Synergy Conference </a>next month, and <a href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/agenda/">my session on social media</a>, I thought I'd utilize this space to feature guest blog posts from some of the most influential social experts that I've connected with. I hope to see you at Synergy and encourage you to learn more about these guest bloggers too. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmseiD-sLkKGhW39v4E349YmBzNSjqAAVZB3H7B7eF_n-oQn8ZiIrIngi9pfxqDms9U-qj1rNtkWkH9kU1Up3oVhLXMQDbcUQK7iiNxO2ebe4TBXMCOG5ji0Rl4pj79zHrBQjlJFG0LNHs/s1600/Elly_Deutch_headshot150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmseiD-sLkKGhW39v4E349YmBzNSjqAAVZB3H7B7eF_n-oQn8ZiIrIngi9pfxqDms9U-qj1rNtkWkH9kU1Up3oVhLXMQDbcUQK7iiNxO2ebe4TBXMCOG5ji0Rl4pj79zHrBQjlJFG0LNHs/s1600/Elly_Deutch_headshot150.jpg" /></a></div>
This post is from Elly Deutch, Co-Founder & Chief Digital Strategist of Blitz Branding. A self-described "spunky social media savy sports enthusiast", Elly used to work in Professional Sports, but now spends her time working with Athletes through a large worldwide PR agency. She enjoys helping clients, athletes, universities and companies build their online presence with creative ideas, designs, social media strategies, and video programming. <br />
<br />
Elly is a Board Member for the Social Media Club of Chicago and a must follow (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/deutche" target="_self">@deutche</a>)<a href="http://twitter.com/jwillie"></a> on Twitter. Enjoy!<br />
<h1>
Being Inherently Social</h1>
We are perpetually over saturated with media, news, and instant communication (<i>in usually 140 characters or less</i>); therefore it can be a bit difficult at times to stay atop the clutter and noise. While this new medium can be a bit intimidating to newbies or even those “old school”traditionalists, its important to understand the value and reasoning behind it all. <br />
<br />
Sports fans of all degrees are using social media on a daily basis to communicate with their favorite teams, athletes, brands, and organizations. In fact, <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/06/11/1-in-4-american-fans-follow-sports-via-social-media-study/">1 in 4 fans follow sports via social media</a>, and <a href="http://blog.gmrmarketing.com/insights/sports-social-media-infographic-gmr-marketing/">41% of sports fans</a> actually prefer getting their sports information from Twitter and Facebook <i>over </i>any other news outlet (i.e. TV, radio, print, etc.). <br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" />If you decide not to connect and engage with your fans and brand advocates online, you’ll be missing out on a lot of marketing potential your company can access right at its fingertips.<br />
<br />
Below is a list of 10 thought starters that will help you effectively integrate social media into your current organization marketing/PR strategy: <br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Understand social media. </b>Do your research and dig into various social networking platforms (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/">YouTube</a>, <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>, etc.) to fully understand what each site does and how it can help your brand. Read up on articles, <a data-ektron-url="https://support.twitter.com/entries/166337-the-twitter-glossary" href="https://support.twitter.com/entries/166337-the-twitter-glossary">learn the lingo</a> for each channel, and try to gather an overall grasp on which platforms might be the right choice for you to engage with your fans.</li>
<li><b>Listen.</b>What are people saying about your brand or organization online? What is their sentiment? What social platforms are users interacting on? How can your formulate a plan to control the conversation and <a href="http://smartblogs.com/social-media/2012/10/05/andys-answers-how-reebok-consolidated-hundreds-social-media-accounts/">aggregate all your social channels like Reebok has done</a>?</li>
<li><b>Make a plan.</b> Ask yourself: What are your goals in using social media as a form of communication with your fans or customers? How will you effectively incorporate your brand messaging across all channels? Who is going to run your day-to-day programming? <a href="http://www.briansolis.com/2012/09/how-the-san-francisco-giants-hit-a-home-run-with-social-media/">Take a look at what Bryan Srabian is doing</a> as the Director of Social Media for the San Francisco Giants. Smart but simple marketing tactics and experiential programming go a long way for the Giants and their fans with Srabian leading the charge.</li>
<li><b>Set yourself up for success.</b> Make realistic engagement and ROI related goals that align with your marketing and business structure. Think: a sports team or organization may have different intentions than that of an athlete, so choose where would be best to engage for your brand, and what will generate the most profit/exposure for your brand. And it doesn’t have to be rocket science either; The New York Giants kept it plain and simple: <a data-ektron-url="http://massrelevance.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/Case_Study_Giants.pdf" href="http://massrelevance.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/Case_Study_Giants.pdf">grow engagement with Giants’ fans on and off the field through social media innovation</a>.</li>
<li><div style="float: right;">
</div>
<b>Start engaging.</b> Learn how to efficiently engage with your fan base. Not everyone’s fan bases act in the same regard online as they do otherwise, so understand what information will be most valuable to your customers online. I always like to use the acronym “K.I.S.S” (like the band, yes) because if you Keep It Simple Stupid and act as you do IRL (in real life), your engagement will be clear, transparent, and most importantly human. No one wants to talk to a computer, see the same pre-meditated corporate response in their streams, or only see product related posts. Be authentic. Be real. Be yourself (or the voice of your brand) and <a data-ektron-url="http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/07/to_monetize_social_media_humanize_it.html" href="http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/07/to_monetize_social_media_humanize_it.html">show your fans and customers that there is a person behind the brand</a>. </li>
<li><b>Follow influencers and advocates of your brand. </b>Do the research on the front end and follow, friend, or subscribe to the people you already know are influencers for your brand. This will greatly impact your influence as well, since people will become more aware of your online presence and see that big names and faces are following you back, so they should too. You are a fan yourself; so <a href="http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2012/05/27/seven-must-follow-sports-teams-on-social-media/">connect with other fans, leagues, teams and marketers who influence you</a> and your company.</li>
<li><b>Incentivize and reward your fans and customers. </b>A simple thank you goes a long way in the social media world, and you will definitely make your fans day by simply following them back on Twitter, highlighting their fan photo on your Facebook page, or giving them a short but sweet shout out on your YouTube channel. It’s important to respect each of your fans’ opinions, but even more important to <a data-ektron-url="http://www.michigandaily.com/article/university-intends-implement-sports-loyalty-program-students-year" href="http://www.michigandaily.com/article/university-intends-implement-sports-loyalty-program-students-year">reward those who are loyal to you</a> so they feel respected and appreciated by your brand. Want a real life example? Check out <a data-ektron-url="https://www.facebook.com/wvumountaineers/app_403112026415880" href="https://www.facebook.com/wvumountaineers/app_403112026415880">WVU’s Ultimate Mountaineer Fan contest</a> on Facebook.</li>
<li><b>Use social media methodologies, learnings and technological advances to your benefit. </b>There are a vast number of social media methodologies and schools of thought on what works or not for everyone using social media, but the key is to remember that everyone is different. Find out what methodologies work for you by staying up to date with the latest happenings in social media and sports world by reading about other successes and failures from marketers from all industries. Follow those people whom influence your brand. Take a webinar on your lunch break. Act as a sponge and make the world your oyster baseball glove. </li>
<li><b>Track your success. </b><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2012/08/22/4-ways-to-measure-your-social-media-success/">Use free online tools</a> to put a tracking structure in place that will help you create a successful trajectory path so you can achieve your goals (from step #1).</li>
<li><b>Rinse, repeat. </b>Social media is forever changing, just like your fan base. You may have success doing something one time, but try it again and it may not generate the same results. Step out of your comfort zone as marketers and try new ideas. Gather insight and feedback from your fans, and take notes to make every campaign or promotion a success, even if it didn’t feel like one. This will help you track your success, as well as determine what works and what doesn’t for your specific fan demographic. Then, give it a go and continue to stay on top of what’s happening in the social world so you can re-evaluate and evolve your strategy as need be to stay up with the times.</li>
</ol>
<br />Trust me on this: your fans, teams, executives, partnerships, advocates, and everyone that touches your brand will benefit from the education and integration of social media that you put into your everyday marketing efforts.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</em></strong></span></span>
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<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-81663744820323915972012-10-19T08:47:00.000-05:002012-10-19T08:47:25.971-05:00The Real Benefits of Social Intranets and Portals (Guest Blog)<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6ph_ZW6R47Ully0I0kwKlaM_2NWUJyc1bO0AdABhMZiDp7QaXkeIMC0Qa1TLd4b5fQiVo8GKVA9HcLJp_9mg64cZGDBel_DEkOAu9cVAxNwJgwRVu2eDOlT0Ptx2gJ1tJYH8PV7s-HDe/s1600/jwillie.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6ph_ZW6R47Ully0I0kwKlaM_2NWUJyc1bO0AdABhMZiDp7QaXkeIMC0Qa1TLd4b5fQiVo8GKVA9HcLJp_9mg64cZGDBel_DEkOAu9cVAxNwJgwRVu2eDOlT0Ptx2gJ1tJYH8PV7s-HDe/s1600/jwillie.gif" /></a></div>
<strong>As we move closer to </strong><a data-ektron-url="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/" href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/"><strong>Ektron's Synergy Conference </strong></a><strong>next month, and </strong><a data-ektron-url="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/agenda/" href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/agenda/"><strong>my session on social media</strong></a><strong>, I thought I'd utilize this space to feature guest blog posts from some of the most influential social experts that I've connected with. I hope to see you at Synergy and encourage you to learn more about these guest bloggers too. <br /><br />This post is from Jeff Willinger, the Director of Social Computing, Collaboration and Intranets at Rightpoint. Jeff was recently named the top SharePoint person to watch in 2012 and one the most influential social media people in the city of Chicago. He specializes in advising clients on social computing strategies, social intranets and portals and increasing employee engagement. With experience spanning more than two decades, Jeff possesses specific expertise in social computing inside an organization’s four walls and social media outside their four walls. He is an internationally recognized speaker and expert in Microsoft SharePoint and is a technology and business evangelist with deep expertise in information architecture, enterprise content management, and web 2.0 technology strategy. A character with character, as he is known, he is the President and Founder of of the Social Media Club of Chicago. Follow </strong><a data-ektron-url="http://twitter.com/jwillie" href="http://twitter.com/jwillie"><strong>@jwillie</strong></a><strong> on Twitter. Enjoy!</strong><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The Real Benefits of Social Intranets and Portals</strong></span><br />
Anyone that has met me or has heard me speak in the past four years knows that I am passionate about social media and the connected company, inside and outside the four walls. Sharing, searching, discussing and collaborating are the ways in which we perform work. Most organizations use email as a crutch when it comes to communicating, and many lose important information.<br />
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These are three crucial elements of social intranets and portals:<br />
<div>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>
Information: Today, we all work with information. In fact, manipulating data and information into knowledge is some of the most important work that we do. In order for a Social Intranet to exist there needs to be an information super-structure in place. Staff members need full access to information — and the information needs to be secured. This could exist within the framework of an ECM application.
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>
Community and Knowledge Management: When crafting your user’s intranet experience, you need to focus on what’s in it for the end-user. Users are used to working and playing on Facebook, Linked In and Twitter. Your intranet should be set up to deliver information dynamically and be comfortable for staff to work within. If staff likes using it, a community will naturally form. </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>
Collaboration: The conversations around information and documents are the catalyst for decision making. If value in those conversations could be saved it would help future decision-making and research, not to mention compliance. Some organizations are using discussion modules as part of their ECM to manage that conversational content rather than a social platform. There is also a need to be able to reuse information as a knowledge-base that needs to be both searchable and allow for comments and feedback.
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
An easy to use, social intranet can make employees happy while they work. They will be more productive as they understand how their work ties in with the organization and will usually give it their all and be engaged, and that is the real benefit of social intranets and portals.
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</em></strong></span></span>
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Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-78590226014088638532012-10-18T14:36:00.001-05:002012-10-19T08:22:41.195-05:00My Wife or My iPhone?<a href="http://www.alphamantra.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/i_love_my_iphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.alphamantra.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/i_love_my_iphone.jpg" /></a><em>I just called my iPhone "baby" and told it that I loved it.</em> <br />
<br />
<em>Either I'm sick... </em><em>Or I'm honest...</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>But either way, I really don't know how I'd get by without it.</em><br />
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<strong>And I don't think I'm alone.</strong><br />
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I've been an early adopter of smart phone technology having owned an iPhone since 2007 (thanks to my <a href="http://www.wsol.com/tagsearch.aspx?tid=99" target="_blank">old company</a> for purchasing the first one for me!). However, I am NOT one of the crazy people that waits in line for every new iteration and <a href="http://www.apple.com/" target="_blank">Apple</a> product -- hell, I don't even own an iPad yet!<br />
<br />
Now that that's outta the way...<br />
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This miraculous little mobile device offers so many things that it makes me wonder, <em>how did we get by without them</em>? In fact, I had a random thought this morning around which I depend on more, <em>my wife or my iPhone</em>? Obviously, that's tongue in cheek, but it's not as crazy as you might think.<br />
<br />
A smart phone can't do many of the most important things that a spouse provides like companionship, child care, and of course, <em>benefits</em>... <br />
<br />
But in terms of telling me where and when I need to go, how to get there, keeping me updated on friends and family, connected to work, entertained, aware of the weather, and when important dates are approaching, this handy little device does a pretty damn good job. It also doesn't nag (<em>except I guess Siri can be annoying sometimes</em>)... And with the amount of travel that I do, it's the most critical component in regards to keeping me connected to home.<br />
<br />
But is this relationship with my phone unhealthy? Is it ultimately going to leave me broken hearted and unfulfilled? Should my wife be worried?<br />
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If you'd ask a professional, the answer would most certainly be <em>yes</em>. However, I'm just a blogger sharing my thoughts, so I can assure you that no research was performed in the making of this post. <br />
<br />
But here the thing -- I think most of us truly believe that our phones make us better people, and I think that's why I'm so fond of it. Hear me out.<br />
<br />
Without my phone:<br />
<ul>
<li>I probably wouldn't have known that a good friend of mine just got a promotion or closed a big deal. </li>
<li>Would I be able to <em>Like</em> pictures of my friend's children and wish people that I haven't talked to in years <em>happy birthday</em>? </li>
<li>Would I remember people's birthdays (I couldn't before I had an alert telling me so)? </li>
<li>Could I calm my kids down at the doctor's office while waiting by letting them watch cartoons? </li>
</ul>
<br />
Of course I could do many of these things on my laptop, but that requires significantly more work and is much more inconvenient. My phone helps me support and stay connected to others in a way that no other technology can. I wasn't a <em>bad</em> person before my phone, but I do feel that I am much more socially responsible because of it.<br />
<br />
But, I guess what I want to know, is am I the only one that feels this way? I don't think I am. I think many of us view our phones as an extension of ourselves and utilize it several hours a day in a healthy and productive manner. Like Spiderman says, "<em>with great power comes great responsibility"</em>, so it's important to <a href="http://putdownyourphone.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">put your phone down</a> and enjoy life. However, there are few things in life short of my family and maybe my house and car, that would alter life as much if it went away.<br />
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In short, I'm trying to defend this as a healthy obsession, so bear with me... Mobile technologies are only going to evolve from here, so it's not like I can quit this like a cigarette. It's going to continue to make life easier and easier, and keep us more connected then ever. These are good things and should be embraced. Right?<br />
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And if I was forced to choose, I'd still <em>probably</em> choose my wife, but I'd <strong>miss the hell</strong> out of my phone...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</em></strong></span>
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<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-79774453216854896012012-10-11T09:59:00.004-05:002012-10-11T09:59:51.991-05:00Blogging from 25,000 FeetI'm sorry, but this is cool (see the graphic below). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCOMMs2mud_KehsDbaWtUHAFBuo0A7elWcXdqsTh4h_IAwDltDiW_mmzYRmCQCp9b1QySFG65kYTFPg1ybpOKQIDh0i_yevQLhIOXXPcWa-nRUIYzqrnnczSgc1o4ujTQ7rZlVhuJ4M5B/s1600/aa.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCOMMs2mud_KehsDbaWtUHAFBuo0A7elWcXdqsTh4h_IAwDltDiW_mmzYRmCQCp9b1QySFG65kYTFPg1ybpOKQIDh0i_yevQLhIOXXPcWa-nRUIYzqrnnczSgc1o4ujTQ7rZlVhuJ4M5B/s400/aa.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Wifi on airplanes is not a new concept and though it's hardly one that's been perfected, I wanted to give <a href="http://www.twitter.com/gogo" target="_blank">Gogo</a> props for a pretty cool touch. At any point in my flight , I'm able to see how high we're flying and how fast we're going.<br />
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It's probably not a terribly difficult thing for them to do, but in the age of social business where we all want more information, it's a nice touch.<br />
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As marketers and salespeople, we have a tendency to focus on the big initiatives and sometimes it's little things like this that have the ability to leave a positive impression. There are so many more touch points with customers than ever before, so being able to maximize each one is critical.<br />
<br />
The next time you're in a marketing meeting, create a discussion around little things that you can do to put your customer first and improve their experience -- I guarantee the return will be visible.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</em></strong></span></span>
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<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-54148611738395429572012-10-08T09:52:00.000-05:002012-10-08T09:52:00.057-05:00Looking For More Engagement From Social Media? Be More… (Guest Blog)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraHPrN10Fa_Sj__UzcOrK953G9PLsSk7LWN5PrYlSS5JbhQ3wcQbAImug7d7bEbLXFvjQyZyWQk8nUZbfJnIKju8Neuw9vb78kBKbkyHUTGmB1bfkkTxIAqAo12-R7wTJMbp4EhGzFq3c/s1600/darcyschuller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraHPrN10Fa_Sj__UzcOrK953G9PLsSk7LWN5PrYlSS5JbhQ3wcQbAImug7d7bEbLXFvjQyZyWQk8nUZbfJnIKju8Neuw9vb78kBKbkyHUTGmB1bfkkTxIAqAo12-R7wTJMbp4EhGzFq3c/s1600/darcyschuller.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>As we move closer to </b><a data-ektron-url="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/" href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/"><b>Ektron's Synergy Conference </b></a><b>next month, and </b><a data-ektron-url="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/agenda/" href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/agenda/"><b>my session on social media</b></a><b>, I thought I'd utilize this space to feature guest blog posts from some of the most influential social experts that I've connected with. I hope to see you at Synergy and encourage you to learn more about these guest bloggers too. <br /><br />This post is from Suvonni, an innovative <a href="http://www.suvonni.com/">digital marketing and brand strategy consulting firm</a> in Chicago. Darcy Schuller is the Founder and President of Suvonni, and is passionate about helping clients build stronger brands through elevated customer engagement, social media marketing, content marketing and integrated marketing communications. You can find Darcy on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/darcyschuller">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://plus.google.com/104803389413211880474/" rel="author">Google+</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/suvonni">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.linkedin/in/darcy">LinkedIn</a>. <i></i>Enjoy!</b><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><h1>
Looking For More Engagement From Social Media? Be More…</h1>
One of the biggest benefits of social media is the ability to connect with others. It’s no surprise that social engagement is one of the biggest goals for companies looking to connect with their prospects, customers and advocates. With social media, the opportunity to establish relationships with your audience and turn casual contacts into loyal customers is at your fingertips. But, being effective at developing meaningful relationships requires effort. And, as in the offline world, the most successful relationships are based on trust, two-way conversations and a sincere interest amongst the parties involved. It takes time, effort and a lot of creativity to establish and execute a social engagement strategy no doubt. But with the right mix, smart companies can deepen their customer relationships with the help of social media. Here are 12 tips to help you increase your online social engagement.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>1. Be More… Interesting </b><br />
Take the time to understand what interests your target audience and what matters to them the most. Then deliver relevant, timely and valuable content to them. Keep in mind though, that it isn’t simply the content you deliver, but the method in how you deliver it. Keep it interesting, fresh and exciting so that your audience stays in tune. When you provide intriguing and must-read content, your audience will want to engage with you as well as share your content with their own networks.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>2. Be More… Visual </b><br />
Speaking of changing up how you deliver information – videos and pictures are known to increase social engagement significantly more than text or links alone. With the rise of visual sharing sites and apps (<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/">YouTube</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/">Instagram</a>, etc.), we are able to express ourselves much more creatively. Images catch the eye and cause us to pause and take a look. Adding visual content to your social mix, either as a stand-alone or as part of your content, is a sure fire way to increase comments, likes and shares… and thus your overall engagement and reach.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>3. Be More… Curious </b><br />
One of the most obvious ways to spark engagement? Ask for it! Asking your audience to participate is a great way to encourage social engagement. Ask relevant and/or entertaining and fun questions, take polls, ask for “likes”, ask for input on new product ideas, etc. By asking a question, you are conveying that you are interested in what your audience has to say. Just be sure to acknowledge and provide feedback on what you are asking for after you receive input.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>4. Be More… Timely </b><br />
Integrating your content, contests, questions and other interactions with current events is a great way to increase social engagement. People love to talk about what is current (Olympics, Elections, Back to School, etc.). By tying your conversation starters to a high-profile current event, you will surely get more people talking. Just be sure that the tie-in makes sense and is still relevant to your target audience and your business.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>5. Be More… Giving</b><br />
Contests, promotions and giveaways can provide a big boost in your social engagement. Get your audience involved, whether it is a photo/video submission contest or a simple promotion for a discount tied to number of likes, for some quick engagement wins. The “what’s in it for me” mentality still drives people! So ensure you are giving your audience something that they will value and that is worth the time and effort they will put into the opportunity.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>6. Be More… Interactive </b><br />
Don’t “hit-and-run” or “post-and-ghost” on your social channels. Too many companies use engagement tactics like asking an intriguing question or posting content that draws a lot of comments… and then do nothing. Not a word back from the company. What’s the point? The premise of social is to interact. While it may not be feasible to respond to each and every comment you get, you should make a point to respond to your audience as much as possible when they comment or mention your company. It shows that you are monitoring comments and are genuinely interested in what your audience has to say. Remember, relationships require 2-way conversations to grow and prosper!<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>7. Be More… Flexible</b><br />
Social media is not a 5-day 9am – 5pm and then TGIF! Test different posting times to determine when your target audience is most likely to engage. It may very well be a Saturday afternoon when you get the most responses to a question while sharing a video gets the most activity on a Tuesday at 3pm. You won’t know unless you try and test different scenarios. Be flexible and adapt your strategy to your audience needs. The ability to schedule posts makes this incredibly easy to do.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>8. Be More… Fun </b><br />
Put on your social smile. It’s not all about pushing out content, selling your products or services, or ultimately getting people to your website. Add an element of humor and quirkiness to your engagement every now and then. Make your content more engaging by making it fun. Content, pictures or videos that make people smile will be shared… and your reach will be greater.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>9. Be More… Proactive </b><br />
Don’t wait for comments or shares or likes to engage with your audience. Be proactive and give a shout out to your new followers, to your most loyal customers, or to those who engage with you the most on social platforms. What a great way to surprise and delight your target customers by giving them a social mention to let them know you appreciate them. And the result is a positive perception of your brand with the high likelihood of repeat engagement from your target audience.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>10. Be More… Polite </b><br />
Manners still matter in social media. A simple “please”, “thank-you” or “you are welcome” can go along way… especially in social media. Thank, acknowledge, and be kind to your social audience (even when they are not being kind to you!) – it will keep them coming back for more. This is a simple element in your social engagement strategy that absolutely cannot be overlooked.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>11. Be More… Human </b><br />
Don’t be a social robot! People like to engage with and do business with people. Moreover, they want to do business with people they like. Be human in your social interactions. Add faces and names to your social presence and let your audience know who they are talking to. Engage in conversations and be personable.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b>12. Be More… Social</b><br />
The bottom line… be more social. Don’t come to the party and be a wall-flower (<a href="http://suvonni.com/presence-is-not-a-social-media-strategy/" title="Presence Is Not A Social Media Strategy">presence is not a social strategy</a>!). Think about your social “being” from multiple angles and always strive to be more.<br />
<br class="aloha-end-br" /><br />
<b><i>Thanks for reading! I would love to hear your thoughts on how to best increase engagement via social media. What strategies are you executing to be more? </i></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</em></strong></span></span>
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<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-68512983293613664902012-10-05T11:24:00.001-05:002012-10-05T11:24:03.747-05:00Weekend Video Diversion: Precision (Guest Blog)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://360degreeself.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/IMG_0204-2-150x150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://360degreeself.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/IMG_0204-2-150x150.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we move closer to </span><a data-ektron-url="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/" href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #009eb8;">Ektron's Synergy Conference </span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">next month, and </span><a data-ektron-url="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/agenda/" href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/agenda/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #009eb8;">my session on social media</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, I thought I'd utilize this space to feature guest blog posts from some of the most influential social experts that I've connected with. I hope to see you at Synergy and encourage you to learn more about these guest bloggers too. </span></b><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>This post is courtesy of </strong></span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/timpio" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Tim Piotrowski</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> and </strong></span><a href="http://360degreeself.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>360 Degree Self</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>. Tim is an experienced, strategic marketing professional with a background in direct response advertising, sponsorship consulting, media relations and print production. </strong></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Enjoy!</strong></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weekend Video Diversion: Precision</span></h2>
<b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/eIOsL8tumMU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
Everyone, it seems, wants to create THE next viral video. Motivated by money and fame and seeking attention, thousands (or millions?) of aspiring Martin Scorsese’s bring their cameras and best ideas to create these videos. According to one source, more than 35 hours of video is added to YouTube every minute. As viewers of these videos, our short attention spans are pulled in numerous directions and often times we don’t even pay attention to the ads in front of us. <br />
<br />
Brands, too, must compete to attract our attention. DVRs make it easy for us to skip commercials so we can get back to the programs we are watching. So what is a brand to do?<br />
<br />
Create videos that are non-interruptive and content-driven. Known as <a href="http://www.sharethrough.com/2012/07/what-is-native-advertising/">native</a> advertising, these videos are basically commercials that may not look like a typical commercial and are often seamlessly integrated into a website experience.<br />
<br />
One of my favorite of these videos is by <a href="http://www.addictionworldwide.com/">Addiction Worldwide</a> for Remington. You won’t see much about the Remington product, itself. But you will see a lot of precision riding from pro biker Denny MacAskill that serves as a visual metaphor for Remington products. <br />
<br />
If you’re looking to view more clever brand videos, visit <a href="http://sharethrough.tv/">Sharethrough</a>.<br />
<br />
Have a great weekend!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</em></strong></span></span>
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<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-91686552763107506962012-10-04T09:51:00.000-05:002012-10-05T09:29:19.100-05:00Twitter Direct Messages - Do’s & Don’ts (Guest Blog)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg_HOcDoZu8QDYuDrf_eLrLsIVPfq8gXBSWcKVvJznB_VHeumvQOB9JKPFvL6FvdMu_m8aQ4F6W9kivXdfjbeHgnnh6WVRVJQlUv6I1Hk4loUFqFSB-Pbnc_uQNkciT_S7h16cErFSJIg/s1600/cm_socialmedia.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Carolyn Martin, Founder of Social Media Demand (@cm_socialmedia)" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg_HOcDoZu8QDYuDrf_eLrLsIVPfq8gXBSWcKVvJznB_VHeumvQOB9JKPFvL6FvdMu_m8aQ4F6W9kivXdfjbeHgnnh6WVRVJQlUv6I1Hk4loUFqFSB-Pbnc_uQNkciT_S7h16cErFSJIg/s1600/cm_socialmedia.gif" title="Carolyn Martin, Founder of Social Media Demand (@cm_socialmedia)" /></a><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we move closer to </span><a data-ektron-url="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/" href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ektron's Synergy Conference </span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">next month, and </span><a data-ektron-url="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/agenda/" href="http://www.ektron.com/synergy/agenda/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my session on social media</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, I thought I'd utilize this space to feature guest blog posts from some of the most influential social experts that I've connected with. I hope to see you at Synergy and encourage you to learn more about these guest bloggers too. </span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first post is from </span><a data-ektron-url="http://www.socialmediademand.com" href="http://www.socialmediademand.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social Media Demand</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, a social media strategy and consulting practice based in the Chicago area. Carolyn Martin resides in Deerfield, Illinois and is a Marketing, Social Media Strategist and Founder of </span><a href="http://www.socialmediademand.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social Media Demand</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Follow </span><a href="http://twitter.com/cm_socialmedia"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">@cm_socialmedia</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Enjoy!</span></b><br />
<h1>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter Direct Messages - Do’s & Don’ts</span></h1>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s thrilling to watch and participate in the excitement of a Twitter stream. At</span><a data-ektron-url="http://www.socialmediademand.com/news" href="http://www.socialmediademand.com/news"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Social Media Demand</span></a><a data-ektron-url="http://socialmediademand.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/twitter-blog.jpg" href="http://socialmediademand.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/twitter-blog.jpg"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, We LOVE Twitter – and nearly everything about it. We’ve learned about great deals in our local neighborhoods, read breaking news, won prizes, connected with colleagues and new friends, learned about new businesses and so much more.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br class="aloha-end-br" /></span><br />
<a href="http://socialmediademand.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/twitter-blog.jpg?w=640" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-ektron-url="http://socialmediademand.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/twitter-blog.jpg?w=640" height="127" src="http://socialmediademand.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/twitter-blog.jpg?w=640" title="twitter.blog" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter highlights the true essence of engagement. With users busy trying to fit social into their daily lives, they have adopted an automatic direct message response after every new follower. While that seems very courteous, it’s a bit intrusive when irrelevant context is being shared without any preliminary engagement with a new follower. Nothing lovable about that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are our Top 10 not-so-favorite automatic direct messages (DMs) we’ve received. Take note of how annoying it can be when a message is focused about yourself or your other ventures. Social is not about instant self promotion, but rather it’s about sharing, helping, and being kind.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top 10 Twitter Auto Reply Messages AKA Spam</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like my Facebook Page</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Connect with me on LinkedIn</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go to my website</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Try a free tool</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Subscribe to my newsletter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Download my E-book</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This person is making up things about you</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get rich, fast!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me help you</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow my sister</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some suggestions for more appropriate actions for DMs:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Thanks for the follow”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Thanks, your profile looks interesting”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Thanks, tell me more about you”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perfect gratitude is to follow back and send no message</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find something in common and point it out in a DM</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The whole point of Twitter – and any social platform, for that matter – is to create a voice for a brand or for yourself, while creating thoughtful engagement and communication in a public forum. Followers, customers and friends want relevant information once they decide to opt-in and start following you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What can you add to this list?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </span></em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and </span><a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></em></strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573449435803230985.post-5355266978902759832012-10-02T16:35:00.001-05:002012-10-02T16:35:30.939-05:00The Risks and Rewards of Social Media<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you've frequented this particular blog, you've heard me advocate on the use of social media essentially whenever and wherever possible. However, using social media requires a level of responsibility that's perhaps greater than anywhere else. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the plus side, social media provides an open mic to the world, allowing anyone (<em>really, anyone</em>) to broadcast their message to whomever is willing to listen. On the down side, <em>anyone -- can -- listen</em>, including bosses, co-workers, old girl friends, etc... See where responsibility comes in?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you are an avid user of social media channels, you're probably leveraging many of them to be successful. For me, I'm on <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank">Linked In</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://foursquare.com/" target="_blank">Foursquare</a>, <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank">Google +</a>, Spotify, Trip It, and there are probably a handful more that I'm leaving out. We can do an entire post as to <em>why</em> I use these tools and whether this is ridiculous or par for the course for someone like me, but my point is, you need to <strong>be mindful of what, where, and when you're posting</strong>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Let's look at a few common scenarios:</span><br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
#1: Checking In EVERYWHERE You Go on Foursquare and/or Trip It</h4>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Look, I know it's awesome to be the <em>Mayor</em> of your local Walgreens, so outside of everyone knowing how often you need your meds, that's really not an issue (<em>we all assume you need a lot of meds</em>!). </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">However, if you're a salesperson, checking in at a prospective client's office is probably not the best idea. It shares potentially competitive information that a can be used against you. I don't see harm in checking in at a hotel or airport if you're traveling, but be smart before you just hit the "check in" button everywhere. Even if you're not connected to your competitors, they may be connected to friends of yours, which could enable them to see your updates. I'm a little less concerned about checking in a current client's office because there are benefits there too, but if the client is on the fence and could be considering a move, you might want to pass on checking in there.</span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
#2 Posting Specific Information to Social Sites</h4>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">When I close a big deal and want to celebrate, one way I often share my excitement is via Facebook. So occasionally (<em>hopefully more often than not</em>), you'll see a status update from me that says I'm celebrating a big win or something (<em>usually accompanied by the picture of a nice stiff cocktail, a preferred way of celebrating for this fine salesperson</em>!). </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">However, if you were to look back at all of my posts like this, you'll see that in none of them (<em>nor the comments associated with them</em>), does it say anything about the client, deal size, or any other relevant details of the deal. But the post accomplishes two things from my perspective: #1 - it lets anyone that has access to my wall know that what I'm doing is going well; and #2 - it keeps me top of mind should they hear of any opportunities that might be a match for me. </span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
#3 Know When to Say When</h4>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You know that point in the night where everything you say is funny to you, but no one else is laughing (I do...)? Yeah, that happens on social media too. And while many social networkers check out of their social sites (except for maybe Facebook) when they leave the office, those messages live on forever. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It's ok to tweet your ass off all night, but when you're drinking, you need to be extremely careful about what you post. What sounds like a good "tweet" after eight whiskey sours could have severe consequences in the morning (just as what you <em>do</em> after eight whiskey sours can!). It sounds simple enough, but you'd be amazed at the number of inappropriate posts that appear after hours and end up having severe consequences.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We benefit from the first amendment, but now have so many more ways to say the wrong thing, so exercising a higher level of responsibility is critical. Organizations are emphasizing the use of social media, but being forced to tighten restrictions at the same time, which sounds counter intuitive, but is indeed necessary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you accept the responsibility that comes with these tools, you can achieve great success. But like Spiderman, with great power comes great responsibility, so use it wisely and responsibly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on </em></strong><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Linked In,</em></strong></span></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/#" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Google Plus</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, or follow me on</em></strong> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jonmkee" target="_blank"><span style="color: #009eb8;"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></span></a><strong><em>, and <a href="http://jonmkee.blogspot.com//feeds/posts/default" target="_blank">Subscribe to this Blog via RSS</a>.</em></strong></span></span><br />
<br />Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17774566010003106159noreply@blogger.com0