Highway to Hale

Happy Friday to all and to all a good Friday Five! It’s been a great week around here and I’m looking forward to taking the momentum into the weekend and carrying it through the end of the year lull. I hope you can do the same. I’d like to thank Danny Brown once again for allowing me to run with his idea of Friday Five recommendations.

1.) Tweet ‘Em or Leave ‘Em – I always like to start off with a recommendation from Twitter. This person stood out this week as a top conversationalist with ideas to match. He solidified a recommendation last night in the #u30pro chat as one of the most valuable contributors. @jackieadkins is a young professional, marketing idea engine, and sports fan – what else do could you need? He also runs a great blog called The Curbside Marketer at jackieadkins.com.

2.) Blogrocker – Today I coin the term “Blogrock.” If you are a rockstar blogger, you write in the genre of Blogrock. Nobody is more deserving of the term than today’s recommendation for blogger of the week. In fact, Mack Collier is such a Blogrocker that he offers up two blogs for your reading pleasure – MackCollier.com and The Viral Garden. Mack started off the week by telling us “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Social Media Strategy (But Were Afaid to Ask)” and rounded out the week with the brutal truth that “More Comments Doesn’t Always Mean More Conversation.” It shouldn’t surprise you to see Mack’s blogs recommended, but if it caught you off guard head over and save yourself some keystrokes by hitting the RSS feed.

3.) Unlikely Hero – He may not win the Heisman Trophy this weekend, but nobody can deny that Ndamukong Suh altered the game of college football more than anybody else in the league this year. Suh plays Defensive Tackle at the University of Nebraska and he dominated every opponent without mercy all year long. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to win the most prestigious award in college football as a defensive player. Take a note from Suh though – It doesn’t matter what you do. You don’t need the most glorious job to make a giant splash.

4.) Head-Shaking Marketing – We’ve all seen some marketing campaigns that have nothing to do with the product and make us do a double-take. We’ve all seen ads that have heavily sexual references when it seems they are completely misplaced for the product. We’ve never seen anything quite like what Burger King launched this week. The self-proclaimed King of Burgers has decided that a BK Showercam (probably NSFW depending on where you work) would be a good idea to advertise. I don’t know who told them that, but I’ll let you decide how you feel about it.

5.) There’s Always Room for [Beyonce] – In the event that you haven’t quite had enough of “Single Ladies” by Beyonce, here’s a version that I couldn’t stop laughing at. They’re fun musicians and if you pay attention you can find some little jabs at the song’s popularity.

Just took a peak at the current radar and it was kind enough to let me know that the current temp. is 16 degrees. So here you go – the first (of what I hope is few) Friday Five of the Frozen season. For those of you in warmer climates, I’ll try to keep the snow references to a minimum – I know how the word “snow” makes your eyes burn.

1.) Oh, The Weather Outside is Tweetful – As usual, I’ll start you off with a standout tweeter of the week. There was a great discussion last night during the #u30pro chat. First, I suggest you check it out and follow all of the consistent contributors because it really is a smart and diverse set of young professionals, students, and more seasoned veterans offering up insight. Last night’s guest moderator was a real pleasure to have involved – If you’re not following @LenKendall, get on it. Len’s blog, “Constructive Grumpiness,” could just as easily be listed as a blog suggestion as Len can for a Twitter suggestion. Len posts great content on Twitter and has a knack for telling it like it is whether it’s controversial or not.

2.) Blogsy the Snowman – There have been a ton of great blog posts this week, but one blog stood out as the overall greatest of the week. Jim Connolly, from “Jim’s Marketing Blog,” has been testing out the impact of posting daily entries to his blog and guess who has benefited the most? The readers (including me). Among others, this week Jim asked for your attention (and taught you how to do the same), gave you “6 Marketing Tips” related to good timing, and taught you how to achieve “Mouth Watering Marketing” with words. Thanks, Jim.

3.) Dashing Through the [Tiger] Woods, In a One Horse Open Controversy – I would be ridiculous not to comment on Tiger Woods this week. Talk about a PR nightmare. Back when Tiger was staying quiet about what looked like a shady car wreck, I thought the whole thing would blow over pretty quickly. Turns out, the story is much deeper. Here’s what I want from the public: Stop saying Tiger is just like “everybody else.” First, Tiger Woods is a celebrity. If he wants to make millions relying on an adoring fan base, he can’t turn off his celebrity status when it’s convenient. Also, “everybody else” doesn’t have an (alleged) extensive affair throughout almost an entire young marriage. You don’t have to be a celebrity for that to be wrong. Good luck clearing this up, Tiger. Another major championship (and holding the record for majors) will probably help more than it should.

4.) Look for the Holiday Joy – Shhhhh. Don’t Tell Debbie. Does Evan White’s (@YourFriendEvan) mom like lawn gnomes? I don’t think so, but she’s about to have one of the most extensive collections on earth…whether she wants to or not. On Saturday, December 5, Debbie is going to wake up with 405 lawn gnomes in her face. I can’t wait to see the footage, so keep your eyes open for it. Enjoy, Debbie!

5.) Stocking Stuffer of the Future – Without a doubt, the most amazing video I came across this week came from Todd Defren’s PR-Squared blog. Think about the possibilities and the future of mainstream media why you check out something I want immediately.

Last week, Danny Brown introduced the world to Friday Five – a blog post taking a hint from Twitter’s #FollowFriday phenomenon. Rather than simply suggesting users on Twitter, here are some general suggestions from a variety of categories.

1. Know Your Roots – Friday Five evolved out of a Twitter concept, so here is a Twitter account you should check out. @DaveYank is a self-employed web developer in Minnesota that often goes by the name AnywhereMan. If anybody knows about the world of freelance work, it is Dave Yankowiak. Beyond helpful freelance tips, he’s a friendly guy with a knack for social media. Give him a shout and you’re in for a enjoyable conversation.

2. Blog-o-matic - I’ve been doing a lot more reading blogs lately than I have been writing them, so I’m kind of an authority on which blogs are currently my favorite to read. Right at the top of my list this week has been Media Emerging by Scott Hepburn. For example, this week he asked “Social Media Isn’t a Job? I’m Not So Sure” and gave us a look at “Social Media’s Impact on Charlotte Politics” as well as a dynamite post from a guest blogger with “A Social Media Reality Check for B2B Thought Leaders”

3. ESPN Fodder - What’s happening in sports Social Media this week? John Meyer is asking YOU to choose his favorite NHL team with a new project called PickMyNHLTeam.com. Every even-numbered day for the rest of this year represents one team in the NHL and when the votes are tallied, John Meyer will become a devoted fan of the hockey team with the most fans using social media.

4. Before I Was Born - On this day in 1914 (safely prior to my birth), the US State Department began requiring photographs on passports. I’m not sure when they started requiring that the photo be the most horrible photo you have ever taken, but it was obviously not on November, 20.

5. 404 Error – What’s the best 404 Error: Page Not Found message you have ever seen? The best I’ve seen comes from Mag.ma by recommendation of @DavidSpinks earlier today. The page includes the video below, but the link to the actual page is this: http://mag.ma/glorg

For a few weeks, I took a break from follow Friday – it became so mainstream that it didn’t feel like a recommendation meant anything anymore. But, that’s the idea I’m trying to avoid by giving some backing to my recs here in blog format. I must really mean it if I take the time to write about each person I think you might get some value from following on Twitter. Plus, I’ve got some new ammo. I fell into a follower rut and luckily I have just recently broken out and found some new people to join the original people I really enjoy interacting with.

My first recommendation belongs to one of the craziest PR pros I’ve met. When he says something is going to happen, expect it. I’ve only spent a little bit of time with @YourFriendEvan (Evan White), but in that short time, I realized that his word is worth trusting. He made a deal to only pay in $2 bills one time – go ahead, check his pocket. He wanted to send his mom “way too many gnomes” for Christmas without her knowing – go ahead, check www.donttelldebbie.com. There is nothing better than following somebody on Twitter that offers information, news, and hilarity. Finally, Evan is one of the few people that manages to translate their voice into 140 characters.

My second recommendation comes with a word of warning. He posts great content, but he posts a TON of great content. In other words, if you are only following a few people that you really want to hear from, just keep this name in mind for now. Anyway, @webaddict (Joel Mackey) is, without a doubt, one of the smartest people I follow. He is definitely an expert in the internet space (don’t come at me with pitchforks). On top of being a super genius, Joel is a great guy. Despite having a massive following, Joel responds to every message he receives (@ or DM) without using any automatic response programs. So, don’t be afraid to ask him the hard questions.

My final recommendation is another super genius. He is the man behind “The Science of ReTweets” and the brand new “Dr. TweetDreams” (a Twitter dream analyzer). Those are basically his side projects while he works at HubSpot – creators of the popular Twitter Grader, Website Grader, Facebook Grader, and Press Release Grader. @DanZarrella tweets a little less often than some of my other recommendations (obviously he keeps busy), but his tweets are always valuable. And you better believe his tweets are calculated based on the chunks of data he has collected over the past few years.

Go check out these Twitter users because they definitely improve my Twitter stream and I think you might get some valuable information by following them as well.

Look at that, it is already Friday again. Time for another round of #followfriday. I know you’re busy, so I’ll keep it quick with only a couple recommendations this week. You know the drill – I think you should get over to Twitter and start following the people I recommend because I find them interesting, helpful, entertaining, and/or friendly.

The following two recommendations are artists with extensive knowledge and interest in brand development and management.

My first recommendation this week is long overdue. I would never even consider putting @m_scott_hay in a box reserved simply for artists. If you are into art or branding, you need to check out Mr. Hay’s portfolio – The Silent Migration. Michael was just picked up by ADwërks a couple weeks ago, and they made a great choice. I had the pleasure of talking with Michael at the last Sioux Falls tweetup and it was easy to see that he understands the possibilities of a strong brand in the social media age. I wish I had more time to talk with him, but I assure you there is no shortage of engagement to be found while following @m_scott_hay on Twitter.

My second recommendation finds himself in the Social Situation for the second time this week. As his internship comes to a close today, @ajosborn is on the market once again. Any company would benefit from Andrew’s abilities. Not only is he bilingual, but his interests and skills are a perfect mashup of creative graphic design based in traditional fine arts, strong brand development, business savvy, and a willingness to try anything. Andrew’s portfolio is as diverse as his skills and includes screen prints, photography, illustrations, poster designs and creative package constructions. His curiosity has led to immense learning in a plethora of subjects and not even lacking a computer has stopped Andrew from engaging in social media.

Have fun checking out these portfolios and then follow them to strike up some conversation about the visual and business aspects of building a strong brand that can thrive in the age of social media.

Happy Friday – have a great weekend.

Due to some traveling and catching up with old friends, this #followfriday recommendation is not only late (unless you are on the west coast), but it will be shorts as well. So, you know the drill – let’s get to it.

My first and only recommendation this week has been called @dudetodad, @deepbench, @fiestahugh, and @mrsdudesfund (among other things), and is somebody I was lucky enough to build a friendship with while I was in school. Despite being one of the busiest people I have ever met, @hughweber was never shy about finding time to meet with me and talk business…or Miley Cyrus. Hugh obviously has a lot going on and he always wants to share it with the world. Time after time, talking to Hugh has energized me and given me confidence in myself and the business world. In fact, Hugh was one of the first people I met in the business world that showed me certain people really do want to help each other succeed.

Hugh is a rare innovator located in a region that is generally stereotyped as a community far behind the leading edge, and his drive to work, play, and do good is inspiring to those around him. His best work is often done between the hours of 2am and 7am, so you might want to grab a cup of coffee if you plan to see Hugh’s wheels turn at full speed.

So, give Hugh a shout and prepare to get smarter. You might even find yourself at a 24 hour diner knocking out plans to run a one week blitz campaign for breast cancer called Mrs. Dude’s Boob Fund.

It seems fitting that I would put the finishing touches on this post as the clock gets ready to strike 1am. I’m off to the mountains tomorrow for some golf, I hope you have a great weekend.

What time is it!? #followfriday time! This past week, two people caught my attention as the people you need to follow on Twitter if you want to realize the complexities of social media. It seems like people have been trying to simplify social media for awhile now, but these two fellas tell it like it is – social media is part of a complex set of marketing skills.

My first recommendation is somebody that has a handle that explains it all – @unmarketing (Scott Stratten). Since the Un-Marketing Blog does such a great job of explaining what Scott considers “un-marketing”, I’ll just copy and paste it here:

“It’s all about positioning yourself as a trusted expert in front of target market, so when they have the need, they choose you. That’s UN-Marketing.” – Scott Stratten

I happen to agree with this method pretty heavily and Scott has another project that I support – Thank Goodness It’s Monday. The basic idea is that nobody should let something as trivial as the day of the week determine their attitude. Wonderful. On Twitter, Scott is always passing along helpful advice about tweeting and he is another one of my favorite no-BS tweeters. Scott enjoys interacting with his followers and truly wants to help others…plus he has a great name.

My second recommendation is, without a doubt, one of the smartest people I follow on Twitter. The writing at his blog, the links he shares, and the information he pushes make for a pretty unbeatable combination of intelligence sharing. When @leeodden passes on content, it’s always worth listening to. Lee is the CEO at Top Rank Online Marketing and does a great job of relating SEO and social media. At a time when many people are putting the two in opposite corners, Lee is explaining how they can be related most effectively and putting them both in their respective place without having to emphasize one at the cost of the other (also without annoying everybody in the process). Lee has a strong affinity for objective data and ideas that continue to stay ahead of the game.

These guys are the top in my book of putting the intricacies of social media into perspective. Now, go follow them and learn for yourself, and enjoy the weekend.

Happy Friday – let’s get right to it. These are the people I think you would get the most use out of following on Twitter or reading their blog. Each of these recommendations have spent about one year in the professional world working in the Internet Marketing Industry.

My first recommendation is a former classmate of mine. I believe he was the first person to introduce me to Twitter. To this day, he is still thinking at the forefront of the social media industry. He recognizes trends and loves to try new things. With a passion for reading and writing engaging content and telling the truth, conversations with @mikebilleter are never dull. Mike genuinely wants to help those around him. If thought-provoking conversation on Twitter isn’t enough, you can find more writing by Mike at the Deep Bench blog or on his personal blog – Mikebilleter.com. In just one year, Mike has positioned himself as a well-known professional in Sioux Falls with a knack for networking.

My second recommendation is part of a team that really showed me that social media marketing can be a successful career. At a time when I wasn’t sure what kind of careers would be available to somebody with a passion for social media, @kareemy was kind enough to take some time to offer some insight on his career. He even let me come in to his office, introduced me to others working in the social media field, and gave me a straight forward look into a career path I could see myself traveling. If there is anybody that can be described as a “go-getter” it is Kareem. I doubt I’ve met anybody with the same drive to get things done. Kareem’s straight-to-the-point posts can often be found in the Risdall Marketing Pie and a more personal twist can be found at Kareem’s personal blog – The Chemicals Between Us. In just one year, Kareem has become a familiar name in the Minneapolis area and he has built a strong reputation as a fun-loving, hard-working go-getter with the ability to implement ideas.

My final recommendation is actually somebody I have featured before in a Follow Friday on this blog. But when you consider the changes a first professional year can make, it would be silly to leave out @jasondouglas. In fact, Jason just wrote a “Social Media Now and Then” post at the Sypder Trap Blog today. By listening to Jason, it would be hard to assume he has only been optimizing websites for search engines for a single year. Jason recognizes opportunities and understands the value of hard work to achieve such opportunities. In just one year, Jason’s confidence as an Internet marketer has increased unimaginable amounts while maintaining a healthy dose of humility.

Where will you be by next year? I would be proud to accomplish what each of these three Internet marketing professionals have done in the first year of their career. Their potential is staggering, so do not expect them to slow down any time soon.

It has been a quick-feeling week, but the social media world packed in some great content. These three #followfriday recommendations harnessed the power of conversation quite well this week – and it was no surprise to those of you following them on Twitter or keeping up with their blogs.

My first recommendation is a person that has made me consider moving to Canada so I could hangout with him. He is funny, intelligent, engaging, helpful, and considerate. His blog is always informative and/or helpful, humorous, concise and thought-provoking. What can’t @DannyBrown do? I am not sure…but I will let you know if I find out. Danny is the head of a program called 12for12k that has set out to raise $12,000 for a different charity every month of 2009. Danny never shies away from a conversation on Twitter and his blog offers great content on which to converse. He understands how a community should work and treats everybody like a valuable member of his community.

My second recommendation is another person that has a knack for stirring up some great conversations. You would never guess @DavidSpinks is only 22 years old based on his knowledge and ability to write engaging material (often at The Spinks Blog). David is the community manager for the blogging community, Scribnia. The great part about David is that he uses his position at Scribnia to pass along great information he comes across and highlight really intelligent bloggers. Like Danny, you will never find David sitting on the sidelines during a great conversation. It just so happens that many of the great conversations over the past week (and prior) have come from the content David has provided.

My third recommendation is somebody that hosted the best conversation I was able to find this week. Unfortunately my personal interaction with @dmullen has been limited, but that has obviously been a mistake. If you don’t believe me about the best conversation of the week, check out Mullen’s blog – Communications Catalyst. On Twitter, Mullen can be found with incredible insight right in the middle of the most interesting topics. You can bet Mr. Mullen has found his way into a pretty exclusive group in my TweetDeck in the past few weeks. I’ve been reading David’s blog for awhile now, and I’m looking forward to getting to know David a little better by catching more of his tweets.

So, go out and follow these three kings of conversation and have a great weekend.

It may be a day off in the work world, but the show must go on. It’s Friday again which means it’s time for me show some love for those I enjoy following on Twitter. Here are my Follow Friday recommendations for Friday, July 3.

My first recommendation goes out to somebody that most of you already follow. He is kind of a big deal, but let me tell you why I follow @ChrisBrogan. I originally started following Chris because he was recommended to me when I was first getting started in my adventure with social media. Little did I know how much I could learn from him and how much his work would energize me with new ideas. Chris recently estimated that he shares about 91.5% of his writing away for free via his blog. That is quite a gift that speaks to the shift in knowledge sharing and idea generation that he promotes and believes in. You wouldn’t expect much interaction from a man as busy as Chris, but he does a great job of engaging his followers on Twitter by carrying conversations about his work and his personal life.

My second recommendation is a leader from one of the leading social media cities in the world. There has been some debate about which city holds the title as the greatest social media city, but @JaredRoy is one of the reasons that Minneapolis is in the debate. He is the creator of Social Media Breakfast in Minneapolis and you can always count on him to share the best ideas that come out of his events. Jared’s blog, The Wah Report, plays host to a constant mix of his personal interests (a lot of cyclocross) and his social media knowledge. You can always count on Jared to live-tweet Minneapolis’ premier social media events and you can always count on him to be brutally honest (he once tweeted that if he can’t find you on the internet, you don’t exist).

I’m going to stick with two recommendations this Friday. Have a great Independence Day weekend and enjoy following these two people that I respect and have taught me a great amount.