We’re all looking for clever ways to market our businesses, and there are now more media to do so than ever before. The fast food chain Chipotle went to YouTube to spread its latest message, using a song from Coldplay (meh) sung by Willie Nelson (hooray!).
If you’re like me, the last thing you want to do is spend time setting up a social media account on yet another site. But this video from Epipheo makes a pretty good point: We use Google for just about everything else, so why fight this? I do like the practical idea of the circles — and am most amused by the concept of a "People I hate" circle.
Granted, I’m as unhappy as you are about the seemingly monopolistic tone of all of this, but, on the other hand…..meh.
Indiana business owners and operators are saying it. The Indiana Chamber continues to weigh in on their behalf with the same message. It extends beyond our state to most of the rest of the nation.
It, and the message, is that uncertainty is threatening all businesss (particularly small companies) and that Washington has to get its act together.
Let’s try a different approach here, with a video parody that will hopefully drive the message home. The ‘Wait and See’ video is brief (just over two minutes) and makes its point in an entertaining manner. Watch it, share it with others (including your representatives in Washington and Indianapolis) and keep up the good fight.
This sardonic, yet starkly realistic cartoon from the Institute for Justice raises some valid questions about the "American Dream" and the obstacles in creating a business in today’s America.
Hat tip to The Agitator.
Is your business finally in a position to recruit new talent? Sure, you could just place a job announcement online and watch the myriad resumes pour in like … sorry, I have no appropriate simile prepared; typed myself into a corner there.
But if you want to attract the best and brightest, it wouldn’t hurt if your message was original. Check out Twitter’s simple, yet creative recruitment video recently launched on YouTube:
I’m not sure what to make of this, but it’s related to business and internships and this video is hot right now — so it’s going on our blog. Meet Cisco’s rapping intern:
If you’d like an intern of your own — rapping or otherwise — check out our fine affiliate program, Indiana INTERNnet. The INTERNnet team, led by executive director Pam Norman, is doing an amazing job connecting Indiana businesses with eager interns. You can also follow the program’s blog at www.indianainternnation.com.
On Twitter, I follow a gentleman named Joe Navarro (@navarrotells), a former FBI agent and leading expert on non-verbal communication. (He’s authored at least one very intriguing poker book on tells, which is how I came to know his work.) He passed along a Tweet containing this video recently, which illustrates just how little we pay attention to our surroundings.
If you can work on improving your observation skills, just think how much of an edge you — and your company — will have in a business setting. And think how much more attentive you could be to your customers. Enjoy this eye-opening piece. (If it won’t allow you to view the embedded version, just click "Watch on YouTube.")
Michigan Gubernatorial candidate Andy Dillon got some flack from CQ Politics over the fact that he’s advocating the hiring of local workers, but then using an out-of-state creative agency (Obama advisor David Axelrod’s, no less) to spread his message.
Reminds me of the Dan Burton flap during the 2010 primary, in which he was raked over the coals for using out-of-state actors in an ad.
Are these on par with each other, or is one worse? Or is it just politics as usual, and neither is worth being surprised about?
Harrison College Provost/Chief Academic Officer Dennis Trinkle explains how different types of proprietary and for-profit schools exist, noting colleges like his are constantly evolving to bring the best value to students.
By now you know the story. Scott Brown handily defeated the early favorite Martha Coakley in the race for the late Sen. Kennedy’s Senate seat. But a Wall Street Journal blog posts some interesting findings as to how, pointing to Brown’s use of social media as being an effective means of reaching the voting public:
A study conducted by the Emerging Media Research Council out today found that Brown had a more effective strategy of using social networking tools including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to promote his campaign and connect with supporters.
Here’s a look at the numbers:
Facebook Posts since Jan. 1: Brown (128), Coakley (58)
Facebook Fans: Brown (70,800), Coakley (13,529)
Tweets since Jan. 1: Brown (142), Coakley (144)
Twitter Followers: Brown (9,679), Coakley (3,385)
YouTube Videos: Brown (57), Coakley (52)
YouTube Video Views: Brown (578,271), Coakley (51,173)
The study concludes that Brown’s use of social media helped in several ways, including boosting his name recognition both in and out of Massachusetts. They note that just 51% of Massachusetts voters had heard of Brown in a Nov. 12 poll, by Jan. 14 his name recognition was at 95%.
The study also found that Brown more openly embraced social media sites on his campaign Web site, where he “prominently” features social networking channels including a Twitter feed while Coakley “gives social networks less prominent real estate.