All Entries Tagged With: "inbound marketing summit"

7 Habits of Highly Effective Social Marketers- Mike Volpe

As the Dialogue team ramps up for SXSW (the Super Bowl of Social Media Conferences) we’re still interviewing some great marketers out there. Mike Volpe is our featured Social Marketer today. If you haven’t already, take 30 minutes on a Friday afternoon to watch Mike and Karen Rubin talk Inbound Marketing on their weekly television show/podcast/live-streaming event, Hubspot TV

About Mike
I’m Mike Volpe, and I love Marketing! I work as VP Inbound Marketing at HubSpot, where I get to lead a team of marketers as well as create a lot of content on our blog, for our TV show, and by speaking a lot too.

1. What one trait or habit got you to where you are today?
Passion! You need to find a job that allows you to leverage your passion. I mean it’s late at night right now, but I’m having fun writing about marketing because I love it. Focusing on your passion makes everything else a lot easier.

2. Your work day just started, what’s the FIRST thing you do and why?
Read. I read my email. I read blogs and news in my RSS reader. I read Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. I read my reports in HubSpot analytics. You need to know what is going on before you can do something productive.

3. What makes you efficient with your day?
Seclusion time. I need at least 1 hour a day where I have zero interruptions and I just crank through all my inboxes and tasks. If not, it starts to back up and the problem gets worse. I tend to really focus in on things, and if I get distracted, I have a lot of trouble refocusing, so I need to comepletely uninterrupted time to be super productive. I actually book this time in my calendar, and if I am in the office, I will go hide someplace so no one can bother me.

4. Your Favorite Business book of all time?
New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott. He recently rewrote a lot of it to update it for a new addition. The month that book came out, I sent him and email with the subject line “Our company (HubSpot) was based on your book”. While HubSpot was founded before the book came out, it was a true statement. We had lunch the next week and David and I are friends now, and he’s been a great advisor. I should also mention that “Inbound Marketing” by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah (the foreword is by David Meerman Scott) is another take ont he same subject, with probably more “how to” examples.

5. 3 things on your desk right now/3 things you can’t live without

iPhone – Not because I am in love with Apple (I don’t like them much) but because it makes me a lot more productive, I’ll replace it the second something better is available (please Google… help!)

Google Apps - I used Outlook for years, but once I converted and got used to Gmail/Gcal, I am faster and more efficient

DropBox – Having all my important files available anywhere, and collaborating with my team more easily is great

With the combination of these 3 things, I have stopped carrying a laptop and a bag except when I travel on planes. I just walk out of the office. I have a laptop that mostly stays in the office, a desktop in my house, and also a netbook for around the house and sometimes travel.

6. Habit you want to kick in 2010
Checking Twitter too much! It is usually pretty distracting, and can be addictive. And to be honest, most of the super important stuff there ends up getting to me through other channels. But, I do need to make time for it, just in a few 10 minutes chunks during the day (TweetDeck on the iPhone helps a lot with this).

7. Habit you want to form for 2010
Inbox Zero. I have been getting better… around 100 messages in my inbox on average the past few months, rather than 300-ish – but I want to really try to keep it under 10-20, and maybe even hit zero. We’ll see… I mean, I just got rid of this message!

7 Habits of Highly Effective Social Marketers- Mike Schneider

Many of you may not recognize this photo of Mike Schneider because he spent the better half of the fall growing a moustache for “Movember“. Now that he’s clean shaven, he is setting his sites on bigger aspirations, like being one of the Top 20 Karaoke singers at SXSW’s “Cog’aoke 2“. While he’s not mastering the art of social marketing and more, he’s QUITE the entertainer, and likes to “sing in the shower and in the car and on stage and at the mall and in meetings and on the phone”. If any of you are reading this and heading to SXSW, please vote for him.

On to interview # 17 of the “7 Habits Series“…

1. What one trait or habit got you to where you are today?
Fearlessness. I am just not smart enough to understand that there are things that cannot be done and that I should not be able to do them. I rarely shy away from a challenge and do not accept “no” or “can’t”. I heard those a lot growing up in the Midwest. I wanted to learn Chinese as a kid and I remember people telling me “that’s impossible”. One day I just decided that that line of reasoning was something that I could not tolerate and that if I wanted something, it would be better to take a risk and make it happen.

2. Your work day just started, what’s the FIRST thing you do?
I think. I start in the shower. I also think in the car, preferably with some new modern rock blaring. I let my schedule whirl around in my head a little bit and usually a few good ideas fall out from between the dates and times.

3. What makes you efficient with your day?
Efficiency. The bar is set very high for me. My efficiency role model is my best friend, Gregory Ng I’ve never seen anyone ideate, create and deliver like that guy. Assuming I’m somewhat efficient: devices, gadgets and software help me attain efficiency. I love the shiny. Evernote, a tool that syncs thoughts, notes and audio clips between devices is one of my favorites. I am using it now because I suspect I won’t finish this task before I have to move on to the next. If I cannot, maybe I will bang out a few questions from my iPhone later. DropBox is brilliant for sharing. Heaven forbid I ever forget my machine at work (power cord is another story), but if I do, the most important files are accessible via DropBox from any machine. As a look-ahead guy, I am aching for a tablet. I can imagine a bunch of ways that will make me more productive, particularly in sharing concepts in groups and in content consumption.

4. Your Favorite Business book of all time?
That’s like asking my favorite song of all time. I will not be able to answer with just one.

The Art of War.
Groundswell has a few good points.
Wisdom of Crowds and Black Swan are also highly worthwhile for any measurement / experiment junkie. Empirical thinking for the win!
And of course I enjoyed #Crushit by Gary VAY NER CHUK.

5. 3 things on your desk right now/ 3 things you can’t live without
Flip/Zi8
iPhone
moleskine

6. Habit you want to kick in 2010
If I can do something, one of my tendencies is to go ahead and assign the task to me. That’s not always good.

7. Habit you’d like to form for 2010
Balance. A little less work. A little more family, friends, beer and modern rock. Oh. Flossing. I need to floss regularly.

10 Things You Didn’t Know about LinkedIn

Remember when you first heard about LinkedIn and signed up, thinking it would be convenient to have your resume online? And remember how you haven’t spent much time there since?….

You can wring so much more use out of our profile than you think; here are 10 tips to get you started.

1.) This tip could be an entire post on its own, but thinking about reordering your profile to highlight your best attributes.This is like getting getting dressed up for a big event. Horizontal stripes are bad, unless you want to accent width…LinkedIn started offering reording earlier this month, and there’s a handy video guide with tips on the company blog.

2.) You may have synced your blog feed with your LinkedIn profile, but did you know you can add video too? LinkedIn added a video application last spring, and its’ been generating a lot of buzz since, though the concept of video resumes has been around for a while. Reel Social Media has step-by-step instructions (with its own handy video guide). Important to remember: just becaue you can, doesn’t mean you should. Adding video is great for showcasing artistic talent, past speeches or presentations you’re particularly proud of, or could be a unique way to add reccomendations. Five minutes of you answering your own interview questions isn’t a good idea.

3.) LinkedIn also lets you tag your contacts with unique labels. Want to walk up to the speaker you just heard at a conference but can’t remember how you’re connected? Scroll through your tags and jog your memory.

4.) Be active. This sounds like a no brainer, but bear with me: how many of you check the site when you get a notification about some connection making another new connection, scan your profile, then log out? LinkedIn and social media are changing the way people communicate and the way people find jobs – if you’re not a frequent participant in that conversation, then no one knows just how many interesting things you have to say. Don’t get left behind.

5.) Use LinkedIn to drive more traffic to your own website, specifically the qualified traffic that will add content and conversation to your growing community. The gist? Make connections, first by linking yourself to people you know, then by answering the questions of people you don’t. And by joining groups that cater to your niche.

6.) Or start your own group. Lewis Howes, who literally wrote the book on LinkedIn, has a lot to say about this. Groups on LinkedIn are the same as groups on Facebook.  Use them to show your support for something or to meet others who think the same way. Lewis recommends that you should use LinkedIn to not just connect with people you know, but with EVERYONE. It’s the equivalent of walking up to a stranger and introducing yourself.. Just write a well crafted introduction, and don’t worry about tripping and falling on your face as you make your way toward someone to shake hands; remember, all your accomplishments are published for the world to see too.

7.) All of this advice is useful, of course, for someone trying to get a job. The bottom line is that LinkedIn makes it easier than ever to network continuously. Regardless of whether you are employed or not, you should be on LinkedIn as often as you’re on Facebook, creating a strong network that can support you when you need it.

8.) And because social media is sometimes about stoking egos, you can also see who’s viewed your profile.

9) You may have seen that you can upgrade your LinkedIn account, for a small fee… I just signed up for a premium account last week. We’ll see. (There is some good commentary here)

10.) LinkedIn is a great place to figure out WHO you are, WHAT you want out of your career, and HOW you can get there. Howes continues to list a few good questions to ask yourself when you are setting up a profile.

Your thoughts? How do you like to use Linkedin?

7 Habits of Highly Effective Social Marketers – Colin Browning

Colin Browning- Photo Credit Jim Storer

He’s # 15 in your scorecards, and number one in your hearts, ladies and gentleman, THE Colin Browning…..

About Colin
Colin had recently left New Marketing Labs to join IDG. He now designs marketing programs for leading technology brands as a part of IDG’s Strategic Marketing Services team.

1. What one trait or habit got you to where you are today?
I started as a photographer. I learned from the beginning that to stand out, I needed to see things differently and to make others see things differently.

2. Your work day just started, what’s the FIRST thing you do and why?
My work day starts when my eyes first open in the morning. I do some of my best creative thinking as I make my cup of coffee and take those first sips as I am thinking about the day ahead. My morning coffee ritual and day mapping is a critical part of my successful days.

3. What makes you efficient with your day?
Getting a solid 8 hours of sleep the night before, followed by a morning workout – then no matter what the day throws at me – I am can take it head on!

4. Your Favorite Business book of all time?
I have to say, I have been much more inspired by reading the bios of great artists lately like Arthur Danto’s bio of Robert Mapplethorpe or a biography of Andrew Wyeth (can’t recall the author). These have inspired me with their singularity of focus, dedication, and talent.

5. 3 things on your desk right now/3 things you can’t live without
I am going to cheat and write things in multiples (I hate rules):

Photos of my family & friends (iRoadtrip!)
iPhone
notepad & pen

6. Habit you want to kick in 2010
Evening TV – like many, I do tend to get sucked in.

7. Habit you want to form for 2010
Spending more of my evenings playing with the kids and then reading a wider range of material: fiction, non-fiction (not just the social media stuff) and biographies.

7 Habits of Hightly Effective Social Marketers- Paula Berg

I’ve already forgotten what interview number this is, so let’s just move on and introduce Paula! There’s a reason you’ve all heard of Southwest Airlines, and it’s probably because of the outstanding efforts of Paula Berg, who used to run Southwest’s new media. Paula’s a terrific, energetic speaker, and will get you hooked on Southwest Airlines (or social media) before you know it. She has finally returned home to place she loves in Colorado, and answers the 7 Habits questions as she stares at the Rocky Mountains out her window…

About Paula
I’m the Digital Media Lead at Linhart PR, a national public relations and corporate communications counseling firm based in Denver, CO.  (NOTE- interesting name of their corporate blog….) I earned my social media stripes at Southwest Airlines, where I served as the company’s first Manager of Emerging Media, responsible for the development of the airlines’ social media strategy and the leadership of the airline’s emerging media team.

1. What one trait or habit got you to where you are today?
Great question. I’ve been thinking about this subject a lot lately and looking back on all of the things that have influenced me over the years – everything from the people I’ve known to the jobs I didn’t get. I could list a hundred things, but if I had to boil it down to one, I’d say it has been being an independent thinker, a trait I attribute to my father. I can be a bit scrappy at times, a trait I attribute to my mother. I never accept ideas just because “it’s the way it has always been.” I prefer figuring things out for myself. I love a challenge and a hearty debate. And, of course, I love being right (wink). But if I’m going to be wrong, I want it to be because someone else was right and not because I was too lazy to find a better solution.

2. Your work day just started, what’s the FIRST thing you do and why?
I roll over, pick up my phone and check my online channels – email, text, Twitter, Facebook and news. Then I try to go back to sleep for 10 -30 minutes, but that never works. Scanning everything as soon as I wake up allows me to visualize my day and start thinking about what I need to accomplish so I can hit the ground running when I get to the office.

3. What makes you efficient with your day?
I’m not sure if I am efficient with my day…honestly, I’m all over the place. I’m extremely organized, but I often say that my work style is a bit like George Washington’s teeth – you don’t want to see it. Any tool that allows me to be online and connected 24 hours a day so I can obtain information, reach colleagues, document ideas when they come together, or figure out where I need to be helps.

4. Your Favorite Business book of all time?
I’m going to give a shout out to my former employer and say Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Success. The airline’s unorthodox approach to business and customer relations fits my style and illustrates how a little bit of independent thinking can overcome challenges, revolutionize an industry, and even change the world.

5. 3 things on your desk right now/3 things you can’t live without
Water bottle, iphone, and a small pad of paper that goes with me everywhere (for those times I can’t be online). And, chapstick. I’m never without chapstick.

6. Habit you want to kick in 2010
I recently kicked several bad habits and then decided that life is a lot more fun when you’re naughty. So, I’ve taken them up again. But I still feel guilty about them sometimes, so I guess I’m trying to kick the desire to kick bad habits and just roll with it.

7. Habit you want to form for 2010
I spend so much time online these days, I was thinking I’d like to try writing some letters – old school style with pen, paper and stamps.

Inbound Marketing Summit- Day 2 Recap

A quick recap of Day 2 at the Inbound Marketing Summit held at Gilletter on October 7th, 8th. Some nice tidbits of advice and anecdotes for future thought in Social Media.
(for Day 1 quotes- click here)

Tim Marklein, Executive VP, Measurement & Strategy, Weber Shandwick (@tmarklein)
“The beauty of advocacy – engaging your advocates & giving them right info – they will jump to your defense”

Jason Falls, Principal, Social Media Explorer (@jasonfalls)
“If you’re not taking care of your home on the internet, what the hell are you doing anyway?”
“How to make a great website: define your product, audience, competitors, environment, success. Then build around your customer”

David Alston, VP Radian6
“When someone says something nice about your brand, thank them for the testimonial”

Greg Matthews, Director, Consumer Innovation, Humana (@chimoose)
“It only takes 15 minutes in the morning to read a few blogs and start learning”

Paul Gillin, Principal, Paul Gillin Communications (@pgillin)
“Our Newspapers are not dying, our readers are!”
“We need to get over what we were taught in school. Look at Google, everything is always in beta”

Steve Garfield, SteveGarfield.com (@stevegarfield)
No quote, but an inredible display of a flash video mob….nice work Steve!

Greg Cangialosi, CEO, Blue Sky Factory (@gregcangialosi)
“The only common platform in the Web 2.0 world is email. It’s the digital glue between all the social tools available”

Jim Long, NBC News (@newmediajim)
“One passionate employee (Jim?!) can be the catalyst for successful social media engagement at a large brand

Paula Berg, Manager of Emerging Media, Southwest Airlines (@paulaberg)
Rapping flight attendant (youtube) + twitter= internet gold- http://bit.ly/zZyeT

Brian Solis (@briansolis)
Links are the currency of the web. Links connect the social web back to traditional search

Chris Brogan, President, New Marketing Labs (@chrisbrogan)
“What if you made your least favorite customer your new CMO?”
“It’s not the tools, it’s what you do with them”

Inbound Marketing Summit Recap- Day 1- Favorite Quotes?

Just recovering returning from the Inbound Marketing Summit held the last two days here in Boston at Gillette Stadium.

For those of you who were unable to come or who aren’t familiar with it, think of it as a Super Bowl of really savvy marketers and thought leaders in social media.

(Aside from having a chance to watch Tom Brady and Randy Moss practice a few hundred yards away from us) There was terrific content from the first day. I could give a really detailed recap of the event, but what I thought might work best is a series of favorite quotes from Day 1.  Each quote really boils down the essence of each speaker and the message they were getting out.  What’s your favorite? And if you were there yesterday,  please add your own below…
(Day 2 quotes to follow on Monday)

Day 1

Tim Hayden, Founder and President of Game-Plan Marketing (@gameplanhayden)
“There are no social media “experts”, There are no viral marketing experts, Everyone’s a blogger”

Gary Vaynerchuk, VaynerMedia (@garyvee)
“Business is about reaction F– a 5 year plan – 5 years ago you didn’t know Twitter”

Chris Brogan, New Marketing Labs (@chrisbrogan)
“Listening is the new black”

Brian Halligan, CEO, Hubspot (@bhalligan)
“Next 50 years of marketing will not be about the thickness of your wallet, but rather the thickness of your brain. Wit and content win”.

Katie Delahaye Paine, CEO KD Paine & Partners (@kdpaine)
“PR People aren’t dead. They’re on Mars”

John Jantsch, Founder Duct Tape Marketing (@ducttape)
“Marketing = getting people to know, like and trust you”

Scott Kirsner, Author and Innovation Economy Columnist, Boston Globe (@scottkirsner)
“new creative marketing: bands are giving up control to their fans with homemade videos”

CC Chapman, Creative Director, Campfire  (@cc_chapman)
Stop trying to bucket. Look at people as people. look at them beyond the blog title. Don’t get hung up on the content.

Valerie Maltoni, President, Conversation Agent (@conversationage)
“What are you helping your customers do?”

David Meerman Scott, Marketing and Leadership Speaker (@dmscott)
“It’s no longer about pitching the Today show. It’s about creating content that will attract the Today Show”

Chris Brogan
“How to win over reluctant execs to social media marketing? Show them your competitors!”

Gary Vaynerchuk
“Content may be king, but marketing is queen and she runs the household!”

Jennifer Cisney, Chief Blogger and Social Media Manager, Eastman Kodak (@ljc)
“Kodak’s blog is not about the actual product, it’s about HOW we use our products”

Tim Street, CEO, APE Digital, Inc. (@1timstreet)
“How do you make your video go viral? First, spectacle, and then story

(For a quick Day 2 recap- click here)