Disqus - Friends of Ron_Coleman

Re: Nine Inch Nails Is Coming Back to Rupp!

BrandonUttley — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:08:53 -0000

Hey, great blog! I mentioned Rupp Arena in our blog today. www.trunkstailstrees.com

I wish you continued success.

Re: Browzmi: A Social Browser in Your Browser

BrandonUttley — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:05:43 -0000

Browzmi is a great resource, and I'm eager to see how it evolves. It's ideal for jumping online with one or more friends and sharing sites, especially when you need something in particular and are tired of needle-in-a-haystack Google searches.

Re: Marketing Agencies – Potential clients are not laughing

BrandonUttley — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:29:36 -0000

Great points, Corey.

Traditional advertising/marketing firms have been struggling with the digital realm for years (once they stop snickering that the web was "over" following the dot-com implosion). The real problem is that it doesn't fit the decades-old model that is tied to print and broadcast advertising commissions. That, coupled with the fact that many agencies are run by people who frankly don't "get it" regarding the Internet and the new model of communications, spells trouble for unsuspecting clients.

As the saying goes, the future ain't what it used to be. I predict we're going to see more old-school agencies implode or start aligning themselves with digital specialists in order to survive.

Re: Guest Post- Twitter- To Converse or to Broadcast-THAT is the Question

BrandonUttley — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:29:53 -0000

The cream rises to the top, like in all media. People and companies that share useful information, as opposed to just asinine, self-centered junk, gain respect and more followers. But even the top Twitterers send a lot of pointless Tweets. Sometimes they just wanna vent, or say something silly for the heck of it. That's what makes Twitter so interesting and unpredictable.

Re: How Not to Use a Lawyer - A Personal Case Study (Plus: Protocol Marketing correction)

BrandonUttley — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:59:20 -0000

Legally harassing you, for a positive mention in a bestselling book, is one of the dumbest moves I've read about in a long time.

Re: 10 Twitter Users Who Deserve Attention

BrandonUttley — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:21:54 -0000

Great list, thank you! I've been trying to get more followers myself and am not sure the best way to do this. @brandonuttley

Re: Social Media Success Plan for Beginners: 6 Hours for 6 Weeks

BrandonUttley — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:05:55 -0000

Mike, these are excellent guidelines. The key you hit on is to have a plan of action, and stick to a routine. Otherwise, you'll just waste a lot of time and energy and avoid doing your "real" work. I'm glad to see Twitter worked well in getting this article such a wide audience!

Re: A Complete List of the Many Forms of Web Marketing for 2008

BrandonUttley — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:37:58 -0000

Jeremy, as usual this is an impressive rundown of options. Have you thought about turning this into a wiki?

Re: A Complete List of the Many Forms of Web Marketing for 2008

BrandonUttley — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:33:59 -0000

Jeremy, good point regarding my question about putting this information into a wiki. We will all appreciate your keeping this list accurate and up-to-date!

Re: Branding Your Business On The Cheap

BrandonUttley — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:23:29 -0000

Three,

You make some valid points, and I agree there will always be a value to working directly with a good graphic designer with demonstrated skills and a proven process. Many companies could not use the "crowdsourcing" route, because they can't make decisions without a small army and 20 rounds of revisions :). As you rightly pointed out, often it takes a lot of research and painstaking efforts to get the job done right. So even though crowd sourcing has its place, there is still no substitute for the personal interaction and interpretation between the professional designer and his/her client.

Re: Hostess With The Mostess: How To Choose A Web Hosting Provider

BrandonUttley — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:30:27 -0000

David, thanks for your comments! Fused Network does an incredible job of responding very quickly and courteously whenever I have any issues. That says a lot these days.

Re: Matt Bacak vs. Lisa Hoffmann: Two Approaches to Social Media

BrandonUttley — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:07:47 -0000

Scott, you are right on the money about Lisa. I have rarely come across someone "virtually" who was so genuinely interested in helping others connect, without expecting anything in return. I've since had the pleasure of meeting her in real life, and she is just as friendly and engaging face-to-face. You've got a great colleague with Lisa.

Re: Top Tools To Use When Starting A Web Business (Part 1)

BrandonUttley — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:59:23 -0000

Thanks, Rayanne. I'm glad that FreshBooks is listening. I know you are continually looking for ways to improve the product.

Re: A 4-Step Plan To Achieve Social Networking Fame

BrandonUttley — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:03:55 -0000

Yes, there are two good services that allow you to update many social networking sites at one time. I personally like http://www.ping.fm.I've also used http://www.hellotxt.com.Both are great devices for staying "current." The trick is to remember to use them pretty frequently.

Re: Top 10 Ways To Improve Your Personal Brand Image Online

BrandonUttley — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:46:40 -0000

Shri, thanks for your comment. You offer some excellent tips on your website.

Re: Top 10 Ways To Improve Your Personal Brand Image Online

BrandonUttley — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:27:42 -0000

@Kevin, I agree. That might be the biggest thing to work on in 2009. I've seen some really great things happening where I live, as people simply use online tools to facilitate real-life meetings. Some are suggesting a semi-backlash against social media in favor of "old school" networking next year. We'll see. The pendulum is always swinging.

Re: Top 10 Ways To Improve Your Personal Brand Image Online

BrandonUttley — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 22:23:51 -0000

@Andy, I have told many people about your book. In my mind, it's the best book on the subject I've come across. Keep up the great work!

Re: Top 10 Ways To Improve Your Personal Brand Image Online

BrandonUttley — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 01:25:39 -0000

@Lordbron and @Jwiiler, Facebook is no longer a truly private place (among other sites). But if people want to post whatever they feel like, it's clearly their choice. I'm just saying, the consequences can be high if the content is deemed inappropriate. So take your own advice to "be yourself" online at your own risk. The teachers I mentioned who were fired were just "being themselves," supposedly only to their friends. It's an extreme but real example.

And almost everyone who ever applied for a job in real life showed up in nice clothes, didn't curse and didn't talk about their drinking or sexual prowess or other inappropriate topics. Is that lying, hiding your "real" personality, or simply putting your best foot forward to get hired?

Re: Top 10 Ways To Improve Your Personal Brand Image Online

BrandonUttley — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:41:28 -0000

@Jwilker, thanks for your additional comments. I appreciate you and others taking time to get the conversation going.

Because you have a lot of valid points. Should we all become sterile just because someone can find out something (gasp) risque about us? I wasn't thinking that in my original post. But I can see how that comes across.

It's an age old challenge, now with new techno twists. It becomes more of a challenge to assert your personality, while still "conforming" to the degree necessary (for example, to get or keep a job). I even think something as innocuous as Steve Jobs always wearing a black turtleneck and jeans can be perceived as "against the grain" in some sectors. Believe it or not, I was recently asked to speak to a Fortune 50 company, and this woman warned me ahead of time that "there will be a lot of important people attending, so don't wear jeans." I thought to myself, you have got to be s**g me. What IF I were Steve Jobs, would she still have said that? But after thinking about telling her to shove it and ask someone else (I mean really--JEANS will offend you??), I remembered the old "When in Rome" advice. Sadly, many companies are ultra-conservative, so if you want to dance with them, you have to play the game. I actually got a kick out of looking around the room feeling sorry for these corporate lemmings. And I can laugh now, as I sit in my jeans running my own business the way I want to.

It'll be really interesting in the new year whether there is more of a swing toward conservative appearance, etc. or whether more people, newly released from cubicle hell, will let their hair down and just be themselves.

Re: Top 10 Ways To Improve Your Personal Brand Image Online

BrandonUttley — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:37:35 -0000

Phillip, thanks for your comments. Your last paragraph is just dead-on. I keep thinking about Gary Vaynerchuk (http://garyvaynerchuk.com)of WineLibrary.tv. He is a crazy, profane, passionate guy who says and does exactly what he wants and makes an unbelievable amount of money doing it. He's the new poster child in my opinion for someone with the guts to truly "be themselves" and damn the consequences. I admit I personally err on the more conservative side of presenting myself on and off the web.

Re: How to Grow Both Twitter Followers and Your Blog Subscribers

BrandonUttley — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:03:36 -0000

Chris,

This is an insightful article. I've personally seen a much higher "sign up" rate for my Twitter followers vs. blog subscribers. Twitter now drives more traffic to my site than any other source. My focus has switched from getting more blog/email subscribers to providing value on Twitter and treating that as an equal and in some cases superior channel to build a loyal following.

Re: My Christmas Gifts to You

BrandonUttley — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:22:03 -0000

Scott, thank you so much for the kind wishes. In turn, I hope your New Year is filled with bountiful words (manna to the wordsmith) and only good surprises.

All the best,

Brandon

Re: Top 10 Ways To Improve Your Personal Brand Image Online

BrandonUttley — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:42:42 -0000

Joseph, that's an interesting service. Nice clean way to have a quick online resume of sorts that leverages other sites.

Re: Top 10 Ways To Improve Your Personal Brand Image Online

BrandonUttley — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:07:35 -0000

Anne Marie, it's nice to hear you are using some of these tips already! I hope you have a fantastic new year.

Re: When Will Twitter Go Mainstream?

BrandonUttley — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:26:12 -0000

My guess is by mid-2009, Twitter will be considered somewhat "mainstream." But even in its simplicity, Twitter still baffles a lot of people. So the abandonment rate will be high until there are better apps and improvements in the way some things work, like "retweets" "@s" and "directs." Not to mention esoteric concepts like the hashtag.