Disqus - Latest Comments for Ryan Stephens

Re: 10 People You Won’t See on Twitter Anymore

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:03:44 -0000

I wish they'd ban themselves for pushing some accounts over others, as well as anyone using any number of schemes like TwitterAdder to acquire more followers. Then we'd get back to knowing who really earned their social capital and the trust of their followers instead of just who can manipulate a flawed system.

Re: Fundraising with the Help of E-mail & Social Media

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:53 -0000

I feel bad because I totally had this starred in my gmail and intended on donating a little. You forgot to remind me again! :) I think #6 is very important. Every little bit helps and people feel good about giving, but often I think they tell themselves that $5 isn't even worth it so they don't contribute at all -- or they fear they'll look cheap by only giving $5 so it's easier to just say your forgot - that's not what I did!

Re: How Old Are You Now? The Relationship Between Age & Wisdom

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:57:10 -0000

Clearly the problem here is that your co-worker doesn't realize that it's not because she was 24, but because she was a woman that she was so flaky about his little lie :)

Kidding, aside I don't know if other circumstances have inspired your last few posts or what, but I've really enjoyed the depth of your recent posts (and the fact that they're simultaneously quick and easy to digest.) Keep rocking Sam!

Re: I Sure Would Appreciate Another Set of Eyes {JR Moreau}

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:22:44 -0000

1.) Cake Batter Oreo sounds like a figment of your imagination.

2.) This is a great point. I've discovered two things very much along these same lines. I really appreciate people who will put me in my place. And sometimes those people aren't necessarily who you expect. I think too often are closes friends and family just want to support us and let us know we're doing good. Sometimes it takes someone you're friends with, but not TOO close to you or the situation to tell you that you're being unreasonable. They might not be 100% correct, but the important thing is that they give you a different perspective that you can take, and learn from.

Thanks for sharing James!

Re: A Dedication to the Stranger {Carla Blumenthal}

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:07:14 -0000

I'm not thankful for seeds b/c they can give you Diverticulitis, and that's no fun.

Re: My Birthday Wish: A More Appreciative World

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:59:38 -0000

A tie? *GASP* What a cop out :)

And thanks for sharing that Sam. Putting things in perspective AND knowing that I control and dictate the contents of my mind (and consequently my happiness) are what keep me plugging on when I'm tired, frustrated, burned out and missing home.

Re: Positive Spin: Spotlight on Athletes Doing Good

Ryan Stephens — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:56:16 -0000

Sounds like it'd make a good Squidoo page too if you were hesitant about mixing it in w/ your regular content.

Re: Typos, Grammar Woes, and Your Credibility as a Blogger

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:03:36 -0000

I know that typos/grammatical errors have hurt my credibility in the past, and I hate to think I might've potentially lost a couple of readers as a result, but honestly I subscribe to the Tucker Max theory.

Which is having a distinct voice is SO MUCH more important than great command of the English language, and grammar rules. I was an English minor so I'm capable of following most 'rules,' but for me it hasn't been worth the time to edit my blog posts aside from a quick read through.

Does it turn people off? Probably, but I love my community and I know when I read typos (as long as they're not excessive) I could care less. For me it, doesn't affect the content. (Did I use that affect right?)

In conclusion, I think I agree for the most part, but it's something I care a lot more about when writing for other blogs and publications than on my own platform.

Re: Age Is Just a Number, Birthdays a Sweet Reminder

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:42:18 -0000

Sam - There's been no single factor that has changed my friend's relative age more than becoming a parent. Instantly I see immature guys who would do anything to entertain a laugh become grown ass men. It's funny how really bad break ups, the lost of a love one, moving to a new city alone, and host of other things tend to be really hard experiences that make us grow up. I wonder, is it because we're less naive, less sheltered, have experienced more? Or is it something all together more.

I think it's because these situations always force us to turn the lens on ourselves and really evaluate the life we're living and the person we've become. We come more introspective, more intuitive, and in doing so we become aware of things other people encounter that we've already gone through.We're more savvy - we're older, just not in years.

Great post!

Re: Are Men Defying Gender Stereotypes in the Digital World?

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:38:58 -0000

Sam -

Again, I want to be careful not to generalize too much here. It's important to note that the following insights are my own perception based on my personal experiences and interactions:

I think there are a lot of men that write in these spaces, but as far as people really letting people in and taking it past a more formal relationship to the point of vulnerability, I still read a LOT more female blogs that go this far. Penelope Trunk, Holly Hoffman are two of the more prominent ones that come to my mind.

While there are a lot of men who open up and write in this space, for me it still seems like they're still on a more surface level with their participation. David Stehle is certainly one exception.

Is this just me? Could we list some other male bloggers who take it to the level of vulnerability and transparency that someone like Penelope and Holly take it. Are we talking about something different all together?

Re: Doing good because you can.

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:42:06 -0000

Maybe there's only a couple that still do this, but there's MORE THAN SEVERAL people that Andrew has done this for... What a great post and testament to someone who I know is a godsend to a TON of us. He single handedly fixed my computer when the guy who built it couldn't (among other things.)

I wish we were all in class together so we could pass around a little card to sign and he could hang it on his fridge. I don't know how he finds the time w/ a wife and son.

Thanks Andrew!
.-= Ryan Stephens´s last blog ..20 Essential Blog Posts from July 2009 =-.

Re: “With” vs. “For”

Ryan Stephens — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:13:39 -0000

1.) Couldn't agree more. I always try to position my conversations such that I'm working "with" a company as opposed to "for a company. And likewise I want a company that wants people to work WITH them, not FOR them.
2.) That Ben guy is pretty sharp!

Re: The “Adjustment Period” (it’s a doozy)

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:28:28 -0000

1.) I think I want to be a bartender now.

2.) This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Not tending bar, but what we learn about in higher education institutions. Aside from my consulting courses where I did projects for big companies (i.e. Apple), I don't recall a whole helluva a lot.

Sure there are times where something comes up and I vaguely remember something from a class, but the longer I'm out of school, the more I think that colleges should be doing a better job of teaching us both HOW to think and find what we're looking for and then also uber specifics like how to fill out a W9 form.

Glad you're enjoying ChiTown. Kingston Mines, do it!

Re: Day One of My New Life (part two)

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:22:49 -0000

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Chicago. If I HAD to live in a BIG city outside of Texas I suspect I MIGHT be Chitown, minus those winters. I actually like Naperville better.

Lincoln park is a good scene. There's a jazz/blues bar over there somewhere that's definitely worth checking it out. I wish I could remember the name - see how helpful I am?

You should also drop the $22 to take the architectural boat tour if you haven't already - it's totally worth it and really interesting.

Glad you like your new city and your new digs.

Re: A Social Media How To: Jump-Start Your Career (and life)

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:39:46 -0000

Sydney - Or don't watch your mouth. I think this is great advice for students, recent grads, etc. (or even as Aaron alluded to older people) who want to be successful at the intersection of business and social media.

But if you have a potty mouth, I say it embrace it. Sure it will rub some people wrong. Hell some companies probably won't hire you if you have a beer in your hand on Facebook. Lame. I don't want to work for those companies anyway.

Be yourself, build your network, follow your passions and everything usually has a way of sorting itself out!

R

Re: Ask for what you need.

Ryan Stephens — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:50:36 -0000

I've definitely been hesitant to ask for what I need before. In the past, and even now there are times when I feel like asking for help is "being weak," "needy," etc.

I'm curious if this is more of a male trait due to our current societal norms?

Anyway, I try to remember two things. One was something Lewis Howes said:

"Need help with something ? Ask. It’s not an admission of weakness, but shows your determination to succeed."

I REALLY like that.

The other is that I think people genuinely like to help, most people anyway. I always feel like I'm bugging people when I ask for a re-tweet or for someone to take a peak at a post I've written. They're busy. I know I am.

BUT, then I recall situations where people ask me to re-tweet something for them, or check out a post. I don't always have time to read the full post, but I don't ever hold it against them for asking, and most of the time I'm happy to do it. What's the worst that can happen?

Besides, if all of us "up-and-coming" bloggers help one another out more often we can potentially propel ourselves to the next tier in this huge social space.

Awesome insights Syd!

Re: Create the change you seek.

Ryan Stephens — Sun, 03 May 2009 12:09:34 -0000

Sydney -

I think Nisha pretty much articulated exactly what I was going to say, but I've come this far so I want to contribute anyway!

Less than a month after I graduated I e-mailed the head of my graduate program with articles, etc. explaining the importance of social media. I also got other students that graduated with me to articulate the role social media was playing in their lives (and jobs). Note: Most of them didn't even know they'd have to deal with it.

I spent the better part of a year trying to get GRADUATE students to understand why they need to be on LinkedIn.

The real challenge is going to be convincing them that it's important, that it's going to impact their future.

I wish you all the best with this initiative. I think it's going to be a good one.

That Aaron Strout guy is pretty darned cool.

Ryan

Re: To Walk or Not to Walk, That Is The Question

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:13:37 -0000

Ultimately it's completely up to you and what walking means to you and your circumstances. If you're leaning towards walking because it closes that chapter, then by all means.

I walked. The President of the US also spoke at my commencement. That was big factor. I wasn't too keen on walking, but then I realized it was kind of cool to do a last hurrah of sorts with my friends, and more importantly it made my family proud.

There's not a greater feeling than making the people you love and care about the most proud, and that's the primary reason why I walked -- they wanted me to, and I'm okay with that!

Best of luck in your decision.

Re: How to: Find a Mentor

Ryan Stephens — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:02:54 -0000

I really enjoyed how thorough this post (and most of your posts are.) This is a great resource for people looking to obtain a mentor. I don't guess I really have one. I mean, I read a lot of blogs and learn from those blogs, but I have a lot more blogging peers than mentors.

Maybe to really take my blog to the next level I need a mentor. It's definitely something I've thought about, but I think I would always toil with the fact that I wasn't returning enough value to the relationship (after all the mentor is likely more knowledgeable, no?) Maybe I need a mentor who needs fantasy baseball advice!

Keep rockin' hard Sydney!

Re: New WOM Concept: Shhh!

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:21:02 -0000

I just read something the other day (and wished I could link it as further contribution and conversation piece - but I can't find it) about how whispering is becoming an effective way to actually get attention. Everyone always yells, but if you start whispering everyone shuts up to hear what they're saying.

Not surprisingly, this translates well to the field of the marketing and the same concept seems to be working for Ogilvy, crayon, etc.

Just the other day I participated in a contest because I stumbled across their 'secret blog' documenting the contest, the process, etc. It was intriguiging (and offered proceeds to charity). It was an easy decision.

Re: What's Greater Than Sex?

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:37:58 -0000

Thought I've never done it, I'm pretty convinced that hitting a walk off home run to win a conference championship, world series, etc. is better than sex, but hey, that's just me.

And honestly, the only thing that surprises me is how many people "still don't get it," that dont' see this shift happening right in front of their eyes.

Re: How I Used Social Media to Build an Offline Network | Social Media Explorer

Ryan Stephens — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:41:30 -0000

David,

I definitely try to utilize social media to help relationships make the transition from an online connection to an offline network. When I start feeling genuinely connected to others or feel like I can contribute value to the projects they are working on I will definitely reach out via the phone. It's no surprise that the people I have amplified the connection with the people I speak with on the phone and there's a lot of cool projects and opportunities as a result.

There's a lot of movers and shakers in the social media space, that's for sure.

Like you I am about to make a treck across country where I will know virtually nobody, and I definitely plan to start reaching out to my new location via Twitter and other social media tools.

Welcome to Jason's Social Media Explorer, and looking forward to more of your posts!

Bets wishes.

Re: 5 Ways to Use Twitter: Promote Your Sports Company Or Personal Brand

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:55:03 -0000

@Scott & @Tia

Thank you both for the kind words. I'm glad you both found the post
to be informative and helpful for people in the sports industry!

Re: 5 Ways to Use Twitter: Promote Your Sports Company Or Personal Brand

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:11:00 -0000

@Hiren - I do not mind taking a look at your site. In fact, with the popularity of cricket especially in other parts of the world (not the US) you probably have a great niche, potentially one that you can monetize. All that I ask is that you send me an e-mail at: ryanstephensmarketing@gmail.com and include some specific aspects of your site that you would like feedback on.

@Andrew - Let me know if you need any help at all during your adoption of Twitter.

@Jason - Anytime. I enjoy your content and I am confident that people like you, Lewis, Kathleen and others can continue to help lead sports networking, marketing, connecting, etc. into its next phase.

@Carol - I'm glad the fact that most of this could apply across the board to virtually any industry was not lost on you. While this article was specifically for the sports audience, as it has been slow to adopt and use these tools, the vast majority of the content is certainly applicable to many other industries.

Re: Hop On The Social Media Wagon In One Month

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:48:47 -0000

@networkingguru - I'm glad you found the information valuable. Feel free to pass it on or e-mail me or find me on Twitter if you have any additional questions. I'd be happy to help you out or answer any potential questions you might have. Best of luck!

Re: Why You Won’t Make any Money With Social Media

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:25:00 -0000

Jacob,

For the most part I definitely agree, and it's one of the primary reasons I get tired of hearing people gripe about measurable ROI as a result of social media efforts. If you want to measure something, measure the relationships you cultivated that led to future partnerships, consulting opportunities, new accounts, word of mouth, etc.

My most recent blog post is about the benefits of starting a blog, and I mentioned many of the things opportunities I have received as a result of having a blog and participating in the social media world.

Enjoyed getting acquainted with your blog.

Best wishes.

Re: Wiimarkable Marketing Strategy

Ryan Stephens — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:37:42 -0000

@Jackie - I really enjoyed this post because you've highlighted something that most people don't get, in fact some will never get it. You can't please everyone! Trying to please everyone (or trying to be #1) usually results in being mediocre for everyone; whereas, if you appeal to YOUR niche you can succeed.

This is something Seth Godin talks about all the time, and it's so true.

Also, you briefly mentioned Wii's supply issues, and I'm glad you didn't venture down that path b/c that wasn't the point of your post. BUT that's what the comments are for, hashing out other interesting insights. Could Wii's supply issues potentially be on purpose as well? Isn't it true that if something is harder to attain people might want it more. I think upscale restaurants are a good example of this. It might not be intentional at all, because I'm not familiar with that industry, just saying.

Finally, you might want to adjust your "Tweet This" text b/c if they start with @yourname the tweet will go to you and the only people that will see it are the people following both you and the person who sent it. If that's your strategy no sweat, but I might consider putting some text ahead of the @yourname to potentially increase visibility and reach.

Hope all is well. I know you're busing approaching graduation!

Ryan

Re: Proof I'm Not an SEO expert

Ryan Stephens — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:33:59 -0000

I love it. Maybe you're SEO wasn't great for your blog, but I think there's real promise for a niche Star Wars blog or something. You could sell Star Wars Halloween costumes as an affiliate marketer or something. Maybe you'd be better at affiliate marketing than SEO.

I have a couple of search terms that are kind of funny, but none that dominate like light sabers do your blog. A couple of mine are:

> Play-Doh Shapes
> Making Snow Cones Ahead
> Bass Pro Shops Marketing Cohesive Story (Neat, but don't think that's anywhere on my blog)

Re: How can military strategy help your business?

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:10:19 -0000

Congrats on your first video blog. I enjoyed the change of pace, and I'm also looking forward to what's up your sleeve the next two days, especially knowing what Grace already contributed. I think the medium of video also helps bring out your sense of humor, which is a good thing. As far as knowing what you said though - I have no idea. I was focused on the feauxhawk the entire time.

Re: Dare to Be Great Series (Part 1)

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:49:09 -0000

I think that part of going from good to great is being able to follow directions and sticking to the specified 100-155 word limit.

Or maybe I'm just bitter I'm wedged between such thoughtful contributions. I think there's some great insights here. I especially like Grace's notion that there's a small margin between good and great, and Jason's point about doing one thing better than everyone else. I took both of these into consideration when I learned to ride the unicycle backwards yesterday.

R

Re: Dare to Be Great Series (Part 2)

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:18:36 -0000

I really like how these all start coming together and working off of each other. For example, when I first read Matt's I somewhat disagreed. I've seen plenty of people with TONS of effort that were never great. I've seen people work harder and longer to no avail (both in sports and business.) Sometimes they just don't have the capacity, not for that particular discipline no matter how hard they work or how passionate they are.

THEN I thought about Danny's comment and concluded that great is precisely what those people are. They're just not successful. What a great perspective to think about it from. Good job bringing all these smart people (and that one other guy) together to contribute on this mini-project. Love of good value here.

Re: What if you were a goldfish?

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:53:38 -0000

Well this is just dumb b/c goldfish are way to puny for me to ever even fathom being a goldfish. I'm smart and stealth and I'd probably eat goldfish like well, like Pepperidge Farm goldfish or something.

I believe in living in the moment, not dwelling on the past, but certainly evaluating it to the extent that you can learn from mistakes to enhance the experience in the future.

Nice insight hombre!

Re: What if you were a goldfish?

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:22:26 -0000

I wish I had a 3 second memory every time I hit a golf shot... except for that one.

Re: Making Video Social

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:49:17 -0000

"Show me some love down there." - TWSS ?

I do video for one reason and one reason only. Aesthetics. Women all over the internet have begged to see more photos and videos of me so I try to oblige by mixing in a video blog periodically. This gives women readers their fix, but admittedly it's starting to get pretty burdensome because I get a TON of women asking me out and inviting me to this website, Adult Friend Finder. I've never heard of it though so I'm skeptical.

Re: Break Time

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:29:40 -0000

This is why Google gives their employees 20% of their day to do whatever they want. I don't think it's a coincidence that 50% of their new innovations have come from employees 20% time. ROWE environments work, and companies are starting to prove it. Knowing they're trusted, employees work hard to get their work done so they have spare time to think. And guess what? If they think of something they'll log back on in the evening when they DON'T HAVE to work and contribute. It's the nature of the beast.

Re: Announcing an Awesome New Community Search Tool for the Blogosphere!

Ryan Stephens — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:22:18 -0000

Cody,

This is my first time visiting your site (courtesy of Dan's plug at Personal Branding Blog), and I must say not only do you have a phenomenal design, but I enjoy your content. Your contribution both to your readers and the blogosphere with the google custom search is a solid one! The best part is that you include a good number of the blogs I read (though I suspect we could get together and I could convince you of about 12-15 more that would make it even more spectacular), so I don't have to create my own.

Kepp up the good work hombre!

Re: Gary Vaynerchuk - Own your Television On todays random thought I...

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:18:45 -0000

I was a little bitter about not being able to get ryanstephens.com, though I intend to make the guy a couple of offers on it.

I think the -real shit- as Gary puts it, is the fact that he's straight pimpin' a beanie inside with a fly dress shirt.

Thanks for the tip Gary!

Re: Gary Vaynerchuk - 1 Show Doesn’t Fit All! I want to talk about the...

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:20:03 -0000

Gary,

I think a reason so many people are scared to listen to themselves is that if they do not succeed they only have themselves to blame. It's a lot easier to point fingers if you listen to others, worry too much about metrics, etc.

This show reminds me a lot of one of Seth's November posts, The You Show

Re: Appealing to the Online (Non)Reader: How Does Your Blog Measure Up?

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:48:11 -0000

Well... Would it help if I told you that English was my minor?

The shift to a more concise approach was (and still is) relatively tough for me sometimes. There are times I just want to spout ridiculous verbiage and tie in theory application, et al. (lol)

And thanks for the kind words about my blog!

Re: Appealing to the Online (Non)Reader: How Does Your Blog Measure Up?

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:10:29 -0000

I think about stuff like this quite often actually. One of the things I've tried to be more conscientious about is to supplement some of my long-form content with more shorter posts and interactive media (e.g. vlogging). As a communications undergrad, I could certainly write PAGES of stuff about NOTHING, but with tons of fancy words. My marketing background in grad school made me more succinct in my approach, but I still get long-winded sometimes. I try to keep these posts to once a week or so max. Some people like Brian Solis can pull it off.

I agree with the vast majority of the points you've suggested. Brian Clark does a tremendous job of providing value with short, easy to digest paragraphs. Rebecca Thorman is great at highlight important points of emphasis.

Sub sections are also a great tactic that appeal to the skimmers. The only one I think I usually disagree with is that annoying read more button. It's true that 1st paragraph has to draw you in, but for me that read more button is another step (like getting partial feeds in my reader.)

And as I said on Twitter, I really enjoy the new layout!

Re: Celebrating with Friends & Why I Love Being a Grownup

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:17:45 -0000

I don't necessarily know that my 'lines' have started blurring together (and that's probably b/c I'm uprooted 17 hours away from my family and friends in Texas and making all new friends in NC), but I've watched over the last few years as I've become friends with lots of DIFFERENT kinds of people.

In high school and college I hung out with a lot of jocks. And kind of by default. If you a play a college sport, you're going to spend half your life around those people. Now I have friends that played sports and fit that demographic, but I have lots of 'tech' friends, introspective writers, etc.

I'll say that I don't think it's any coincidence my closest friends are still those I have the MOST in common with, but I love having a wider vertical of friends that I can draw experiences and insights from.

And you definitely start learning who your real friends (and not just my association, time, space, capacity, etc.) are once you're in the "real world."

It's weird, you read a lot about how you make most of your life long friends in college, and I do have a deep bond with a lot of my teammates. Then there are others that I was close with then who'd probably try to make out with my date if I wasn't looking. My "best" friends, save one or two, are still a handful of guys I grew up with playing every sport we could.

Great piece!

Re: Gary Vaynerchuk - The Best part of all this isn’t the Business or...

Ryan Stephens — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:41:15 -0000

Amen Gary. I couldn't agree more!

Re: Gary Vaynerchuk - Fowa 2009 Keynote My keynote in Miami @ Fowa...

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:25:16 -0000

"The people willing to get obnoxiously dirty are going to win." -- I couldn't agree more. You got to be in the trenches doing it for your peeps, not for the dinero.

Per usual, Gary rocks, and spreads the message everyone needs to hear!

Re: Using Viral Video in Small Business Marketing

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:18:03 -0000

I had the fortunate opportunity to work with OfficeMax on a consulting project (for school) last semester, and can honestly say area phenomenal organization with great company culture.

I also had a very good friend (:::cough::: girlfriend) work on the Penny Campaign as part of her internship this summer. She speaks very fondly of Bob and that entire team. It's been a huge success for the company (at least in terms of traffic and awareness).

My only question is... Does the blatant promotion at the end of the viral videos make it seem more like an advertisement. Obviously, it's pointless to argue the result of the videos, but for me that was a turnoff. Was there another solution? Does it even matter?

Re: What Social Media Does Best

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:04:17 -0000

Chris,

Very valuable resource you've just posted. In the graduate program I am in (finish in Dec) most of the graduates end up taking account manager positions (well paid mind you) and do some market research, branding, etc., but I would really like to do something different and possibly create my own position as a social media specialist/consultant.

This post will definitely help enable me to start formulating and putting together some potential documents and/or talking points with respect to social media.

Here's a slide show from Marta Kagan that I feel like would be a good additional resource to this post:
http://www.slideshare.net/mzkagan/what-the-fk-s...

Best wishes.

Ryan Stephens

Re: Bonjour Montreal

Ryan Stephens — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:05:10 -0000

Looks like I'll also be getting acquainted with the guys at Grok very soon as well. Godin, Kawasaki and Oywang are also 'never misses' in my google reader.

Re: ooVoo to sponsor 20 Students for PodCamp Boston

Ryan Stephens — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:08:40 -0000

I think this is a relatively good marketing approach for the folks at ooVoo. Just the notion of it all will definitly increase their visibility, but I wonder if a better approach would've been an all-expense paid trip for one or two people. I guess the $50 dollar cover is great for people in the North East (and there are certainly a lot of them), but it'd be tough for most of the college demographic to finance a trip that far .. (in other words the $50 dollars becomes pretty inconsequential for a college student in Cali, Texas and the like).

Re: 50 Ways to Take Your Blog to the Next Level

Ryan Stephens — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 03:33:16 -0000

I think the hardest things for blogs that can't get over the hump (my own included) are #3/#10 reaching out to and engaging the community you intend to serve, and #5/#28 getting outside the echo chamber.

I think the challenge with the first one is that it is something that is hard to do even if you're making the effort. I think a lot of people will do it initially and give up, but don't realize that they need to keep planting little seeds for their field to grow. From my experiences great communities tend to build slowly, organically.

You have great gift of getting others to participate with your content, and often I will read and re-read the end of your posts and try to emulate ways you get others to contribute to the conversations you're starting.

With regard to getting out of the echo chamber, I think this is something that is very hard for bloggers that don't have lots of experience. I think one of the keys to be able to create your own content and having your own voice is #25, to read, read and read.

I try to read many blogs in my blogosphere; those that I aspire to be like, and those that are my more direct competitors. Then I try to read others articles in other publications and learn as much as I can. I think I've shifted from being just a "me-too" guy to someone who can take a couple of different resources and continue the conversation with my own spin (which is good), but I still don't have many posts where I'm truly creating my own unique content.

Thanks for putting together this phenomenal list Chris! I have enjoyed interacting and thinking about the way many of these things impact me!

Re: Gatekeepers vs Gatejumpers

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:53:11 -0000

Gatekeeper: ESPN.com
Gatejumper: Deadspin.com

Re: Guest Post- On Being Shy

Ryan Stephens — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 22:46:31 -0000

Mark -

Like Kim, I especially like your tip of contacting someone prior to the conference to let them know you'll be there and you would love to connect with them. Like you mentioned, it gives you a couple of touch points and also enables that person to put a name (they've already encountered) with a face.

I'd like to add, and I think Chris may have touched on this recently, that it's always great to have a couple of questions prepared. Having some solid thought-provoking questions to ask someone is a great way to ...

A.) break the ice
B.) take the attention of yourself, particularly if you're shy
C.) show that your intuitive w/ a solid question and geuninely want knowledge
D.) plays to their ego a bit in that they can showcase their expertise.

Anyway, great contribution to Chris' Blog.

Re: Announcing the Pixelated Blog Conference Series

Ryan Stephens — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:14:36 -0000

Looking forward to some of these conferences as well, though it's virtually impossible for me to watch a whole one, much less many other people's. I definitely have to pick and choose and some of them exceed 40+ minutes.

While I would never deny that Mitch Joel is a genius, I think I'd have to link back to Bryan Eisenberg first as the original creator of this concept.

Finally, I think everyone needs to include Gary V's NYC keynote. That speech just gets me pumped up!

And can we expect a Chris Brogan Pixelated Conference?

Re: 25 Ways Social Media Prepares You for the Downturn

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:44:36 -0000

Chris,

Thankfully I workout/run alot because I'm definitely keeping the soda companies in business staying up so late night after night "hustling," but then, that's what it's all about eh?

This is another great actionable post, particularly with so many people really seeking information like this right now.

I'm kind of like Seth Godin though, right now is the perfect opportunity to jump in and start taking risks. Now, more than ever, you need to be building your brand equity. Even with the economy in its current state, there's still opportunities (or you can make your own) out there for rockstars. There always will be.

Re: No Regrets About Good Music Promotion

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:11:12 -0000

Chris,

What an awesome video. Thanks for taking the time to share stuff like this with us (your readers). And to extend what Ricardo said, there's no excuse anymore.

All the Best.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Ryan Stephens — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:22:11 -0000

Chris,

I think a lot of you. I think you're a great marketer, and I think you provide some of the most practical and tangible advice on social media online. All this said, I can assure you that I would NEVER stick my tongue in your mouth.

I don't re-follow people that have very uneven distribution in how many they're following and I often unfollow people that have a habit of too many tweets. Even if they're trying to provide value on the 13 posts they just did in a row, chances are I might unfollow; there's just too much noise.

Re: You're Racing- I'm Improving

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:30:22 -0000

While it is true you should certainly work on improving yourself, not necessarily racing your competitors I find that when I'm actually racing (see: running) I drop as much as 2 minutes on my 5K times. Competing against other people pushes me and challenges me further than I seem to be capable of pushing myself.

I think this can apply to blogging as well, and you've hit on that too. I can train and work harder than anyone else in the world and I'm never going to run a 5K as fast as Bernard Lagat, but I can pick someone that is of a similar skill level and measure myself against, and push myself to attain their status.

The best part about blogging is that an ordinary person CAN achieve remarkable status with enough hard work, learning, and perseverance. This isn't necessarily true of running 5Ks. Thanks for the insight Chris!

Re: Question for You While Preparing for 2009

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:43:09 -0000

Chris - At first glance it feels like you have everything. One of the things I'm certain you're planning on doing, but to keep in mind regardless (and I know this bootcamp is on the basics) is to briefly interject why many of these are important in the large scheme of things as you teach them.

I suspect you're three steps ahead of me here, but there's plenty of people out there that can teach many of these things. What separates you is that you're so good bringing them all together and making them relevant in the large scheme of things.

In the things you mention as basic etiquette, I definitely think there will be room for you to emphasize just how important those aspects are and why they matter to the person attending the bootcamp.

Best of luck with this project!

Re: What's In a Name?

Ryan Stephens — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:57:24 -0000

In our space maybe it's less important (especially when you're at the top of that space), but names matter it some spaces to some people; that's just the nature of this world we live in. Vice President of Strategic Insight sounds more important than Account Manager, but what if that VP is part of a 5 person company and that account manager handles HUGE accounts for Coca Cola?

As for me, I've been dubbed a social media consultant by some, but I usually correct them and call myself a social media experimenter. I'm always learning, reading, trying, and executing. The more I learn and experience the better equipped I am at helping other people, but I don't claim to know enough for you to call me a 'consultant.' Save that for the big wigs making the big money. Give me enough to warrant my time (I love what I do, but I also love spending time with friends and family) and that doesn't necessarily have to very much, and I'll take good care of you and help your business. Call it what you want.

Thanks for the insight Chris. We're definitely on the same page here.

R

Re: Podcasting Isn't Exactly Dead

Ryan Stephens — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:12:15 -0000

The fundamental flaw for podcasts (not videoblogging) for me is that most of them are just TOO LONG, and I don't want to listen for 30-45 minutes for 3-5 minutes of something that's relevant and important to me. Even interviews with industry leaders, thought leaders, etc. I'm NOT listening to it.

I can easily skim to the parts I want to read and know more about within a blog post. I think for MOST podcasts to succeed with a 'general audience' they need to stay short and sweet, and I agree that making money via podcasting needs to be based on the media it represents.

If it's short and informative it is a great way to share some information and give your audience a sense of your personality (and if yours is dynamic and charismatic like Gary V's then that's a good thing).

Re: The Power of a Photo

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:32:42 -0000

I really wish I was that skilled with a camera. What a unique gift, and without a doubt those are photos that will always encapsulate how you felt during this time in your life. It's fun to see you outside of the social media realm (and without your pirate costume on.)

Congrats Justin!

<abbr>Ryan Stephens’s last blog post..Do’s and Dont’s of Managing People in Social Media</abbr>

Re: A Tale of Two Cities: Working and Living 150 Miles Apart

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:48:21 -0000

Monica,

Thanks again for the in-depth run down regarding Chicago. Like I said, I only spent the weekend there, but loved it. I spent another weekend in Naperville during the winter though, and man, harsh winters up north.

In any event, If I ever make that leap I'll try not to commute very far; however, if Brazeen came calling I suspect I'd do the same. At least give me a reason to keep my truck.

Re: The Best Gen Y Bloggers Don’t Fit the Gen Y Stereotypes

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:06:54 -0000

There's a lot to think about here. I completely agree with paying your dues, but not necessarily with, "So stay at your job, even if you hate it and feel that your talents extend way beyond the job description." If it's a talents issue, sure, get over it, but if you truly hate your job to the point that it makes you miserable... well then crappy or economy or not life is too short and I for one won't bail on you if you quit.

That said, you better be looking for something in the mean time and do you damnedest to ensure that your next job is a 'better fit,' prior to taking it.

Most of the people have touched on the living with your parents issue to the point that I'm not sure I have much else to add. I have friends making 50K+ living with their families. Some don't have any debt. Others have private school loans up to their eyes. Some are (were) in between jobs. Some pay rent. I try not to judge anyone's circumstances because usually I don't know the whole story. Maybe it's such commonplace (in big cities? in the South where family-time is -really- emphasized?), but I don't think twice about it. That said, am going to live at home with my parents one day? I doubt it, not for more than a couple of months. I could see it transitioning from somewhere to my own consulting business gig (one of these days), and staying at home just to ensure it's what I want to do (moving expenses are expensive.)

Finally, I agree that there are a TON of Gen Y bloggers that are pontificating all kinds of bullshit, the value few and far between. That's okay with me to because I just won't read it. Some of them genuinely believe they're providing this 'amazing advice,' and Lance is welcome to bring them back to reality for me, but others are just trying to navigate their space, and their lives.

No, they don't have the experience to tell me how to confront my boss, how to ask for a raise/vacation, how to become more efficient, etc. They can tell me what ways may have worked for them, or what they THINK may work for them. I'll take that information (should I choose to read past the headline) and glean any insight there is, and go on about my business with the assumption that they put that down on paper because it helped them think about the challenges they're currently encountering in the workplace. SOMETIMES I even suspect that leaving a comment helping them 're-evaluate' their thoughts will help them delve deeper (after all the resistance and bullshit comments they try to fight back with of course.)

Am I even making sense anymore? I think what I'm getting at is that all of your points are valid, and Gen Y bloggers should take them to heart, but the rest of us shouldn't sit atop our thrones casting stones and telling them they suck either. To be clear you haven't done this (neither did Charlie, and neither does Lance), you illustrated how they can start providing value -- and I think that's what most of us are trying to do.

Thanks for inviting me to add my $.02!

Re: The Best Super Bowl TV Ad? Here’s My Vote

Ryan Stephens — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:21:02 -0000

@Andy - Solid pick. I was actually working throughout the entire game so I didn't get to catch them all, but from what I saw I liked the Doritos snow globe commercial, and I liked the Bridgestone Taters commercial. This one is solid too, I had missed it.

Thanks for sharing!

Ryan Stephens's last blog post..Top 10 Gen Y Blogs: February 2009

Re: Will Celeb Twittering Reveal Them as Twits?

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:02:23 -0000

I have no problems with celebrities on Twitter, especially if they're being authentic and providing value and interesting tweets the way @The_Real_Shaq and @aplusk are, but I think that the vast majority of celebs will still use them to post stuff you'd see in a press release. This is unfortunate because Ev and Biz are promoting the celebs as "suggested users" and they're going to garner a lot of social capital and push people that are providing real value down the list of influencers.

Ryan Stephens's last blog post..Would You Like a Free Consulting Session?

Re: Why The Job-ification of Your Passion Can be the Ticket to Hating Your Life

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:11:24 -0000

Clay - Very in-depth, informative post. I've been reading quietly for quite some time now, but different people (Monica O'Brien, Andy Drish, etc.) keep inadvertently leading me back here.

One point I'd like to add to the discussion is that I think a lot of people get caught up in those first pennies, and they work harder and longer to keep acquiring pennies, when they should be re-vamping and re-working their business model to start making dollars.

And then a point of emphasis I'd like to challenge is the notion that you should talk with A-listers moreso than your peers. In my experience, which isn't as vast as yours, you can certainly talk with A-listers, connect, etc. but your peers are the ones that have MORE TIME for you. They're the ones that can more frequently brainstorm post ideas, read over a post, etc.

They typically have more time and smaller networks so they can give you more time. In addition, A-listers don't always have a lot of incentive for helping you get to the top, but you can form partnerships with your peers to help you support each other and both get to the top. For example (and I know it's a bit different niches), but Project Mojave isn't co-ran by Frank Kern, Mike Filasamine and Chris Surfrider. It's helped run by people that are more or less your peers, no?

Again, awesome insights and I look forward to contributing to the discussions more in the future.

Re: Recent graduates: how to find work you love

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:22:03 -0000

Really good synopsis of RPGrad, and your commentary was a welcome addition. I wish there was a way we could get this in more hands, and make them realize how important this is... Throughout grad school my peers thought I was an idiot for investing 'spare time' into something other than tossing back brews by the pool.

Re: Luck Favors the Prepared

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:20:18 -0000

I don't think there's any doubt this is true. All my life the guys that spent more time hitting the cage seemed to get the lucky bounces. It's no coincidence. I know a number of people have said this, but attribute it to one of my favorite Stoic philosophers, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

My grandfather always used to say he'd rather have a barrel of luck, than a bucket of skill. Write that down.

R

Re: Collection of Top 10 Resources for Gen Y (and everyone else)

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:53:09 -0000

Elsya,

Thanks for the inclusion of the Top Gen Y bloggers on this resource list. There's definitely some fascinating reads among the bunch.

I hope you'll take the time to submit a list of some of your favorites when you get a chance!

I'm glad I got the chance to get acquainted with your work.

Best Wishes!

Ryan

Re: when was the last time you …

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:42:59 -0000

Though I haven't been in a great mood - how could you when you're away from Texas. Admittedly I was surprised I frequently do a large % of these.

I cook for myself most nights, I always sing at the top of my lungs, I call people all the time to say hi (Hey, I miss my Texas peeps), etc...

Thanks for sharing this list.

And I'll share this: You know when you've kissed too much when the lights come on and the poor girl/woman (whatever vernacular you want) has a raw spot on her chin from your whiskers :) Course, that's been awhile.

Re: Why do women suck at self promotion?

Ryan Stephens — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:01:18 -0000

I think you just spelled my name wrong to get back at me for ruining yours so many times :) Touche.

Re: How can social media tools drive your sports marketing success?

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:19:01 -0000

@Anita

Three great examples. Thanks for adding to the conversation.

I love the turning the spotlight on your fans approach. One of the guys I worked with would go to Winthrop basketball games with a huge dry erase board and write crazy stuff on it. Made me wish I would've thought of that instead of having to resort to ridiculous antics and things that can't be repeated at my alma mater's basketball teams. :) The point is a picture of him, or a podcast interview or something on a team blog would be awesome.

I started a niche Squidoo lens for Frisbee golf because it's something not as mainstream and I couldn't believe the amount of traffic and people that sent me e-mails saying they loved the lens. That's definitely, at least in my mind, validation that your second point is also a good one.

Thanks for adding to the conversation.

R

Re: How can social media tools drive your sports marketing success?

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:56:22 -0000

@Jason - I agree with you 10 fold with respect to listening to the fans. Listening is not enough. You have to learn from the insights you acquire via listening and adjust accordingly. Great point. I -love- the idea of fans having select their own ticket packages though I suspect it would be something very tough to execute w/ everyone wanting to see the Lakers, Yankees, etc. come to town.

@David - Two awesome ideas. I even think if there were resources available to have someone monitor tweets live, putting a ribbon up on the scoreboard with insightful, funny, etc. fan tweets would be AWESOME. Can you imagine? Boris Diaw is 2-12, PLEASE put in Vlad the Impaler.

And I dig the picture idea too!

R

Re: How can social media tools drive your sports marketing success?

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:26:30 -0000

@Ryan - I think those are all very valid points, and in addition to your ideas about involving passionate fans, usually these are the same influential people that IF you involve them will not only create more affinity, but word-of-mouth because they WILL talk.

Sorry I got to yours a little late -- must've been in moderation for a bit!

Re: How can social media tools drive your sports marketing success?

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:05:19 -0000

@Ty - I think you bring up an EXCELLENT point, one that I love how Jason Peck always approaches. And that is that the words influence, facilitate and protect your brand should replace "control."

In the examples above, the Calgary Stampeders have a done a tremendous job aggregating their fans social content all to their website. Others should take notice. They're facilitating and protecting their brand w/o controlling what their fans are saying.

Thanks for your insights Ty!

Re: How can social media tools drive your sports marketing success?

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:19:01 -0000

Re: How can social media tools drive your sports marketing success?

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:56:22 -0000

Re: How can social media tools drive your sports marketing success?

Ryan Stephens — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:26:30 -0000

Re: How can social media tools drive your sports marketing success?

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:05:19 -0000

Re: Lessons from a failed meeting with a Social Media Guru

Ryan Stephens — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:04:56 -0000

I wish I could take this, particularly the first point and laminate it to the forehead of some 'social media consultants.' I liken it to a batting coach tweaking your swing. He's experienced, he's seen thousands of swings, and knows what typically works. Then he has to adapt what typically works to what works with the hitter's approach.

The best say, based on what I'm looking at here's a handful of things I think we could tweak/experiment with. Let me know what works and what doesn't and we'll adjust accordingly. It has to a be a process that evolves based on the consultants vast knowledge/experiences, and also the client's culture and what goals they're trying to accomplish.

R

Re: Why The Job-ification of Your Passion Can be the Ticket to Hating Your Life

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:11:24 -0000

Re: Which Logo Do You Like Best (I SUCK At Graphic Design)

Ryan Stephens — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:38:06 -0000

Logo E .... Best of luck the 2nd go round Clay. Don't let that Director of Ass Kicking hold you back!

Cheers!

Re: Top Ten Gen Y blogs ballot

Ryan Stephens — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:54:59 -0000

Human Rights? International Relations? Social Change? What are those things? I thought Justice for All was a creative name for a Beer Pong team. Ah well, I guess I'll leave you on the ballot.

Thanks for sharing the ballot with your readers Akhila, and best of luck!

Re: Impressions of grandeur: inspiration to change the world

Ryan Stephens — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:29:10 -0000

These are interesting discoveries Akhila. I love the dichotomy between experiencing beauty now versus witnessing poverty when you're young and how those occurrences have impacted your life.

I guess it doesn't matter how we arrive at the inspiration we find so long as we leverage it to help ourselves and others. Glad to see you back in the mix, albeit your reasons for a break were pretty good!

Re: 10 Most Overrated Brands

Ryan Stephens — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:19:15 -0000

This is a great piece for discussion fodder Chris, thanks for sharing!

I'm inclined to agree with Dan with respect to Southwest Airlines and Apple. Just because a brand is hyped up, doesn't necessarily mean it's overrated.

@Kelly - Duds are going to slip in when a company is continuing to take risks to maintain their status at the top via innovation. Without the risk, and without learning from the failures of duds, I doubt you get the huge rewards that accompany the process; instead you get a stagnant brand.