Disqus - Latest Comments for MattJMcD

Re: We Are Our Own Worst Enemy

MattJMcD — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:32:05 -0000

Right. I'm not completely innocent of anything I mentioned, I don't think any of us really are. I think the best thing is to make a conscious effort to do things the way you honestly believe is the best/most effective.

Re: Determining The Best Social Medium For Your Message

MattJMcD — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:08:46 -0000

Thank you sir, glad you liked it. Sometimes the simplest explanations are the best.

Re: Links from 5/14/2009 to 8/9/2009

MattJMcD — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:11:53 -0000

Hey thanks for the link! Awesome to be in some esteemed company there.

Re: Cutting Corners

MattJMcD — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:45:30 -0000

Amazing how things have changed. Now I'm packing for a flight tomorrow and wondering if I can stuff all my clothes into a carry-on so I can avoid another $15-$20 just for checking a bag. There's something about being nickel-and-dimed that just makes you feel good about the whole experience.

Re: Photo of the day: Insert hands to dry

MattJMcD — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:09:09 -0000

It's a good idea, and I'm glad that they're trying to push the thinking on otherwise mundane things, but it looks a little creepy. Also, while I know it's not dangerous at all, I'm not sure people want to go sticking their hands into something with the word "blade" in the name. Just saying.

Re: Do Supermarkets Do This?

MattJMcD — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:06:32 -0000

I had heard a little bit about the Kroger story, but I didn't know if they used it proactively to market their products or provide useful recipes, recommendations, etc.

I hadn't thought much about the privacy issue, but it makes sense. It seems to me like the store would have to have a something in their fine print that indicates they will never release the data to third parties, or have people identified by numbers in their systems instead of names.

Re: My Twitter Rules of Engagement

MattJMcD — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:57:47 -0000

Thanks everyone for your support! I feel like these are things that can resonate with a lot of people. Hopefully if more of us adopt this attitude publicly, the spammers will calm down.

Re: Twitter changes its email notifications

MattJMcD — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:51:14 -0000

I'm actually a fan of these new emails. I see your point about the clutter, and images can be a pain, but I still think there are some benefits.

It's made it much easier to find a spammer without clicking through and wasting time. Hot girl picture? Following a ton of people? 2 updates? Easy. I used to have to waste time on the profile pages, but not anymore.

That being said, it would be nice if they'd put the bio in the email as well. Doing that would give you the best idea of who they are without actually having to see their updates.

Rock on.

Re: Prom King Brands Redux

MattJMcD — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:00:48 -0000

I think you're right on here. I've been saying for a while that there needs to be value in these social interactions, and like you said, with many small brands, there isn't anything intrinsically there.

Now I'm not saying that smaller brands have to bribe people with coupons or sales, that's not the point. There are other ways to add value, such as organizing a common meetup, or discussing product comments seriously. But I agree that you can't expect people to commit their time and energy without getting something, tangible or intangible, in return.

Re: Twitter Has “Never Been The Same” 46 Times Already

MattJMcD — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:22:36 -0000

@Michael
It is a little funny sometimes. But I guess to her it really did just show up the other day. It's a sliding scale.

@Beth
But Twitter isn't just buzz! It's TeH Awesom!

Seriously though, the Plurk mention got you a little teary. It's okay, we're all friends here.

Re: What Community Looks Like

MattJMcD — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:38:04 -0000

Glad you guys liked it. I'd been trying to figure out a way to show the idead for a while. Seems like this worked!

Re: Maybe They Aren’t Talking About You

MattJMcD — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:29:53 -0000

I agree that people are still talking about the M&P places, and that it's important for them to listen, but not to the point of having dedicated resources. It's always a good idea to respond to any mentions, but there may not be that many.

Taking things offline is a whole other ballgame. As a small business owner/employee you have to understand that you're one of the few ambassadors of that brand, and a lot of the "word of mouth" vibe is up to you.

Re: A Brand Purpose Model

MattJMcD — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:05:48 -0000

@Beth
Glad you liked it. I agree that there's a lot of shifting going on between roles, but the thing is, one brand can be a thousand different things to a thousand different people. I think the important thing is just to mean something to at least one person.

@Adam
Thanks. It's hard to make a graphic sometimes without doing shades of Armano. He's got the "visual thinking" thing pretty covered.

@pfountain
Like I mentioned with Beth, I think you can be all those things, to different people. You have to see how the core of your audience views you and then align that with how you'd like to be seen. If you keep filling that gap, as you have been for 30 years, then people will stick around. I'd say the first thing to do is ask.

Re: Too Many Chiefs…

MattJMcD — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:05:27 -0000

@Brian
Haha, I'm right there with you. I feel like maybe if I use more jargon, someone will call me an expert one day.

@warrenss
I have heard about that auto-expert feature on Twitter, funny. I do agree with you that maybe when you're looking for someone to do work in that area, don't like for the "experts"

Re: Thoughts On The State Of Magazines

MattJMcD — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:58:30 -0000

@Leah
You're probably right that the big mags aren't agile enough to make some of the changes needed to survive. I can image at huge publishers like Hearst or HC that it takes a lot to get anything done. I only have a little bit of insight into the magazine world because my girlfriend (@ashlebo) is the copy editor for Charleston Home + Design. We pick up your magazine every time we go to the vet, keep up the good work!

@Jennifer
I know that more readers = more ad revenue, so I guess my question is, are people reading magazines less? Or are ads getting pulled and the pinch is on that end?

@Mitch
I do read a lot online, especially stuff that's printed as well, but sometimes it's just good to have the physical copy. I can't take my computer with me everywhere, and sometimes the presentation of a magazine helps. Then again, maybe that's just me.

Re: Too Many Chiefs…

MattJMcD — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:57:33 -0000

@Beth
I think that it's a good insight to note that by calling themselves experts they hope to position themselves better with bigger companies/clients. I guess the problems happen when those companies can't see through that. Bonus points for the Edelman case! You are truly a comment Ninja/Wizard.

@Tim
I think you're right that some are just trying to "ride the wave". Social media expert? Everyone's doing it!

@Laura
Haha cynical but telling. I think there are a lot of people that get "tunnel vision" with the social media stuff and other stuff only really gets on their radar when mentioned by the "bigs" in the industry.

Re: How Twitter Could Monetize

MattJMcD — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:26:48 -0000

I would also like see what my entire tag cloud look like. Would be fun to see what I talk about the most.

I agree that there would be some resistance to ads on Twitter. I think one option may be to offer an ad supported and subscription version that removes the ads. That way, those of use who really enjoy Twitter as it is and see the value in it, would be able to pay a little to keep it that way.

Re: How Twitter Could Monetize

MattJMcD — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:34:37 -0000

What a great idea. I hadn't even thought of that. something like Superbowl.twitter.com would make a great space to brand but to also provide a lot of good functionality.

Re: Simple Social Media Truths

MattJMcD — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:21:11 -0000

Thank you sir! Glad you liked them. 13 is one of my favorites too.

Re: Simple Social Media Truths

MattJMcD — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:38:14 -0000

@Stuart
Thanks! Glad you liked them.

@Tim
I appreciate it. There's a lot of fluff in this space sometimes and it's tough to ignore.

@Steve
Thanks. I agree with your first point, which is why I included number 12 on the list, and I guess you're right that it comes down to the definition of initiatives

@Brain
With the first one I guess I was writing from more of a "pundit" standpoint. It seems like anyone who starts a blog things that they're a social media guru all of a sudden, which is far from the truth. You know the type....

Re: Twitter Principles: Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun

MattJMcD — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:18:04 -0000

I have a lot of the same experiences with people. I don't understand the "I barely have a presence here, but I'm going to pimp it anyway" mentality. Hopefully, as Twitter grows in popularity, some of the more positive habits will start to rub off on people. I don't know if there's a "right" way to use Twitter, but there's certainly a way to get more out of it than you otherwise would.

Re: Twitter Principles: Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun

MattJMcD — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:14:43 -0000

Lyn,

I know the type of people you're talking about. I usually tend to unfollow or tune them out if they're on a particular bender.

Claudia,
I agree that location is a good thing. Just having moved to Charleston, it's cool to see who else is in the area, and it gives me another way to connect. Glad you liked the post.

Re: Some Quick Thoughts on Motrin

MattJMcD — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:11:31 -0000

Hey Neal,

Glad you agree. I think it's very easy to broadcast a knee-jerk reaction to the world now. A little friction might have helped.

Re: Common Mistakes In Starting A Blog

MattJMcD — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:09:48 -0000

Thank you sir. I do agree that a method, more than a style necessarily, has to be developed earlier. Like you said, style will develop, but if you don't make time to sit down and actually write something, then it's a pretty tough task.

Re: Common Mistakes In Starting A Blog

MattJMcD — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:47:48 -0000

I think that leaving comments and adding to discussions is a great way to get things rolling. It helped me a lot too when I was first starting out. If someone can't get to your site to see your great ideas, then you can bring them to theirs.

But, like you said, hijacking the conversation with a link all the time comes off as a little selfish and doesn't really add anything.

Also I think it's good to mention that linking to A-list bloggers, while easy, isn't a great strategy because, as you mentioned, they rarely link back. Also most people have already read the A-listers stuff. That's why they're A-listers.

Thanks!