ION Digital

If social media is really like a dinner party, it seems like we’re missing something … humor.

Humor is one of the most effective-and under-appreciated tactics in communications. This applies to every day business discussions, professional presentations, and yes, social media. Look at Pinterest. Some of the most popular pins are funny or offbeat. Twitter and Facebook is even better. Who can’t resist a clever or funny tweet, or conversation starter?

Good humor works because it connects with people at an emotional level. We live in a very serious world. Humor provides us a mental break. For companies, it’s a great way to come across more engaging and naturally-more human.

But humor has to be handled right. Just being funny online is not enough, and there are risks. Here are five tips to keep in mind as you engage with humor.

1. Use humor creatively,particularly when it comes to explaining complex subjects. And don’t be afraid to be a little edgy. Look at thisinfographic which is focused on helping users improve their Facebook Edgerank score. Rather than just a dry listing of tips, “Conquer the Facebook” uses clever humor with news stream posts by “legendary Facebook conquerors” like Julius Caesar (Ex: #5 Ask for Likes- Genghis Kahn states: “Ask for likes if you’re a Mongol with a funny decapitation story.”  Clever and funny. (more…)
   

Don’t you hate writer’s block? You know you have brilliant ideas, but there’s that damn blank screen staring at you when you sit down to blog. Nothing happens. The brain’s in idle. Frustration begins to creep in. (Remember Jack Nicholson in The Shining?)

Many people struggle with writing. But I believe anyone can write and blog with the right approach. It’s not brain surgery, but it does take some work.

First, get over the idea that you have to write a blockbuster blog every time. We find in our training that many corporate bloggers are by nature analytical and perfectionists, which creates a lot of extra agony. It’s great to hit a home run, but mostly this is about hitting lots of singles and doubles.

Blogs are bursts of communications-probably closer to a semi structured email than a traditional article. You’re not writing a white paper or essay. Think “light” and “just good enough” (see the just good enough marketer).

Here’s 7 starting tips to help you get rolling: (more…)

Funny how things work out.

You’d think “journalism” was dead as a door nail. Newspapers, magazines and TV news are in decline, and the golden age of reporting dating back to Watergate is long over. Yet there’s a demand in Silicon Valley, and beyond, for people who can dig up stories, create interesting angles, and write compelling blogs.

That sounds like a journalist to me.

Bob Duffy, a senior social media strategist at Intel, got me thinking about this when I spoke to him a few days ago. Duffy, acting Community Manager for Intel’s AppUp(SM) developer program, isn’t an editor, PR guy or traditional marketer. But he does understand the need for journalism skills – and he’s right in the middle of an emerging trend, with brands taking on new publishing and platform responsibilities. (more…)

Wherever I go, I find companies are not happy with their blogs, and social media programs. They’re wondering why readers are not rushing in, engaging with them, becoming loyal fans, and in some cases, buying their products or services.

Usually, the problem is their content. It’s weak, weak, weak. Actually it boils down to two problems 1) lame content 2) and content that is consistently published.

Today it’s not enough to produce a blog as good as your competitors-it needs to be good enough to compete with any blog fighting for your readers’ (and customers’) attention, including the big guys (TechCrunch, etc) We’re competing with everybody for eyeballs.

Here’s a list of what I consider the top seven sins of poor corporate content (and blogs).It’s not exhaustive but a good starting “cheat sheet” for content creators.

1. You have no content strategy goals or program goals

You don’t have clear goals-or you’re all over the map with six or seven goals.

Where are you trying to go with your content? What statement do you want to make (stand for). (more…)

Back in the 1990s, Intel CEO Andy Grove had a famous slogan: “Only the paranoid survive.”  He meant that companies (and people) had to constantly be ready to change, quickly, and adapt-or get crushed.

I had a lot of respect for Grove (I worked for Intel in the 1990s), but that thinking doesn’t work when it comes to social media. I’ve never met a successful paranoid blogger (someone who was scared to blog, but did anyway).

Yet, truth is many people are outright scared to blog or participate in social media activities. You can’t blame them. Their boss might frown on it. They may not be good writers. They may have little time.

It all adds up to a fear of social media.

The good news is anyone can get over the fear of social media with a little practice. It’s sort of like public speaking-once you learn you a few techniques, and practice enough, the fears start melting away. (more…)