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Success In a Job Search Requires Embracing New Tactics

Thursday, 03 November 2011 by Michael Hackmer
GovCon Career Webinar - Using LinkedIn

The world of a job seeker has changed dramatically in the last 10 years.

Gone are the days when we aggressively scanned the Sunday jobs section in the newspaper,and faxed off a dozen resumes to company HR departments. Today, there are new tactics and online tools that better equip job seekers for success in a highly competitive market.

For people interested in securing a job with a government contractor, Kathleen Smith, the chief marketing officer at ClearedJobs.Net, offered some important advice during yesterday’s GovWin GovCon Careers Webinar, “Getting Back To The Job Hunt.”

Watch the video presentation from this event below:

Shattering the Myths

Smith said that were a few myths people searching for jobs still operate under. Saying that “today’s job search is different,” she noted that “technology will control your access to employers and their access to you.”

For example, instead of relying on newspapers to identify opportunities and faxing your resume to human resources departments at various companies, the way you will find jobs that are right for you and be identified by employers is through keywords. Keywords highlight the requirements a particular employer is looking for as well as your skills and accomplishments.

This ties into the importance social networks are playing in the job search process. Many people seeking a new job after many years either out of the workforce or out of the job market believe that employers are “just going to have to find me the way I am.” However, employers use social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook to find and screen candidates. So, establishing keywords around your skills, building your online reputation and managing you as a brand are very important.

Of course, when faced with all of these technologies, a mentality that things are too hard can creep in. Smith says that people need to remember they they are “always learning new skills.”

Remember, a job search today will require new thinking. It is not just about what you do; it is about who you are, what you have to offer and how you package yourself. A job search will be an evolving project. And if it helps your thinking: Given the amount of time we spend at work, a job search is a quality of life search that requires your best effort.

LinkedIn is Essential for Job Seekers and Employers

LinkedIn is one of the most important tools for the modern-day job seeker. A network of millions of people all over the world, LinkedIn allows you to highlight your skills and value to a potential employer.

Smith says that to effectively use LinkedIn, you need to “craft your profile properly,” which means including:

  • A professional picture and detailed summary
  • A list of accomplishments to show your value
  • Links to any blogs, Twitter accounts or websites you are associated with

Smith also advises updating your LinkedIn profile “at least monthly” and “more so if in an active search.” This also means providing professional “status updates at least two to three times a week.”

Your network is part of your brand. As such, you need to reach out to all your past colleagues, professional contacts and friends and establish a connection with them on LinkedIn. This is one of the best ways to find out about opportunities.

But don’t just send the same message to each person in a chain email. Personalize your communication and find people you can write recommendations for who can return the favor. Positive recommendations are an excellent way to stand out to recruiters.

Facebook and Twitter Play Important Roles

Whether you are an active user of Facebook and Twitter or have never used the sites before, both are helpful in establishing a positive online presence. Smith says that Facebook users need to be sure to “set up the lists of people you share information with between your close friends and the general public” so potential employers only see relevant information and not too many personal details.

Also, when using Facebook and other social networks, be sure to “like” companies, organizations and government agencies that you are interested in. Smith says it’s important to “be part of key trade association groups in the industry” and customize your bio to include skills and keywords that recruiters can search on.

Last, on Twitter, be sure to “follow companies that you are interested in and/or their job posting feed” as well as follow and connect with recruiters. Sharing professional information is important, but Smith says to focus on “quality, not quantity.”

Put Aside Fear and Promote Yourself

Embracing and implementing new technologies and tactics in your job search can be an intimidating process. But as Smith says, “You really need to take a first step.” So get online, create your online profiles and get started highlighting who you are and what you are capable of in the workplace.

Cleared JobsClearedJobs.NetFacebookGovCon Careersjob seekerKathleen SmithLinkedInTwitter
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Interview with Geebo CEO, Greg Collier

Thursday, 12 November 2009 by Michael Hackmer

The growth of online classifieds has continued, even though online spending has diminished with the recession and bad press has plagued some online classified sites, like Craigslist. I had a chance to interview Greg Collier, CEO of Geebo, about how his company has fared over the last several months, his view of the industry and where Geebo is headed in the future.

Michael Hackmer:
For people who are not familiar with Geebo. What is Geebo?

Greg Collier:
Geebo is classified ads format with everything from roommates and real estate to jobs. It is a site that was developed in late 1999 when the company was located in Sacramento, CA, and was designed to compete against the local town newspaper – The Sacramento Bee. We felt they were doing a so-so job in presentation, layout and navigation, and we thought that we could create a better online classifieds community. Today, the company is based in McLean, VA and I am proud to say that we have grown and are now in 143 communities in the United States.

Michael Hackmer:
What makes you different from other online classified companies in the digital media space?

Greg Collier:
One way we are different is that all our job postings are syndicated, which means if you post a job on Geebo they will get picked up by SimplyHired, Indeed, Tweet Mart, TwitterJobSearch.com, Google Base, Hispanic-jobs.com and several others. We did this to benefit our advertisers, and to help increase their exposure and grow the demographics their job posts reach.

Michael Hackmer:
Since Geebo has been around for about ten years now, competing against newspapers, Craigslist and others, how have you seen online classifieds evolve?

Greg Collier:
It’s been an interesting time. When we came on the scene, there was really nobody else out there other than the newspapers and a handful of online operators. We did not even know about Craigslist for the first few months. At the time we started, Craigslist was still exclusively in San Francisco. Newspapers were very limited in their online presentation of classifieds. In most cases, you could not contact someone who posted on a newspaper by email – you had a call a phone number. But until online classified communities like Geebo and Cragislist came around, newspapers had no real competition. The web changed all that. The cost of doing business online is lower, and with the expansion of internet use – there is a lot more opportunity and a lot more competition.

Michael Hackmer:
Speaking to the growing use of the Internet, the expansion of broadband access and computer access has provided a lot of value. However, there are some growing challenges facing online communities, including the rise in criminal activity online. This has created a growing interest among users of online classifieds in safety. Does Geebo take any particular steps to ensure greater safety for people who use your online classifieds?

Greg Collier:
You are absolutely right, unfortunately, about there being some bad people out there using online classifieds. These things are out there, and it’s been going on for a while. We have been watching this trend. A few years ago we considered implementing an adult service section, but asked ourselves, “What comes along with that?” We quickly decided that was not a direction we wanted to go in. So, we’ve kept adult content off Geebo. We also do not have a rants and raves section, because that has opened the door to a lot of hate speech and other challenges. But no site is immune to people making scandalous or harmful posts. So, we’ve developed some safeguards. In certain sections of the site, a person on our team reviews the content before it is posted. We also block IP addresses from repeat offenders. No system is full-proof, but we think these controls definitely give us a safer environment.

Michael Hackmer:
You’re a small company, but part of your corporate mission is to give back to the communities you reach. What does Geebo do in terms of community service?

Greg Collier:
Well, that is part of the business I am most proud of and enjoy. This past September we helped co-sponsor the National Press Club’s 5k run. We’ve donated programming services, for example, to OneBrick.org, which promotes volunteerism. We’ve donated job postings to non-profits. In fact, all non-profits are able to post jobs free of charge, they just need to contact us and we can set that up. We’ve been involved in Sierra Adoption Services, The Child and Family Institute and the Mustard Seed School. Also, after Hurricane Katrina we helped restaurants that were struggling to hire people to reach out through out network to help fill urgent vacancies. We hope to be able to much more, and more on a larger scale as time goes – as the business and revenues grow.

Michael Hackmer:
You mention revenues. No one has been immune from the economic conditions that continue to make it struggle for businesses. Unemployment is up past 10%. What has the economic downturn done to a company like Geebo? And the industry as a whole?

Greg Collier:
Well, our income is down 25% from the same time last year. I’ve spoke to many business owners who are struggling. While I am not pleased, I’ve heard other businesses are suffering even greater losses. Newspapers and other companies are cutting 8% and 10% of their staff. We have not had to go that far, so we are fortunate in that respect. Clearly, the economy is not rebounding as quickly as we would like and this will impact advertising and hiring well in the future, not just for Geebo, but for everyone. To combat this to a degree, we are expanding the reach of our job postings to give our advertisers as much bang for the buck as possible.

Michael Hackmer:
Even though the economy is not recovering as fast as we all would like, it will recover at some point. What does Geebo have planned for the future? And what do you see for the industry going forward?

Greg Collier:
I think content sharing will expand and classified sites will get better in their design, connecting the content they provide to social media outlets, through mobile technology and other mediums. For Geebo, we are working on some media partnerships where Geebo will power media company classifieds. We will tap into Twitter more as well so more people see the jobs that come from Geebo. We also are going to implement a more SEO-friendly website in the near future.

Listen to the full interview which will be aired on The Mike Hackmer Radio Show, Sunday, November 15th at 12:00 pm, Eastern. To hear to program, go to: https://www.hackmer.com/live.htm

CraigslistGeeboGreg Colliernewspaperonline classifiedSacramento BeeTwitter
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Twitter: The Enterprise Version?

Saturday, 04 April 2009 by Michael Hackmer

It seems as if a lot more people are talking about Twitter, its lack of a business model and how the service can be monetized. One idea is to charge users a small fee. I’ve heard various proposals around this, including – a charge up to your first 1,000 followers or a charge after you reach 1,000 followers.

The truth of the matter is – if Twitter were to charge anything for its basic service, people would stop using Twitter and jump onto another free service. Or another service would evolve and take Twitter’s place.

For the company as a whole, it’s time to start thinking less about advertising or a fee-for-service model for all Twitter users and think more about an enterprise model for Twitter’s corporate base. I recognize that on the surface this may seem contradictory to Twitter’s overall purpose or what many in the Twitter-sphere like about the microblogging platform. But the core reality of what Twitter is and what makes Twitter strong is the opt-in / opt-out nature of its user base; and the ability of people to find other people or companies that have something interesting to say. The truth of the matter is that if a corporation were to ever abuse its audience – its audience would essentially disappear. Twitter is not ABC – so mass appeal is not required – however appeal is absolutely necessary for success.

In my view an enterprise level application or SaaS for Twitter would be fine, but it would need to encompass a few key attributes:

1) There would need to be better management of each person a business account user had as a follower. This means Twitter users in general would need to offer up more data about themselves, such as a valid e-mail, website, and greater description of who they are. In turn, Twitter would need to develop a better system to allow for organizing followers by geographic information and other identifiers.

2) Following a business account with an enterprise-level profile would have to include more opt-in features. Followers would need to be able to specify their preferred method of contact beyond Twitter, and outline how they do not want to be contacted.

3) Similarly, business account holders would be able to offer information to a user that goes beyond Twitter feeds, such as discount coupons, targeted product placements and better customer support.

These are just a few items that would be needed in an enterprise version of Twitter.

Whether or not Twitter goes down this path, I think the alternatives offer Twitter less longevity in the market. Developing a more business-friendly solution would accelerate its adoption and allow for greater interaction to take place between a consumer and a business.

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Is TV driving social media’s success? Or is social media driving out TV?

Thursday, 12 February 2009 by Michael Hackmer

A colleague of mine forwarded an article by Mike Bloxham from the MEDIA Post blog, entitled “At a TV Screen Near you: Facebook and Twitter”. In this article, Bloxham refers to social media as having a “benignly parasitical relationship with TV” and that this relationship was somehow benefiting social networking sites.

This irks me a little bit.

There is no doubt that more and more people on television are talking about social media. TV and radio broadcasters, as well as the rapidly decaying newspaper industry are all experimenting with Twitter, social networks, blogs and other forms of technology, and reporters are talking about the growth of online media and social networks. But they are not doing this because social media is the parasite (benign, aggressive or otherwise). That would not make much sense.

Is TV responsible for social media’s growth?

The truth of the matter is that social media has grown in popularity, because the number of people who use the Internet is on the rise. Broadband expansion into households all across the country and the world (see eMarketer) has made online interactivity, including photo and video sharing, easier. The more people online, communicating and sharing information, the faster social media gains in popularity.

I mean, let’s face it, you do not see commercials for Twitter sandwiched in between advertisements for diet soda and cars on your television screen, do you? Social media knows what it is about, and mass media is not its shtick.

Now, that is not to say that some people watching CNN, and seeing Wolf Blitzer read comments posted on Twitter to his cable tv audience, would not get curious about microblogging, fire up their computer and check it out. Could a bunch of people in the 40 and older crowd be responding to this trend through their television? I suppose anything is possible. However, when you think about the typical television viewer in higher age brackets, you realize that these people are the exception – they are not the norm.

TV = The real parasite

It is my belief that TV, not social media, is the parasite here. Wolf may be mentioning Twitter during the broadcast, but he is doing that to try and get people who use Twitter to watch his program. Wolf and CNN are trying to stay relevant by doing what television broadcasters always try to do – appeal to the masses. Only, they are doing it in a way that is uncharacteristic of television – engagement.

How we are changing is what drives changes to media

Plain and simple, TV is a passive medium, whereas the Net is active. When you think about engagement – television is not what springs to mind. There is a reason why we invented terms around tv viewing such as “couch-potatoes” and the “boob-tube”. But television is changing, in large part, because its audience is changing. This is where people who analyze the future of the television industry need to look if they want a clear picture.

Look at how society exists today and where it is going. In doing so, I am speaking in terms of how our generations are impacted by technology. What we’re seeing is a transitional period for television, for sure. But to pose the questions that Bloxham offers, “How will Facebook and Twitter manifest themselves on TV” and “Will CNN still use Facebook or will it develop its own means of going it alone” really misses the point of what the post-digital age is going to be like.

Think about it this way… On the one hand you have a generation that grew up in an industrial age – mass production, large institutions, standardization, etc (see Toffler). Now you have a new generation that does not respond to that structure. It’s built on demassification, individualism and customization. Television, at its core, is designed to push content to the masses, and it is not designed for telling stories and disseminating information… at least, not like the Net…

TV is more geared towards one-size-fits-all model that is perfect for mass advertising. TV is a classic product of industrial age technology.

The Net, meanwhile, is faster, easier to develop programming for and more customizable. The Internet is what has brought about the digital age, including the values, culture and mindset of the people living in its wake.

And as the Gen Xers get older and the Net Generation gets older, fewer and fewer people will turn to TV.

More channels = more niche programming = the demise of television

Why?

The systematic expansion of niche programming in television is part of the transition we are seeing, but it is in the early stages. CNN might exist in 20 years, but I would not count on it. Would you watch the kind of programming that appears on CNN now, if instead you could access reports on your own from citizen journalists you trust and have relationships with?

Social media connects people and builds relationships in a truly global sense. Within the next 10 years, people will start tapping into their global connections to access news from all over the world and use their computer systems to tailor news feeds, special interest stories, sports and entertainment. Your mobile device will be a key driver in all of this and your home entertainment system will be computer driven.

My bold prediction

So, what does this mean for the future? Well, for starters, we are not going to be watching TV in 20 years. What purpose will television have if my friend, Meena, who lives in India and used to work for the BBC sends me a message about a car bombing? She is live and on the scene and ready to file her report. And since I know Meena, I am not worried that she is conveying some network or hidden bias. I know her bias, because I know her and… most importantly… I have a relationship with her and trust her. TV no longer has that.

The bottom line is this… to think that TV will play an important role in maximizing Web 2.0 brands is just ridiculous. When you look at how technology is shaping the emerging generations, it is pretty clear… Web 3.0 and 4.0 will eat TV up and drive it to extinction.

citizen journalismCNNFacebookMedia PostMike BloxhamMike HackmerSocial MediaTelevisiontvTwitter
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Twitter: Real-time alerting and media solution

Thursday, 31 July 2008 by Michael Hackmer

A lot of buzz recently has been how Twitter was faster to alert people around the recent earth quakes than news organizations. This has led to some conversation about Twitter’s business model and potential applications for businesses.

A few weeks ago I had some thoughts about Twitter and its possible development of an emergency alerting tool (I’ll post sometime soon – though I may back-date it) – among other things. However, in reading some recent blog posts, I see Twitter’s ability as a Web 2.0 news and information aggregator as being the immediate advantage because unlike many news organizations – people consider Twitter “faster, unspun” with the negative of news organizations being that they are not participatory or focused on sharing.

WAIT A SECOND! HOLD THE PHONE!

No sooner had the statement about news organizations not being “focused on sharing” sprung forth and into this blog post, than I discovered a news organization mentioned in a blog post that IS using Twitter to reach out to its specific communities and engage people in conversations (I am sure there are many more, btw).

NBCi4 – MIDWEST

Using Twitter allows reporters, editors and columnists the ability to get real-time stories from people on the ground as well as drive content to people via Twitter, and get specific feeds mentioning their news organization in the different Twitter search engines. So, Twitter is a natural fit for every kind of mass media.

See page where I got the above screen shot at: http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news/nbc4now.html.

The value for radio, tv and newspaper is clear… engage your audience, expand your coverage, grow your audience, and help drive people back to your web properties (where monetization can in many instances occur).

From a marketing perspective, I think a key development strategy (for companies involved in the widget / desktop application space) is integrating Twitter with social communicators / desktop applications / widgets. Doing so would create a “must have” application for news organizations (as well as other markets). Direct Twitter conversations could fuel traffic to radio contests, news / network events, broaden community activism, and much, much more.

As far as emergency managers are concerned, using Twitter within a desktop application or somehow finding a way to convert the Twitter feed (this would take some technical experience with the Twitter API to determine if such an approach were possible) into a CAP (common alerting protocol) message, would create another inbound and outbound communication stream. Alert managers could receive real-time information that could be shared with first responders and others. Likewise, alert managers also could distribute messages via a CAP-based system to Twitter, and thereby reaching their constituents through another touch point. Such an option, for example, would prove enormously useful on a college campus.

In the end, I think the technical and business applications for a simple micro-blogging platform, like Twitter, are starting to come to the head. The question on my mind now is… is Twitter already working with a company on integrating its system with an emergency alert solution, and how many other widget / desktop application / social communicators out there will heed the call and integrate Twitter functionality into their products for the benefit of their customers.

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Does Reaching the “Inbox” Really Matter Anymore?

Sunday, 18 May 2008 by Michael Hackmer

It struck me as I was reviewing my plans for the upcoming Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in June that there is not a lot of attention on using email to reach one’s customer base in the Conference agenda and session discussions about online marketing. In the not so distant past (which means a year in the new technology era), strategic email marketing was still regarded as the most effective and affordable means to reach an audience and maintain a connection.

So, what has changed?

For starters, people are suffering from email fatigue in a substantial way (Wikipedia actually refers to this as “email bankruptcy”, but I’ve since added the term today). According to some estimates email is a $650 billion drag on the economy, because people engage in too many unnecessary responses and waste time reading messages that they either should not have received in the first place, or simply add no value to their overall productivity (I’ve actually been guilty of that several times as I am writing this blog entry).

The other factor is SPAM. Heinz Tschabitscher, contributor to About.com, writes that “spam has turned email into a very costly undertaking,” citing the complaints ISPs have to cope with, the struggles of email users who try to manage their accounts, the inaccuracy of SPAM blockers where valuable email is sometimes lost, and marketing professionals and publishers who constantly try to justify it all. Ben Macklin of eMarketer calls spam “the scourge of the Internet” and organizations like Spamhaus are working to identify known spamming operations to help curb the abuse.

This is not to say that email is no longer a productive solution to marketing and lead generation. In fact, Spam exists not because a group of a few thousand people globally have nothing better to do until they get their Nintendo Wii, but rather because it is highly profitable.

As a basic premise – assume a mid-level spammer distributes between several hundred million messages to a billion messages in a month, and just received a .03% or .05% response to those emails, the number of leads would be in the tens of thousands. According to Consumer Reports, in one month last year, approximately 650,000 Americans made purchases in phishing scams initiated by spammers.

I think it is safe to say that the issue surrounding email as a marketing tool is not a question of profitability. Pound for pound, it still remains highly cost effective and can yield positive results. However, the shear mass of data coming through nowadays and the volume of Spam that each of us receives, truly minimizes the ability of email to really inform and engage people in a way that builds positive brand recognition. If anything, people are shying away from email marketing, because there is a growing stigma surrounding it, but also because they are finding that reaching the “Inbox” is no longer the value it once was.

This leads us to the question, “If not email marketing, then what?”

A lot of the buzz lately is around using social media to get your marketing message out to the masses. In fact, the IRCE agenda is filled with sessions on Web 2.0 strategies and social media solutions designed to help eretailers.

In our own experience, we have found using social media, such as blogs and webinars, social networking sites (For example, check out our ParentPower community on Facebook and join me on LinkedIn), Twitter, and the like, to be a very helpful way to both discover new solutions and new ideas as well as get more direct interaction with our customers and content providers, which enables us to hear about the user experience first-hand… sometimes as it is taking place. You simply cannot get that from an email that someone may or may not get a chance to read – assuming you reached the inbox in the first place.

The challenge surrounding social media, however, is often overlooked by its dynamic appeal, uniqueness and the subtle suggestion by the news media that everyone is doing it, and if you are not – you’re missing out. In fact, the challenge with using social media and networking is quite obvious when you think about it: it’s time intensive.

Just ask yourself, “How effective would I be if I walked into a room of 50 or 100 strangers, all engaged in their own conversations, and shouted, “I’m offering a 20% discount on a new product that will mean you never have to clean your kitchen floors again!”? Not only would you annoy a lot of people, there is a strong likelihood that you would discourage the very people who may be interested in such a product under normal circumstances from even approaching you.

The truth behind these strategies is that they are based on building relationships (see Livingston on wooing bloggers), and relationships take time. This whole concept of building relationships is what the new marketing paradigm is built around. In the not so distant past (we all know what that means now, right?)… email campaigns were the quick and easy way to broadcast your brand and offerings to the masses. Today, quick and easy is how you bake a cake or clean a toilet bowl (And yes, I lifted that from Tango and Cash). Is it how you run your marketing?

Right now, as you read this, the masses are worn out from it all, and they want meaning… they want substance. On the one hand, this forces all of us in marketing to take on more responsibility and work. But on the other hand, it gives us a tremendous opportunity to provide meaningful solutions to people (fyi – its the customer’s perception of what is meaningful that you need to address) and establish relationships that go deeper than a name on a message.

Of course, this brings us to another solution to the growing decline in the value of email and online marketing strategies, which are desktop applications.

The benefit of desktop applications, more so than one-dimensional widgets or email, is that they are all-inclusive communications vehicles. Not only do they engage your audience by providing a bridge to relevant web content, they provide a one-stop resource for video, audio / podcasts, flash-based games, and in the case of ActiveAccess, include a built-in RSS reader, interactive weather map and links to other resources. The multi-faceted nature of a desktop application, not to mention that the application is on the desktop all the time a person is on their computer, is more engaging for the user, less fatiguing, and helps build a content relationship between the provider and the user that is unique.

What’s more, desktop applications, as a piece to your Web 2.0 puzzle, are not nearly as time intensive as other social media strategies. In fact, they are used to enhance your existing web strategy by providing a portal for your customers to reach you when they are not browsing the Internet.

For more information on how ActiveAccess can help your company or organization, shoot us an email at: info@activeaccess.com.

Or you can DM us through Twitter at: http://twitter.com/activeaccess.

ActiveAccessBen MacklinConsumer Reportsemail campaignsemail fatigueEmail MarketingeMarketerGeoff LivingstonHeinz TschabitscherInternet Retailer Conference and ExhibitionIRCE 2008LinkedInMichael HackmerParentPowerSocial MediaSPAMSpamhausTwitterWeb 2.0Wikipedia
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NAB 2008 Is Now LIVE

Monday, 14 April 2008 by Michael Hackmer

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2008 Show is now in full swing, stacked with an agenda that is heavy on digital technology, video, social media and the latest product innovations. But those are not the only things going on this year at NAB worth noting.

In an effort to expand its marketing reach, not only does NAB have a very active Show Blog up and running, but they also have a NAB Twitter feed that you can subscribe to. Whether you are at the show or not, these are great ways to stay informed about what is being discussed on the show floor and in the sessions. Since the 2008 Show takes over the entire Las Vegas Convention Center, and is expected to draw over 102,000 people – it’s safe to say that you can’t be every where you want to be. Using these tools should help keep you informed and improve your overall experience.

Another way to maximize your time at NAB is to get some insider knowledge. In fact, last week, I helped organize a Webinar that provided an “Insider’s” view of this year’s show, including perspectives from Chris Brown, NAB’s Executive VP of Conventions and Business Operations, Peggy Miles, President of Intervox, and also Gary Arlen, President of Arlen Communications and author of many books on digital media. Even though the Show is currently underway, I highly recommend you take a few moments when you have some down-time to view the Webinar and see what our expert panel recommends (http://www.bia.com/webinars). Of course, exactly how much down-time you will end up having in Las Vegas is probably pretty minimal, but it is worth a shot, right?

The other idea (and less time consuming) is that you can refer to Rick Ducey’s blog entry at BIA’s blog, Perspectives (click here to read). Rick is not only the Chief Strategy Officer for BIA, but he also has been named an official NAB Show blogger. In his post, Rick outlines his Top 5 things to get out of NAB.

Lastly, BIA has it’s own Twitter feed that allows you to receive updates from NAB, Peggy Miles, and BIA’s Rick Ducey, Mark O’Brien and Ed Czarnecki – all of whom are tweeting and blogging from the Show. The feed can be pulled into an RSS reader, if you want. The main url is: http://twitter.com/BIAfn.

I’ll post more about the Show as word trickles back to me. However, given the rapidly changing environment of the broadcast media industry, NAB is certainly stepping up and using social networks to its marketing advantage.

Arlen CommunicationsBIAChris BrownGary ArlenIntervoxMichael HackmerNAB ShowNational Association of BroadcastersPeggy MilesRick DuceySocial MediaTwitter
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The Rebirth of the Web

Saturday, 12 April 2008 by Michael Hackmer

As a member of the first generation of kids who really grew up with a computer in the home to my present-day work as a marketing professional, I have seen and experienced the changes of the online experience first hand.

From the lonely, late night and early morning hours on my CoCo 3, prowling local and regional BBS boards (trying like a madman to download Duke Nukem), to watching Darkplace and presidential debates on YouTube and CNN this year, what it means to be online or “on the web” continues to evolve… and quickly.

To say that the web has been reborn sounds a bit stale. I know that. The truth of the matter is – being online (whether via the pre-Internet days or not) has always been a social experience some way or another. And since the web has grown so much over the years, its rebirth or evolution has been a constant.

However, I believe one of the differences between then and now is the level with which we can interact and engage one another is greater than anytime in history. The last couple of years have seen the growth of social networks, advancements in digital and mobile technology, greater personalized content, rapid adoption of RSS, and the explosion of Twitter and similar communications solutions. Spurring all of these things along has been the growth of broadband and wireless technology, which has enabled more and more people high-speed access and grown the web substantially.

Of course, not only is the technology available and accessible, but people are using it and using it for many purposes. People are watching video online, listening to the radio online, getting their news online, meeting people and cultivating relationships online, more than at any time in history. We can bridge the gap of distance and communicate through Skype, follow the latest developments at a trade show (for example, see the NAB Twitter feed by clicking here), or join social and political causes all instantly and for free. And if we want, we can beam video of ourselves all over the world, purchase food and clothing, and, of course, complain.

What this brings me to – in a loose and rather unscientific blog posting – is that the web has emerged to become everyone’s social portal (well, almost everyone). If you want to reach people – you need to reach them online.

This holds especially true for marketing. In fact, I think we as marketing professionals have the most difficult job in the crazy life-cycle of business. Our job is to keep track of all of these portals, networks and communities, and devise ways to use everything the web is creating as a means to get our message to our target audience. The rebirth of the web as a social portal has come to mean that successful marketing is social marketing, and social marketing is only a success when you establish a relationship – preferably a positive one.

The purpose of this website and Hack Blog is to address the unique dynamics of social marketing, and to offer insight into how social marketing can and should be used. Another component of this site to connect you, the reader, with the skilled and talented people I work with on a daily basis at BIA Financial Network, intelligent PR professionals like Geoff Livingston, and others who can help you and your company or organization make the right marketing decisions.

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