Just incase you’re not up with Web 2.0 terms and sites, here are the most popular:

Web 2.0
The second generation of the Web involving social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, video, podcasts, etc, which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing.

Social Media
The umbrella term that defines the activities that integrate technology and social interaction.

Blog
(short for ‘web log’) is a website formatted as an on-going log or diary of text entries posted by the creator or “blogger”. Unlike traditional websites, blog technology allows users to easily create a web site and then easily add content (text, mostly).

Podcast
An audio or video blog.

Facebook
Perhaps the most popular social networking website. It began as a way for college students to connect and is now open to all.

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No matter what your business, 99% of people could care less about it. Why? Because 99% of people simply aren’t good prospects. But for those who are good prospects it’s because you haven’t convinced them. In fact, there are thousands of people who’d buy you IF you got them excited and convinced them of the value of your product.

What is Marketing? (more…)

Whether you’re selling cars, beauty supplies, or professional services, no doubt you’ve heard the words: “Sorry, but I just can’t afford it right now.” Everyone involved with sales, or managing a business, has. When it happens you have three choices: 1) Accept it. 2) Try to convince them otherwise. 3) Lower your price. None are good. So, how do you avoid that scenario?
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Smart creativity is the only unfair legal advantage you can have over the competition. Be it an ad campaign or tagline, it must clearly inform, excite and persuade. And, done right, it enables a business with limited funds to compete against its better funded competitors. For an example, see this Guerilla Marketing campaign.

How forgiving is the American public when a respected image gets tainted?
Tylenol recovered. Bad-boy Bill Clinton recovered. But can resigned New York Governor Eliot Spitzer ever recover?

Got an opinion? Click “Comments” below and add yours.

Two Simple, but Important Tips:

1) Be as clear as possible upfront.
Try to cover every nuance of the assignment — what you want/don’t want, like/dislike, etc. The more you talk before the project, the happier you’ll be with the results. (I had a client who, just before the final presentation, mentioned a specific preference that he’d never mentioned before. I had to bite my tongue and calmly remind him of that explaining that I’d be happy to address his new comment moving forward, if we needed to. Fortunately, we didn’t.) For the benefit of both parties it’s always best to document all project related discussions and agreements in a simple memo. It may seem like a pain sometimes, but it’s a smart insurance policy.

2) Never use the expression “It just doesn’t ‘wow’ me.”
When responding to a creative presentation (more…)

Last week ADWEEK ran this piece I wrote about Second Life …

and it ruffled a few feathers. The feathers it ruffled belonged to a couple folks who spend lots of time on Second Life. One admitted to up to 30-hours a week, and the other would only admit to “lots of time.” The comment I made was that I find SL intriguing, but there are other websites I’d prefer spending my time on. And, as cool as I find SL, my First Life is far more exciting. That really pissed off the 30-hour-a-week gal.

If you don’t yet know about SL, you may find my previous post “Second Life or Get a Life?” worth reading. If you do, check out this one. And, I’d love to know your thoughts, so don’t forget to leave your comment. (more…)

“Can blogging make money?” If you’re Michael Arrington the answer is definitely yes. Last year, revenues from his “little (TechCrunch) blog” were 3M. And he’s turned down a “firm offer” for 8M. See the recent Arrington interview.