Before the Social Media Marketing Settlers Arrived…

My first blog on this site, and one that still characterizes my approach to marketing – nurturing and building the community around your company or cause.

The Geek Marketing Blog

I am a marketer that engages in social media and blogging professionally. I figure the occasion of Social Media Week in San Francisco is as good a time as any to launch my own personal blog.

Let me start off with a rant that you might hear from your grandfather who had to walk to school in the snow, uphill both ways:

Back in the old days, before blogs were called blogs, before the term Web 2.0 had been coined, and back when social networking seemed useful only for illegally downloading copyrighted music, we called the precursor to social media “community building” or “community marketing”.

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Why Bad Robots Bring Bad Hygiene to Your Twitter Account

Originally posted as a guest blog at vTricity.com

One of the worst mistakes that newbies to Twitter do is choose the wrong robots to “help” them out. They accept these services in response to three fears:

1)   I need to hide from spam.

2)   I need to know if people are unfollowing me.

3)   I lack “social credibility” because I don’t have enough followers.

I’d like to discuss these perceptions, point out why they are unfounded, and why the usual “remedy” in fact makes the problem worse.

[SOURCE] (c) Sebastian Lund, used according to Creative Commons License.

Hiding From Spam By Using a SpamBot

Revealing a Little Social Media Secret of Mine…

It’s time for me to unveil a little Twitter secret I’ve been playing with for a while.

One of my spare time activities is mentoring entrepreneurs and startups. One company that I’m advising is vTricity, a developer of technologies for connecting communities of people. They let me be the first user of their newly released introduction service for Twitter called Zamba.me SoapBox. I’m so thrilled with the results I’ve seen using SoapBox and fascinated by the implications of how this technology can be used that I agreed to post the following blog for vTricity as customer 001 of SoapBox.

Finding and Building Your Cause-Driven Community

Step One in Cause Marketing and Social Entrepreneurship

So you have a cause you want to bring awareness to. Perhaps you even have a solution: work dedicated to the public good, or a social entrepreneurial venture. Either way, to promote adoption, you need to spark or tap into a social movement. In other words, you need to find or create a community of concerned people.

You have content to share, now you need an audience.

[SOURCE] © Kristian Mollenborg, according to Creative Commons License, use with attribution.

Bali and the Double-Edged Sword of Globalization

I recently returned from a month-long trip in South East Asia that included a week in Bali. The whole trip was an amazing experience that will be fodder for a couple of more blogs. However, some of my biggest impressions were made in Bali:

1. How well Bali still retains its unique culture and background
2. How rapidly certain parts are being homogenized and paved over by the usual global resort and shopping brands.

Barong fights Rangda in a Balinese traditional dance performed by professional dance company.
[SOURCE:] © 2013 Greg Chase, under Creative Commons License, use with attribution.

Barong and Rangda costumes being delivered via parade between local Balinese temples as part of festival.
[SOURCE:] © 2013 Greg Chase, under Creative Commons License, use with attribution

Good marketing …

Good marketing stays aspirational without turning evangelical.

Quote of the day….