Memes have existed long before the internet and will continue long after. The insights that reveal how memes have come into existence also reveal how someone could create a new meme. Memes rely on appealing to deep-seeded, primal emotions to drive their transmission; but before I get into that, let me start with the basics. What is a meme? Memes are contagious ideas that get spread from person to person. Traditionally, memes like fads involve a gradual spread of an idea. Why do meme's spread? Unpopular memes are usually just called ideas. MORE >>

Zoetica) is a conversation starter on how to do that. We hope other successful Twitterers/bloggers will continue the conversation in a meme, and spread this more mindful approach towards Twitter followings. In that vein, we have blogged this publicly, and I would like to invite Ike Pigott , Lauren Vargas , John Haydon , Allyson Kapin , Shashi Bellamkonda and Shonali Burke to continue the conversation. 1) Have conversations with influencers. 2) In addition to following lists and having conversations, actually follow these people. link]. of tweets). MORE >>

I’d been meaning to write about how social networks really do seem to have killed something with regards to blogging – the blog meme. At it’s core social media and engagement is about customer service and conversation, and not pitching someone one week and then sending him a generic PR link-building request the next (It’s happened to me several times as people failed to click on the About page on this site, for example). Bit of a shame for longer answers (And the chance to get some backlinks!). Bugger. 3/ Ad industry scandal or scoundrel of the year. MORE >>

My last post criticized the content that a lot of brands share via social media – the incessant begging for likes and shares, the linkbaiting, and the meme-jacking that brands have adopted in their constant quest for “engagement.” Instead ” Instead of following some guru’s best practices formula for social media content that will increase your followers, friends, and comments, try to have the conversations they actually want to have. You may not want to have these conversations. Your history. Listen to the stories. Too expensive to make? MORE >>

How did we get to a point where a group of media that was supposed to inspire conversations and thought turned into a mechanism to harness fans? This is in spite of several free service that do the exact same thing from organizations like WordPress , Pushing Social and the Daily Meme , as well as free blog topic tips from leading voices like Copyblogger and Problogger. Pop Philosophy Rants Reality punk Copyblogger Daily Meme Problogger Pushing Social sycophancy sycophant WordPressSycophant – A self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite. One thing is clear. MORE >>