I’d like to introduce you to one of the smartest PR pros I know. His name is Ted Weismann and he leads the digital practice at  Lois Paul and Partners , one of the leading PR firms in the tech space. When I speak to CEO organizations , I spend some time talking about the role of PR firms today. It used to be you’d hire a PR firm for their already established relationships with journalists. Ted is one of the few communication professionals who truly understands it. Being in tech PR in the late 90s and early 2000s, he lived it. You’ll learn a lot from following him. MORE >>

Pushing Social Launching a new blog is an amazing, scary, and exciting time. ve helped quite a few businesses launch their blog and the mixture of emotion is always the same. The biggest question that zips through everyone’s mind is -. Did I miss something?”. Today, we’ll work through a checklist that will go over the major and some minor details you should cover. Here we go… Your Small Business Blog Checklist: 1. Seed Posts: Have you created at least ten posts that are ready to be posted immediately? An empty blog is as unattractive as an empty restaurant on Friday night. Don’t do this. MORE >>

No matter who you are, it’s safe to say that there’s something about your life you’d like to improve. Whether it’s learning a new skill, saving more money or improving your health, one thing always rings true…the road that leads to achieving your goal is often a long and boring one. That’s why, in an effort to lessen the monotony, more and more people are turning to a new trend called “gamification”. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, just think of the Foursquare model of check-ins and badges applied to the more important areas of your life. Living a Healthier Lifestyle. MORE >>

(Click the image above for more great advice on getting Facebook Likes from the Oatmeal). Have a great weekend. Implementation Potluck MORE >>

There’s a theme among Twitter usage commonly recognised as the 4 stages of a Twitter. But there is a fifth. It’s something we refer to in the social media workshop I present with Keren Lerner at Top Left Design. Here they are: Denial. We’ve all been here. Wondering why anyone would be interested in telling the world what they had for breakfast. Or why anyone would want to listen? Hint: they don’t). You meet enough connections at networking events, why add another level of complexity to your day? Curiosity. You get it! You begin to see the potential of Twitter. Do you think in 140 characters? MORE >>