I’ve never been a fan of the news release. I’ll go ahead and put it right out there. think it makes PR pros lazy and clients too controlling. And it typically has no real effect on whether or not a journalist covers your story. In fact, earlier this year, I wrote, “ No One Cares About Your News Release ” when asked if it was OK to post your news release, verbatim, on your blog. Can you imagine if we did that here? How quickly would we lose you? I’d venture to guess it’d be in masses. Heck, by the time it’s finished, you’re probably bored with it. MORE >>

Yesterday, Facebook announced that a new structure of Global Pages is available for all brands working with Facebook. The new structure enables brands to gather all their local brand pages on one centralized page and customize all content on a local level – everything from cover photo and apps to updates and “about” information. Facebook users will be directed to the best version of a page based on the country those users in which they are situated, creating a better localized experience for your customers while remaining a part of the global brand community. Mindjumpers Network. MORE >>

I’m always encouraged when I watch a Jeremiah Owyang presentation and see that the work that we are  doing is exactly right according to his analysis of the social business integration path that we are all on (yes, you too.) See what you think about this one. He starts off by talking about the danger of Social Media Sanitation: Difficulty responding online unless people start yelling? Limited resources? Rogue departments (or members) deploying sites on their own? That’s got to sound familiar. ” 1. Associations are WAY ahead on this one. Does the CEO have an account? MORE >>

When you’re new to Twitter, it’s easy to get stuck in the “I just don’t get it” rut. ve found that this often comes down to one of two hurdles: Twitter is a blank slate. Twitter is what you make of it – which means that, until you start following people relevant to your interests, it really doesn’t have much going for it. Twitter is overwhelming. Whether you get lost in Twitter’s “Discover” section or quickly connect with more people than you know what to do with, Twitter can easily become an overwhelming firehose of information. Hashtags. Hashtags are for…. Read on!). Or 30? MORE >>

One year ago, we made a strange, but important, business decision. We decided to go completely virtual , giving people the opportunity to work from home, save on commute time, and be more productive with little to no daily interruptions. At the time, I said we’d revisit it in 10 months to see if, at the year mark, we should go back to having an office. When we discussed during a staff meeting a couple of weeks ago, the answer was a resounding no. How it Works. At the time, there were only two of us in Chicago, with other members of the team spread across the country. Pros and Cons. MORE >>