How Shall I Share? Let Me Count The Ways...

Here's the scenario: I read an interesting story online and decide to share it with others. What distribution method should I choose?

Well, if it's an article on the NYTimes, I can "recommend" it within their proprietary network. And in most cases, I have plenty of other options to share my find. I may Tweet it, post it to Facebook or LinkedIn, bookmark it in Delicious, save to Read It Later, Digg it, email to friends or write about it on my blog.

Sure, solutions have come along to ease some of my pain — enter: TweetDeck, Feedly and FriendFeed. But none of these are really scalable across all platforms and reach the majority of my intended audience.

So you see my dilemma? I'm not sharing very efficiently. There must be a better way...

Why I Don't Blog, And 6 Reasons Why I Should

Q: Why do I write a blog? A: To share my opinions on digital advertising for the purpose of educating readers, stimulating conversation and... feeding my ego.

Q: So why has it been months since I wrote a post? A: Because I can accomplish my aforementioned objectives with Twitter and Facebook.

I'm not trying to make excuses here. Honestly, these social media destinations enable me to easily tweet, comment and share candid opines. I post via my iPhone apps and TweetDeck on my Mac/PC. It's never been easier for me to publish in such quick and easy ways with an engaged audience.

• Twitter's 140-character limit discourages full sentences (for better or for worse). Public conversation is enabled via responses, tagging and re-tweeting.
  
• Facebook is plugged into so many sites, that it's easy to post an article and add my own color commentary (natch'). Public conversation is enabled via commenting and wall postings.

So why blog? Here's 6 good reasons:

1. Not everyone uses Twitter and Facebook.
   
2. Blog postings are indexed by Google.
3. Blogs provide a certain permanence to posts that can easily be searched.
4. Blogs can stay focused on a single subject, positioning author as subject matter expert.
5. Blogs may generate revenue (Google AdWords).
6. Blogs contribute to building the brand You.

MUG Redesigns

One of my favorite sources for "what's hot & happening in NY" has redesigned! The MUG (Manhattan Users Guide) email newsletter showed up in my inbox this afternoon all fresh-faced and shiny.

I've referenced MUG several times in my posts, and have always appreciated Charlie & Co.'s: list of best movers in NYC, tasty new restaurants, hoppin' night spots, fresh tunes, best sample sales... the list goes on. And sure, the design always felt very 1999. But the unique content, inside scoop and (seemingly) expert advice always kept me coming back.

While it looks like MUG is still working out the kinks to this new design, I wish the devoted crew the best of luck with their new design direction.

Seat At The Table

It's funny how our agency's CEO began using the term "seat at the table" nearly a year ago, and now the idea has taken off like hot cakes. Curious if he's responsible for coining the term (?).

Anyway, Kate Rutter blogs about the theme, discussing the justification and opportunities available for a Creative to change a client's organization. I would agree that instead of the safe and traditional reactive position advertising professionals take, a strategic pro-active approach proves far more effective. I might add that it also stems from having the right client relationships, high up enough within an organization.

Go download your own "seat at the table" template. Cut it out, and you have your virtual table at your disposal. You've got to fake it before you make it, right?

Helping Mom Enter The World of Blogging

That's right. Last night I helped my mother launch her own blog: NY Piano Expert

My brother and I have encouraged Mom to create a blog for some time now. Over the years, she's mastered the consultative approach to selling pianos. Mom is quick to strike up conversation about pianos -- with absolute strangers -- at dinner, in a store, or practically any public place. So of course, that had us thinking; "what better candidate to enter the world of blogging?"

The Future of Homepages

As reported on by our agency's voice of authority on User Experience, the "homepage" as we know it today may dramatically change in the near future.

The following are some interesting points from the article:

• Overall, search, RSS and widgets are driving users deeper into websites
• 50% or more of traffic on many top sites originate beyond the homepage
• 60% of consumers customize their start pages
• 56% use RSS
• 54% use search engines to start their shopping experiences