Scott Monty

A Guy Walks Into a Bar...

Stop me if you've heard this. Yesterday, I asked a question on <a href="http://twitter.com/ScottMonty/statuses/866341837">Twitter</a> - one that <a href="http://www.jaffejuice.com/1608/07/a-six-pack-of-c.html">Joseph Jaffe</a> rhetorically asked on his blog - I posed it as a joke and asked for responses. The question was: How many social media experts does it take to change a lightbulb? My original answer on Joe's blog was: "309. One to come up with the idea, three to turn it into a strategy, five to execute it, and 300 to influence someone else to do it." Naturally, responses to my question were far better than my lame punchline. Here are some examples of what I received: <a href="http://twitter.com/mncahill/statuses/866346785">@mncahill</a>: 14,465 to twitter about the need for "LightBulbCamp" and one to hire a developer to change it. <a href="http://twitter.com/scottaparks/statuses/866347632">@scottaparks</a>: None, it never gets changed. They are too busy looking for a better bulb! <a href="http://twitter.com/cohnjoyne/statuses/866349319">@cohnjoyne</a>: before I tell you how many soc media experts it takes to screw in a light bulb, full disclosure, GE is a client of mine <a href="http://twitter.com/adam_rosenberg/statuses/866353441">@adam_rosenberg</a>: at least 10. that way you have 1 to change it and at least 9 to tweet about it. <a href="http://twitter.com/scottstead/statuses/866354944">@scottstead</a>: A: 500, Chris Brogan to ask the question, 495 to respond, 3 to organize changealightbulbweek08, 1 to change the lightbulb <a href="http://twitter.com/ScottWitsToo/statuses/866370114">@ScottWitsToo</a>: 3. One to change bulb. Two to discuss how we could change light bulbs better if only we could talk ad nauseum about the process <a href="http://twitter.com/LewisG/statuses/866383819">@LewisG</a>: At least two, so an argument over the ethics of monetization can occur. <a href="http://twitter.com/jtobin/statuses/866390339">@jtobin</a>: A team of 6 will happily consult, but nobody actually wants to execute the light bulb change for you. :-) And this one from <a href="http://twitter.com/jeffglasson">@jeffglasson</a>: 4, Mitch Joel to give 6 steps to open the package, Brogan to write a 100 blog post series on the process, L. Feldman to score the puppet adaptation, and CC Chapman to actually screw the lightbulb in and get the job done! What's your best response? Let me know by leaving a comment, or share the joke with some friends.

A Guy Walks Into a Bar...

Stop me if you've heard this. Yesterday, I asked a question on Twitter - one that Joseph Jaffe rhetorically asked on his blog - I pose...

Two for the Price of One!

I'm very happy to share the news that two of my favorite social media consultants will now be under one roof: <a href="http://www.socialmediagroup.ca/">Social Media Group</a>, headed by Maggie Fox, is acquiring <a href="http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/">Livingston Communications</a>, which is run by Geoff Livingston. This will make SMG the world's largest independent social media marketing consultancy. 
 
Both Maggie and Geoff have been friends for quite a while - I think Maggie was an early commenter on my blog and a regular correspondent - and Geoff has been on my radar for more than a year, especially with <a href="http://www.socialmediabreakfast.com/2007/12/21/geoff-livingston-rocks-the-house-at-social-media-breakfast-4/">his trip to Boston</a> and the release of his acclaimed book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0910155739?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0910155739">Now Is Gone</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0910155739" height="1" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. 
 
Social Media Group has been instrumental in advancing Ford Motor Company (my employer) into the digital space by providing <a href="http://ford.digitalsnippets.com/">Digital Snippets</a> - SMG's version of social media news releases (SMNRs) with handy portable information on major Ford initiatives. 
 
The new SMG will continue to work with me at Ford, providing even more robust strategic and tactical advice on our initiatives - because I need as much help as I can get in my busy role (and because Maggie, Geoff and team are much smarter than me). I look forward to working with them.

Two for the Price of One!

I'm very happy to share the news that two of my favorite social media consultants will now be under one roof: Social Media Group , heade...

Television Viewership Grows - Just Not on TV

This may and may not come as a surprise to you. The thing that grabbed my attention was that Americans are viewing more television than ever before . I thought that it would have dropped off recently, with the advent of the other ways people are spending their time. But it appears that commercial TV is growing by 1 percent a year. The part that didn't surprise me has to do with viewing habits: the viewership of television on various types of media skews when you look at different age groups. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SIQAK6Q5GEI/AAAAAAAAA2k/9SwssqK4clY/s1600-h/TV+Habits+2008-07-21.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SIQAK6Q5GEI/AAAAAAAAA2k/9SwssqK4clY/s400/TV+Habits+2008-07-21.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225301655095416898" border="0" /></a>Most interesting to me are the 35-44 and 45-54 age groups: both show a significant increase of viewing video online rather than on TV; and the 25-34 cohort shows a twofold increase in viewing mobile video over TV. This is only going to continue to skew as technology advances. We just need to ask ourselves if we're ready for more advertising interruptions on our mobile devices and if we'll settle for the same-old same-old pre-roll that we've come to expect in online video. As <a href="http://www.hulu.com/">Hulu</a> has shown, people have no problem accepting limited and clearly demarcated commericals in return for high-quality video on demand. The real question is, where will we the viewers draw the line? How much is too much and what should we give up if we're not paying to watch online video? And if we're paying for mobile access to multimedia, should we be free from commercial interruptions? What do you think?

Television Viewership Grows - Just Not on TV

This may and may not come as a surprise to you. The thing that grabbed my attention was that Americans are viewing more television than eve...

Just What Is Social Media, Anyway?

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SIEL_Xzo90I/AAAAAAAAA2c/1HrZ30Ndu3I/s1600-h/Question_cufflinks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SIEL_Xzo90I/AAAAAAAAA2c/1HrZ30Ndu3I/s200/Question_cufflinks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224470226076759874" border="0" /></a>When I begin to enthusiastically tell people that I work in social media, they typically look at me with a blank stare and ask, "What's social media?" And my response is usually something somewhat descriptive, incorporating words like "blogs" or "Facebook" if I want them to follow what I'm saying. But when pressed to make it relevant for someone - it usually takes a longer exposition. I'm assuming that since you're a reader, you have at least a few minutes to share with me. Given that you do, here's a really great slideshow from <a href="http://martazkagan.com/">Marta Kagan</a>, who posted it on <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/mzkagan/what-the-fk-social-media?from=email">Slideshare</a>. Warning: there are modestly censored obscenities. <center><div style="width: 425px; text-align: left;" id="__ss_496437"><a style="margin: 12px 0pt 3px; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; display: block; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/mzkagan/what-the-fk-social-media?src=embed" title="What The F**K is Social Media?">What The F**K is Social Media?</a><object height="355" style="margin: 0px;" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=whatthefissocialmedia070208-1215026815612657-8"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=whatthefissocialmedia070208-1215026815612657-8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><div style="font-size: 11px; font-family: tahoma,arial; height: 26px; padding-top: 2px;">view <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/mzkagan/what-the-fk-social-media?src=embed" title="View What The F**K is Social Media? on SlideShare">presentation</a> (tags: <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/socialmediamarketing">socialmediamarketing</a> <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/marketing">marketing</a> <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/web2-0">web2.0</a> <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/socialmedia">socialmedia</a>)</div></div></center> If you think this is a great presentation (and given that some 27,000 people have viewed it, I think it's safe to assume it is), you might consider voting for it in Slideshare's World's Best Presentation contest. <center><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/mzkagan/what-the-fk-social-media"><img src="http://public.slideshare.net/images/banner_wide.gif" height="104" width="322" /></a> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/contest">World's Best Presentation Contest</a></center> How about you. How do you succinctly explain social media to the unwashed masses?

Just What *Is* Social Media, Anyway?

When I begin to enthusiastically tell people that I work in social media, they typically look at me with a blank stare and ask, "What&#...

Why I Won't Make A Viral Video for You

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SH3DdWiRCHI/AAAAAAAAA2U/J0Vbjm6SAM8/s1600-h/Shoot+the+Dog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223546051852568690" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SH3DdWiRCHI/AAAAAAAAA2U/J0Vbjm6SAM8/s200/Shoot+the+Dog.jpg" border="0" /></a>This is something of a public service announcement. I can't tell you how many times I've heard clients/companies say "we'd like you to make a viral video for us." As <a href="http://www.gregverdino.com/">Greg Verdino</a> would say, "I think I just threw up in my mouth a little." People, people. It just doesn't work that way. You can't will something to be viral, any more than you can tell an author to go write a bestseller, a director to direct a blockbuster, or an 8 year-old to be a major-league ballplayer. Virality (if there is such a term) lies in results. It means that if you've created something worthy of passing along and comment, it will be more likely to reach epic heights on YouTube or whatever other way you're choosing to measure it. For companies looking to create the next viral video sensation, <a href="http://www.webinknow.com/">David Meerman Scott</a> recommends creating 10-20 videos in the hopes that maybe one of them will work. If you look at the how many videos actually reach viral status, he's probably right - if not even a little conservative. I hate to tell you, but you're probably not going to have a viral sensation on your hands. The best you can do is to create content that matters to your customers and prospects and give them the ability to share that content around. Oh, and the image above? It's taken from the January 1973 issue of <a href="http://www.marksverylarge.com/issues/7301.html">National Lampoon</a> magazine. The original caption was "If You Don't Buy This Magazine, We'll Kill This Dog." Related posts: <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/02/8387416/index.htm?postversion=2006091810">"A Mind-Blowing New Advertising Model" </a><a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2006/09/if-youre-going-to-do-viral-do-it-right.html">If You're Going to Do Viral, Do It Right</a> <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2006/11/research-entertainment-wildly.html">Research + Entertainment = Wildly Successful Campaign</a> <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2007/09/psst-want-secret-to-viral-marketing.html">Psst! Want the Secret to Viral Marketing?</a> Update (7/16 at 2:45 p.m.): This video was released by the guys at JibJab just 6 hours ago, and currently has bout 2,200 views on YouTube. I think it has qualities that will make it go viral - it's universally funny, it's topical, and you can pass it along. Let's track the numbers and see how they do over the course of the next week. <center><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/adc3MSS5Ydc&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/adc3MSS5Ydc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center> Update (7/23 at 5:10 p.m.): It's now a week since the release of the video, and I'll let you be the judge of the results. It stands at over 517,000 views. That's already more than their video from the 2004 election, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8Q-sRdV7SY">This Land</a>.

Why I Won't Make A Viral Video for You

This is something of a public service announcement. I can't tell you how many times I've heard clients/companies say " we'd...

Thank You, My Friends

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SHkCBW9PQNI/AAAAAAAAA2M/eTyEa3cQAYc/s1600-h/heart.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SHkCBW9PQNI/AAAAAAAAA2M/eTyEa3cQAYc/s200/heart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222207465278357714" border="0" /></a>This is the last post I'll be writing from the Boston area - or at least as a full-time resident of the Boston area - for the foreseeable future. I've lived in the region for 20 years and I've developed a number of friends and colleagues in the area, many through the advent of social media over the last couple of years. Last night, I was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roast_%28comedy%29">roasted</a> by a number of people who were kind enough to give up their Friday night and turn out for a very unique and memorable event. Instigated by none other than <a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/">Chris Brogan</a> and flawlessly orchestrated by <a href="http://www.roninmarketeer.com/">John Wall</a>, I was the recipient of fun-filled barbs at my expense. Admittedly, I'm an easy target for a roast, but when stacked up against the auto industry and Detroit, there's an abundance of material. Last night's roasters spared no expense. They included:<ul><li><a href="http://www.getgood.typepad.com/">Susan Getgood</a> - was a fine dinner companion who refrained from flinging insults at the end of the evening. </li><li><a href="http://www.techprgems.com/">Todd Van Hoosear</a> - a man with Michigan roots himself, he set me up with the 3-1-3 gang hand gesture that might get me out of a jam if caught in downtown Detroit</li><li><a href="http://www.roninmarketeer.com/">John Wall</a> - who noted that my new color a <a href="http://www.crayonville.com/blog">crayon</a> should be "turd brown"</li><li><a href="http://pistachioconsulting.com/">Laura "Pistachio" Fitton</a> - who still thinks there's an opportunity to monetize our <a href="http://twitter.com/twitterotica">Twitter concept</a></li><li><a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/">Chris Brogan</a> - who thought that crayon's thinning ranks should result in the company renaming itself "pencil"</li><li>Adam Zand - favoring his Elton glasses, he played the Henry-Ford-was-a-Nazi card </li><li><a href="http://www.lenedgerly.com/">Len Edgerly</a> - a class act, if ever I met one, he used skills akin to Sherlock Holmes to deduce why I would choose to go to Ford </li><li><a href="http://www.doughaslam.com/">Doug Haslam</a> - he compared me to that other Renaissance man, George Plimpton, leaving me with a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599210053?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1599210053">Paper Lion: Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1599210053" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" />. He also showed a copy of my crayon resignation letter:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3205/2659663493_c2840d2bda.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3205/2659663493_c2840d2bda.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></li></ul>John manned the control panel and took care of the audio recording of the entire event. I've got to say, I have a very funny and talented group of friends who unleashed without mercy. Since I've got a good sense of humor, I took it all in the spirit it was meant, but I also got a chance to <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/1325814">offer a rebuttal</a>. If you're not familiar with the concept of a roast, check out the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roast_%28comedy%29">Wikipedia definition</a>. According to tradition at the <a href="http://www.friarsclub.com/">Friars Club</a>, "we only roast the ones we love." I'm reminded of what the Wizard said to the Tin Man about his heart: <blockquote>A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.</blockquote>And after last night, my heart is filled with gratitude for the tribute paid to me by my friends, and not a little sadness for leaving Boston behind. It's a major hotbed of social media, with many bright, creative and selfless people. It's not going to be the same without you. Farewell, my Boston friends. I look forward to many more interactions, both online and off, where I'm sure we'll continue our collaborations and our friendship.

Thank You, My Friends

This is the last post I'll be writing from the Boston area - or at least as a full-time resident of the Boston area - for the foreseeabl...

Now That's One Savvy Entrepreneur

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.savvyauntie.com/badges/SavvyAuntieBadgeFlower.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.savvyauntie.com/badges/SavvyAuntieBadgeFlower.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Actually, I should probably say "Auntrepreneur." That's one term that's a good description for Melanie Notkin, the found of <a href="http://www.savvyauntie.com">SavvyAuntie</a>, a new online community for - you guessed it - aunts. Now before you start wondering about the relevance of a site specifically for aunts, just take a moment and think about all of the women in your life who aren't mothers. Odds are they've got nieces & nephews, either through family or friends. These are what Savvy Auntie calls ABRs or ABCs - Aunts by Relation or Aunts by Choice. This demographic has long been ignored, or at least not catered to the way that parents have been. And that's where <a href="http://www.savvyauntie.com">SavvyAuntie.com</a> comes in. One of the most shrewd observations about the PANK (Professional Aunt, No Kids) demographic is that these are professional women with disposable income. Marketing to parents assumes discretionary income exists, but most parents are weighed down by significant costs already, such as mortgage, saving for college, and household expenses related to raising kids. SavvyAuntie opens up the world of parenting advice and support for non-parents, providing sections titled Expertise, Activities, Gifts and Community designed just for Aunts and their perspective. For a more comprehensive review of the site, check out <a href="http://mashable.com/2008/07/09/savvyauntie/">Mashable's write-up</a>. I think it's a - dare I say it - savvy business move. The site really provides something that fills a gap, plus it has real value, aside from the cool "Web 2.0" concept. I'm also honored to be on the <a href="http://beta.savvyauntie.com/AboutAdvisory.aspx?Name=Our%20Advisory%20Board">advisory board</a> for SavvyAuntie, where I'll be offering advice on social media marketing. What I like most about this entire venture is that Melanie is an active member of the social media community - she writes <a href="http://blog.savvyauntie.com/">a blog about her experiences</a> in founding and running SavvyAuntie, and she's a very active and generous member of <a href="http://twitter.com/SavvyAuntie">Twitter</a>, where she continuously engages with others. I know this has been a significant method of getting out the word about the site, getting to know experts who in some cases have joined the advisory board, and most importantly, getting ideas and input for making the site as robust as it could be. But don't take my word for it; check out the site yourself. What do you think? Is this something that has some potential? Are there other features that should be included?

Now That's One Savvy Entrepreneur

Actually, I should probably say "Auntrepreneur." That's one term that's a good description for Melanie Notkin, the found o...

New WOM Concept: Shhh!

<a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/48/189326775_faebfa7475.jpg?v=0" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/48/189326775_faebfa7475.jpg?v=0" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>I don't know if it's a trend or if it's a clever way of handling a word-of-mouth (WOM) campaign, but I thought it deserved at least a passing mention. 
 
There have been a couple of outreach efforts lately that have encouraged the comments of online influencers, but have requested the influencers to avoid mentioning the product being promoted. 
 
When I was at <a href="http://www.crayonville.com/blog">crayon</a>, this is the approach that we used when we encouraged 25 influential bloggers, podcasters and authors to use <a href="http://www.oovoo.com/">ooVoo</a>. We wanted the technology to simply enable their conversations, rather than to be the focus of it, so we told them there was no requirement to talk about ooVoo, but instead, they should avoid it. The hero was conversation, not the client or the product. 
 
I recently learned of Lenovo's sponsorship of the Summer Olympics that incorporates 100 athletes blogging about their experiences under the title "<a href="http://summergames.lenovo.com/">Voices of the Olympic Games</a>." Ogilvy's Digital Influence group recruited 100 athletes from more than 30 sports and 25 countries, gave them all a Lenovo laptop and Flip camera and helped them to all start a blog or continue their existing blog, chronicling their experience at the Beijing Olympic Games. 
 
Ogilvy/Lenovo let the athletes know that there is no requirement to post positive opinions about Lenovo. The aim of this outreach, according to Rohit Bhargava, SVP of Digital Strategy at Ogily, is "to offer our technology to help them share their voices just as Lenovo is providing the technology to power the Athlete's Village at the actual games in Beijing." 
 
As long as the influencers disclose any relationship with sponsors, I think this is a solid and unobtrusive way to execute some WOM campaigns. 
 
 
Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/caitlinburke/189326775/" style="font-style: italic;">caitlinburke</a>

New WOM Concept: Shhh!

I don't know if it's a trend or if it's a clever way of handling a word-of-mouth (WOM) campaign, but I thought it deserved at le...

Honored to Be 1 of 237

<a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1247/1263985679_b53419d85a.jpg?v=0" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1247/1263985679_b53419d85a.jpg?v=0" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a>As you may know, <a href="http://www.ageofconversation.com/">The Age of Conversation 2</a> is going to be published at the end of the summer. As you can see, even the kids are getting in on the act. 
 
If you're not aware of this project, it's a collaborative effort led by <a href="http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/">Drew McLellan</a> and <a href="http://www.servantofchaos.com/">Gavin Heaton</a> that comprises the work of 237 individuals from across the globe - marketers, communicators, bloggers, and interested citizens who have something to say about the state of "conversation" in the business world today. It follows the very successful first edition, which had 103 authors. 
 This time around, the overall theme is "Why Don't People Get It?" and consists of subthemes such as My Marketing Tragedy, the Accidental Marketer, a New Brand of Creative, Moving from Conversation to Action, Keeping Secrets in the Age of Conversation, Manifestos, Business Model Evolution, and Life in the Conversation Lane. There are bound to be some real gems in there, not only because of Gavin's & Drew's able guidance, but because the list of authors is so impressive. You'll see some familiar names here, but I urge you to check out those you're not familiar with. Who knows? You may find a new favorite blog. 
<a href="http://www.zeusjones.blogspot.com/">Adrian Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.fallontrendpoint.blogspot.com/">Aki Spicer</a>, <a href="http://www.conversationmayhem.com/">Alex Henault</a>, <a href="http://www.shapingyouth.org/">Amy Jussel</a>, <a href="http://www.minutefix.com/technicianblog">Andrew Odom</a>, <a href="http://www.andynulman.com/">Andy Nulman</a>, <a href="http://www.damniwish.com/">Andy Sernovitz</a>, <a href="http://www.nowincolour.com/">Andy Whitlock</a>, <a href="http://www.angelamaiers.com/">Angela Maiers</a>, <a href="http://www.annhandley.com/">Ann Handley</a>, <a href="http://www.theengagingbrand.com/">Anna Farmery</a>, <a href="http://www.asourceofinspiration.com/">Armando Alves</a>, <a href="http://www.arunrajagopal.com/">Arun Rajagopal</a>, <a href="http://www.no-mans-blog.com/">Asi Sharabi</a>, <a href="http://www.customersrock.net/">Becky Carroll</a>, <a href="http://www.smallbizsurvival.com/">Becky McCray</a>, <a href="http://www.westandclear.com/">Bernie Scheffler</a>, <a href="http://ubereye.wordpress.com/">Bill Gammell</a>, <a href="http://flacklife.blogspot.com/">Bob LeDrew</a>, <a href="http://www.wordsellinc.com/">Brad Shorr</a>, <a href="http://www.blog.22squared.com/">Brandon Murphy</a>, <a href="http://www.branislavperic.com/">Branislav Peric</a>, <a href="http://www.itsjustbrent.com/">Brent Dixon</a>, <a href="http://www.brettmacfarlane.typepad.com/">Brett Macfarlane</a>, <a href="http://www.thinkingaboutmedia.com/">Brian Reich</a>, <a href="http://www.cc-chapman.com/">C.C. Chapman</a>, <a href="http://www.chaosscenario.com/">Cam Beck</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nakedcomms_cph/">Casper Willer</a>, <a href="http://cathleenritt.blogspot.com/">Cathleen Rittereiser</a>, <a href="http://www.creativesage.com/">Cathryn Hrudicka</a>, <a href="http://www.cedricgiorgi.com/">Cedric Giorgi</a>, <a href="http://coolmarketingstuff.blogspot.com/">Charles Sipe</a>, <a href="http://www.1goodreason.com/blog/">Chris Kieff</a>, <a href="http://successcreeations.com/">Chris Cree</a>, <a href="http://www.freshpeel.com/">Chris Wilson</a>, <a href="http://www.ck-blog.com/">Christina Kerley</a><a href="http://www.ck-blog.com/"> (CK)</a>, <a href="http://flooringtheconsumer.blogspot.com/">C.B. Whittemore</a>, <a href="http://www.brandandmarket.com/">Chris Brown</a>, <a href="http://www.conniebensen.com/">Connie Bensen</a>, <a href="http://www.everydotconnects.com/">Connie Reece</a>, <a href="http://organic-frog.com/">Corentin Monot</a>, <a href="http://mediahunter.com.au/">Craig Wilson</a>, <a href="http://danielhonigman.com/">Daniel Honigman</a>, <a href="http://personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com/">Dan Schawbel</a>, <a href="http://www.idea-sellers.com/">Dan Sitter</a>, <a href="http://www.socialhallucinations.com/">Daria Radota Rasmussen</a>, <a href="http://www.darrenherman.com/">Darren Herman</a>, <a href="http://www.thoughts-illustrated.blogspot.com/">Dave Davison</a>, <a href="http://darmano.typepad.com/">David Armano</a>, <a href="http://www.marketersstudio.com/">David Berkowitz</a>, <a href="http://www.mokummarketing.com/blog">David Koopmans</a>, <a href="http://www.webinknow.com/">David Meerman Scott</a>, <a href="http://digitalbiographer.com/">David Petherick</a>, <a href="http://www.reichcomm.typepad.com/">David Reich</a>, <a href="http://dsinsights.blogspot.com/">David Weinfeld</a>, <a href="http://www.davidzinger.com/">David Zinger</a>, <a href="http://whythulc.wordpress.com/">Deanna Gernert</a>, <a href="http://www.allwriteink.com/">Deborah Brown</a>, <a href="http://www.retailsmart.com.au/">Dennis Price</a>, <a href="http://derrickkwa.com/">Derrick Kwa</a>, <a href="http://www.chromainc.typepad.com/">Dino Demopoulos</a>, <a href="http://doughaslam.com/">Doug Haslam</a>, <a href="http://nextup.wordpress.com/">Doug Meacham</a>, <a href="http://www.mitchgroup.com/">Doug Mitchell</a>, <a href="http://www.serviceuntitled.com/">Douglas Hanna</a>, <a href="http://www.douglaskarr.com/">Douglas Karr</a>, <a href="http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/">Drew McLellan</a>, <a href="http://www.bandwidthcamp.com/">Duane Brown</a>, <a href="http://shakegently.com/">Dustin Jacobsen</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=193100555">Dylan Viner</a>, <a href="http://edbrenegar.typepad.com/">Ed Brenegar</a>, <a href="http://www.influxinsights.com/blog/">Ed Cotton</a>, <a href="http://thedailyandthenotso.blogspot.com/">Efrain Mendicuti</a>, <a href="http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/">Ellen Weber</a>, <a href="http://leadershipramblings.blogspot.com/">Eric Peterson</a>, <a href="http://unrepentantgeneralist.com/">Eric Nehrlich</a>, <a href="http://www.erniemosteller.typepad.com/">Ernie Mosteller</a>, <a href="http://farisyakob.typepad.com/">Faris Yakob</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/2/9a5/325">Fernanda Romano</a>, <a href="http://francisanderson.wordpress.com/">Francis Anderson</a>, <a href="http://www.garethkay.com/">Gareth Kay</a>, <a href="http://garydcohen.com/">Gary Cohen</a>, <a href="http://www.gauravonomics.com/blog">Gaurav Mishra</a>, <a href="http://www.servantofchaos.com/">Gavin Heaton</a>, <a href="http://brandopia.wordpress.com/">Geert Desager</a>, <a href="http://ivebeenmugged.typepad.com/">George Jenkins</a>, <a href="http://blogs.jobdig.com/wwds">G.L. Hoffman</a>, <a href="http://www.bizandbuzz.blogspot.com/">Gianandrea Facchini</a>, <a href="http://themarketer.typepad.com/">Gordon Whitehead</a>, <a href="http://gregverdino.typepad.com/">Greg Verdino</a>, <a href="http://www.channelvmedia.com/">Gretel Going</a><a href="http://www.channelvmedia.com/"> & Kathryn Fleming</a>, <a href="http://www.jacksonfish.com/">Hillel Cooperman</a>, <a href="http://www.workplaydogood.com/">Hugh Weber</a>, <a href="http://www.jerikpotter.com/">J. Erik Potter</a>, <a href="http://t4w.blogs.com/spinningaround">James Gordon-Macintosh</a>, <a href="http://jameyshiels.com/">Jamey Shiels</a>, <a href="http://blog.wonderwebby.com/">Jasmin Tragas</a>, <a href="http://jasonoke.wordpress.com/">Jason Oke</a>, <a href="http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com/">Jay Ehret</a>, <a href="http://www.writersnotes.net/">Jeanne Dininni</a>, <a href="http://www.principledinnovationblog.com/">Jeff De Cagna</a>, <a href="http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com/">Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral</a>, <a href="http://www.journeyguy.com/">Jeff Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/179/919">Jeff Wallace</a>, <a href="http://www.jenniferinc.com/blog">Jennifer Warwick</a>, <a href="http://www.dfbryant.com/">Jenny Meade</a>, <a href="http://blog.3rdmartini.com/">Jeremy Fuksa</a>, <a href="http://www.heilperngroup.com/blog">Jeremy Heilpern</a>, <a href="http://www.copypaste.co.uk/">Jeroen Verkroost,</a> <a href="http://indexed.blogspot.com/">Jessica Hagy</a>, <a href="http://www.confidentwriting.com/">Joanna Young</a>, <a href="http://blog.junta42.com/">Joe Pulizzi</a>, <a href="http://www.chaosscenario.com/">John Herrington</a>, <a href="http://www.brandautopsy.com/">John Moore</a>, <a href="http://www.stopwatchmarketing.com/blog/">John Rosen</a>, <a href="http://www.thewhetstoneedge.com/">John Todor</a>, <a href="http://jburg.typepad.com/future">Jon Burg</a>, <a href="http://levite.wordpress.com/">Jon Swanson</a>, <a href="http://www.digitalstreetjournal.com/">Jonathan Trenn</a>, <a href="http://www.telltenfriends.com/blog">Jordan Behan</a>, <a href="http://www.thedozenblog.com/">Julie Fleischer</a>, <a href="http://www.brandmilitia.com/">Justin Foster</a>, <a href="http://adedition.blogspot.com/">Karl Turley</a>, <a href="http://www.mynameiskate.ca/">Kate Trgovac</a>, <a href="http://katiechatfield.wordpress.com/">Katie Chatfield</a>, <a href="http://www.getfreshminds.com/">Katie Konrath</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/kennylauer">Kenny Lauer</a>, <a href="http://www.supperthymeusa.com/">Keri Willenborg</a>, <a href="http://www.enable-usability.com/">Kevin Jessop</a>, <a href="http://writenowisgood.typepad.com/">Kristin Gorski</a>, <a href="http://lgbusinesssolutions.typepad.com/">Lewis Green</a>, <a href="http://blog.foghound.com/">Lois Kelly</a>, <a href="http://modadimagno.blogspot.com/">Lori Magno</a>, <a href="http://www.thehumanimprint.typepad.com/">Louise Manning</a>, <a href="http://mindblob.typepad.com/">Luc Debaisieux</a>, <a href="http://www.melodiesinmarketing.com/">Mario Vellandi</a>, <a href="http://www.markblair.org/">Mark Blair</a>, <a href="http://herd.typepad.com/">Mark Earls</a>, <a href="http://transmissionmarketing.ca/">Mark Goren</a>, <a href="http://www.holycow.typepad.com/">Mark Hancock</a>, <a href="http://www.planningfromtheoutside.com/">Mark Lewis</a>, <a href="http://www.lateralaction.com/">Mark McGuinness</a>, <a href="http://technomarketer.typepad.com/">Matt Dickman</a>, <a href="http://www.mattjmcd.com/">Matt J. McDonald</a>, <a href="http://engineerswithoutfears.blogspot.com/">Matt Moore</a>, <a href="http://www.alldaybuffet.org/">Michael Karnjanaprakorn</a>, <a href="http://www.michellelamar.com/">Michelle Lamar</a>, <a href="http://www.mikearauz.com/">Mike Arauz</a>, <a href="http://www.grassshackroad.com/">Mike McAllen</a>, <a href="http://www.converstations.com/">Mike Sansone</a>, <a href="http://www.twistimage.com/blog">Mitch Joel</a>, <a href="http://neilperkin.typepad.com/">Neil Perkin</a>, <a href="http://www.nettiehartsock.com/">Nettie Hartsock</a>, <a href="http://www.nick-rice.com/blog">Nick Rice</a>, <a href="http://h.ua/profile/58299/">Oleksandr Skorokhod</a>, <a href="http://www.marketallica.wordpress.com/">Ozgur Alaz</a>, <a href="http://www.conversationalmediamarketing.com/">Paul Chaney</a>, <a href="http://www.incentive-intelligence.typepad.com/">Paul Hebert</a>, <a href="http://paulisakson.com/">Paul Isakson</a>, <a href="http://www.heehawmarketing.com/">Paul McEnany</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=4590528&trk=ia_muli_name">Paul Tedesco</a>, <a href="http://www.idea-sandbox.com/blog">Paul Williams</a>, <a href="http://www.petsgardenblog.com/">Pet Campbell</a>, <a href="http://www.buddyblog.com/">Pete Deutschman</a>, <a href="http://www.advercation.com/">Peter Corbett</a>, <a href="http://philgerbyshak.com/">Phil Gerbyshak</a>, <a href="http://www.brandelectioneering.com/blog">Phil Lewis</a>, <a href="http://www.phil.soden.com/">Phil Soden</a>, <a href="http://www.gettingpeopletodothings.be/blog">Piet Wulleman</a>, <a href="http://adver-whatever.typepad.com/">Rachel Steiner</a>, <a href="http://lap31.com/">Sreeraj Menon</a>, <a href="http://www.elementaltruths.com/">Reginald Adkins</a>, <a href="http://www.adliterate.com/">Richard Huntington</a>, <a href="http://gumpdesign.blogspot.com/">Rishi Desai</a>, <a href="http://middlezonemusings.com/">Robert Hruzek</a>, <a href="http://www.copywritingmaven.com/">Roberta Rosenberg</a>, <a href="http://brainbasedbiz.blogspot.com/">Robyn McMaster</a>, <a href="http://blog.creativethink.com/">Roger von Oech</a>, <a href="http://rohitbhargava.typepad.com/">Rohit Bhargava</a>, <a href="http://marketingroi.wordpress.com/">Ron Shevlin</a>, <a href="http://ryanbarrett.typepad.com/">Ryan Barrett</a>, <a href="http://ryankarpeles.blogspot.com/">Ryan Karpeles</a>, <a href="http://collaborativeideation.com/">Ryan Rasmussen</a>, <a href="http://www.leveragingideas.com/">Sam Huleatt</a>, <a href="http://www.purplewren.com/">Sandy Renshaw</a>, <a href="http://scottgoodson.typepad.com/">Scott Goodson</a>, <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/">Scott Monty</a>, <a href="http://www.creatingcontent.blogspot.com/">Scott Townsend</a>, <a href="http://www.brandidentityguru.com/wordpress">Scott White</a>, <a href="http://www.craphammer.ca/">Sean Howard</a>, <a href="http://www.twofortyeight.com/">Sean Scott</a>, <a href="http://www.ad-vocate.com/">Seni Thomas</a>, <a href="http://elgaffney.com/">Seth Gaffney</a>, <a href="http://www.afterthelaunch.com/">Shama Hyder</a>, <a href="http://www.sheilascarborough.com/">Sheila Scarborough</a>, <a href="http://www.phpmediapr.com/">Sheryl Steadman</a>, <a href="http://simonpayn.typepad.com/">Simon Payn</a>, <a href="http://remarcom.typepad.com/remarkable_communication/">Sonia Simone</a>, <a href="http://www.brainsonfire.com/blog">Spike Jones</a>, <a href="http://branddna.blogspot.com/">Stanley Johnson</a>, <a href="http://www.acidlabs.org/">Stephen Collins</a>, <a href="http://www.findsubstance.com/">Stephen Landau</a>, <a href="http://www.incontextmultimedia.com/">Stephen Smith</a>, <a href="http://www.sbannister.com/blog">Steve Bannister</a>, <a href="http://www.creativegeneralist.com/">Steve Hardy</a>, <a href="http://www.portigal.com/blog">Steve Portigal</a>, <a href="http://www.allthingsworkplace.com/">Steve Roesler</a>, <a href="http://www.minorissues.be/">Steven Verbruggen</a>, <a href="http://www.stickyfigure.com/">Steve Woodruff</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Sue_Edworthy/791975720">Sue Edworthy</a>, <a href="http://www.wf360.typepad.com/">Susan Bird</a>, <a href="http://www.womenonbusiness.com/">Susan Gunelius</a>, <a href="http://www.directmarketingmba.com/blog">Susan Heywood</a>, <a href="http://conflictzen.com/">Tammy Lenski</a>, <a href="http://terrellhappy.blogspot.com/">Terrell Meek</a>, <a href="http://www.directortom.com/">Thomas Clifford</a>, <a href="http://www.dydimustk.com/">Thomas Knoll</a>, <a href="http://usefullunacy.typepad.com/">Tim Brunelle</a>, <a href="http://www.livinginadigitalworld.com/">Tim Connor</a>, <a href="http://masiguy.blogspot.com/">Tim Jackson</a>, <a href="http://tim.mannveille.com/">Tim Mannveille</a>, <a href="http://www.strikeachord.com.au/">Tim Tyler</a>, <a href="http://carpefactum.typepad.com/">Timothy Johnson</a>, <a href="http://freetraffictip.com/">Tinu Abayomi-Paul</a>, <a href="http://bloombergmarketing.blogs.com/">Toby Bloomberg</a>, <a href="http://toddand.com/">Todd Andrlik</a>, <a href="http://www.troyrutter.com/">Troy Rutter</a>, <a href="http://www.troyworman.com/">Troy Worman</a>, <a href="http://www.conversationagency.wordpress.com/">Uwe Hook</a>, <a href="http://www.conversationagent.com/">Valeria Maltoni</a>, <a href="http://www.vandanaaa.blogspot.com/">Vandana Ahuja</a>, <a href="http://www.leadernetworks.com/">Vanessa DiMauro</a>, <a href="http://rabuteau.blog.ouestjob.com/">Veronique Rabuteau</a>, <a href="http://lifeloveandlearning.com/blog">Wayne Buckhanan</a>, <a href="http://www.azaroff.com/blog">William Azaroff</a>, <a href="http://ief.typepad.com/">Yves Van Landeghem</a> 
 Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11739182@N03/1263985679/">Kris Hoet</a>

Honored to Be 1 of 237

As you may know, The Age of Conversation 2 is going to be published at the end of the summer. As you can see, even the kids are getting in ...

Care to Help a Friend?

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SGrhV4krJQI/AAAAAAAAA1o/vFByZiI0ELU/s1600-h/DaveDelaney.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SGrhV4krJQI/AAAAAAAAA1o/vFByZiI0ELU/s200/DaveDelaney.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218230884341851394" border="0" /></a>Here's a cause you can get behind, and all you need is an eBay account. As I've been the recipient of my community's generosity before, I like to promote and participate in other similar efforts whenever possible. It comes down to the old phrase, "In order to have a friend, you need to be a friend." My friend Dave Delaney, who you can find on Twitter as <a href="http://twitter.com/davedelaney">@davedelaney</a> or on his blog <a href="http://blog.davemadethat.com/">Dave Made That</a> and his podcast <a href="http://www.twoboobsandababy.com/twoboobs/index.php">Two Boobs and a Baby +</a>, recently finished up a stint at Emma. But as fate would have it, a month later, they've come calling for their computer, which Dave thought was part of his severance package. That's not good news in any social media consultant's world, especially when it's a Macbook Pro. Dave is scrambling to put together some funds to make the new purchase, but obviously he wasn't prepared for it (not to mention that the "baby +" part of the equation means other priorities). So, he's put his brains and creativity to use and come up with a way for the community to help him out. He's got <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270251574464">an eBay auction running</a> where you can bid on the magic card used in his 8,000th tweet video (seen below). This is the perfect chance to help out a guy who has my full endorsement. Head on over and throw in a bid and let's see if we can get Dave up toward his goal! <center><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xXnBXW8YlnM&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xXnBXW8YlnM&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </center>

Care to Help a Friend?

Here's a cause you can get behind, and all you need is an eBay account. As I've been the recipient of my community's generosity ...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor