Blog

Apr19

Hawaiian Shirt Friday
by Brooke Roche in Branding, Social Media 1 comment
Social media for some businesses is a little like participating in Hawaiian Shirt Friday at the office. The company can kickback and relax, showing a bit more personality, but it certainly shouldn’t walk around the office barefoot while talking inappropriately to co-workers. The same principle should be applied when managing a business account on Twitter.
1. Use Your Company Name and Logo.
  It’s important to use the brand’s name and logo mark as the handle and avatar. That sounds so obvious, right? It should be. However, with the popularity of social media, brands become butchered and... read on
Apr07

Thanks for the Opportunity!
by Maggie Hames in Business, Public Relations, Social Media 4 comments

It’s been awhile since I’ve had the pleasure of attending an Indy Social Media Breakfast (@IndySM), a monthly networking and social media discussion open to all who are interested. We’ve had a whirlwind couple of months!

But this morning’s talk with Jay Baer (@JayBaer) was one I’m especially glad I was in attendance for. Not only was it great to see some of my favorite peers in the industry, but I was also able to participate in a thought-provoking conversation about the current state of social media – with some of the people who know it best.

Jay gave a captivating presentation about... read on
Apr01

SXSW 2011 Wrap Up
by Jon Immel in Business, Design, Interactive Services, Technology 0 comments

It’s time for my third annual South by Southwest (SXSW) wrap-up post. A vacation immediately following SXSW delayed my post this year, but hopefully my conference wrap-up details will more than make up for it.

Breaking Taboos (#taboo$)

This conversation led by Mark Hemeon and Whitney Hess, focused on discussing important project aspects with clients, regardless of how sensitive the topics may be. Budgets, payments, client representation and other key issues were brought up during this panel.

Whenever the topic of budget comes up, a defensive position seems to quickly follow by both... read on
Mar29

404 Page Not Found? No, thank you.
by Todd Kersey in Interactive Services, Technology 1 comment

One of the most frustrating things a user can encounter on the Internet is the “404 Page Not Found” error. It can pop up when a site is under construction, still in development, or found in search engine results for pages that have been moved. When the link lands on an error page that says nothing about where to look next, it creates a level of frustration for the website’s visitors.

Here are a few good reasons to create proper redirects:

Search Engines

When switching domains, web servers, or just moving content to a different part of a website, it will take some time for Google,... read on
Mar25

Keep it real—bag the stiff in the suit
by Justin Ohlemiller in Public and Governmental Affairs, Public Relations 0 comments

It’s one of the most common scenes in the world of public affairs. A new policy or idea is being touted, so the public official or government agency turns to their not-so-secret weapon . . . some PR stiff in a suit.

How do I know this? Because I was that PR stiff.

In my previous career as a spokesperson for a mayor and a member of Congress, I was trotted out on literally hundreds of occasions to sell policy positions or pump up accomplishments of the office.

Every agency, public office or company has to have the ability to effectively explain decisions and policies to a broader... read on
Mar22

The Art of Juggling
by Tommy Hudock in 4 comments

The year was 1988; the up and coming actor was Tom Cruise. His occupation, bartender. The setting, “Cocktails & Dreams” New York’s hottest club scene.

Wait, don’t stop reading! I admit, I may have chosen the wrong overly jubilant couch-jumping actor to write about this week, but I do have a point. Tom Cruise was a master at juggling multiple items and requests, keeping orders and needs moving, all while being highly nimble and agile to catch the impending spilled drink or broken glass.

Call it what you will but flair bartenders and jugglers are very much like well-oiled and efficient... read on
Mar16

A SXSW Virgin
by Maggie Hames in 3 comments

I often find myself convincing my (non-industry) friends that there’s a lot more to my job than tweeting all day. Besides, what could be hard about that? It’s only 140 characters. Communication strategy, the latest in content writing, and the future of PR often cause many an eye to glaze over.

So imagine my delight when I arrived at South by Southwest (SXSW), a place full of experienced professionals who are just as passionate about the industry as I am. For those of you that don’t know (like my friends), SXSW Interactive is an annual five-day conference filled with presentations and... read on
Mar10

Breaking News!
by TrendyMinds Staff in 6 comments

You can do a lot of things in 15 years. In my case, I covered what happened to other people. Tragedy, elation, corruption, victory, comedy, errors. I have just about seen it all. I interviewed presidents one day and John Smith the next. Sometimes, (actually more often than not) John was more fascinating than powerful leaders. I saw people at their best and at their lowest possible point. I talked to grieving mothers and people battling horrendous diseases with grace. It was within their depth that I learned what true compassion looks like.

I discovered that you can never take... read on