The first time I usually mention Delicious as a tool to a client or prospect, they look at me a little funny. And, with good reason. Delicious isn’t exactly Facebook when it comes to critical mass and social tools people use regularly online. In fact, it’s far from it. But, in certain situations (especially B2B organizations), Delicious can be an incredibly effective tool for building thought leadership, inspiring ideas and getting smart as a team.

What do I mean? Here are five quick ways your organization can use Delicious to achieve your goals:

* Share interesting posts with your customers to build thought leadership. The obvious use and the way most organizations use Delicious as an external tool. Just look how the CME Group uses Delicious to share interesting posts with key stakeholders impacted by their exchanges. By sharing these links and stories with their audiences, they’re demonstrating that, as an organization, they are plugged in to the world around them and committed to sharing information to make their key audiences smarter and better consumers of information.

* Share posts/articles internally with co-workers. Not as widely employed, but an effective method to share articles within an organization. Think about it. If you had employees or leaders spread across different audience (or employees who traveled frequently), you could ask them to share and tag articles on Delicious as a way for you all to get smarter–and to stay one step ahead of your competitors. But, more than just a way to get smarter, these posts and articles could inspire blog posts of your own, newsletter articles, white papers and other unique content you can use to demonstrate thought leadership in the market.

* Use the Inbox as a way to build community and start relationships. One often-unused Delicious strategy involves using the inbox functionality as a way to build and grow relationships with other thought leaders, customers and potential customers. Using the inbox you can send private bookmarks to other Delicious users. Think of it as another way to share an interesting post with a colleague, partner or customer (much like you probably do with email now–”thought you might find this post interesting…”). However, using Delicious (unlike email), will allow that post to be archived forever–or, as long as the person you’re sending the link to is a Delicious user. Interesting way to build trust with other Delicious users.

* Use Delicious as a search engine to source blog ideas. Delicious is an unheralded tool to search for interesting posts around keywords/topics, too. Granted, it’s not the best search tool out there, but it will enable you to find articles and posts that many others found interesting–big value in that.

* Review bookmarks of thought leaders for posts to share. For most, a source of content for sharing on Twitter or Facebook is an RSS reader (i.e., Google Reader, Feedly, etc.)–all the blogs you follow and watch on a daily basis. But, what if you used Delicious in a similar fashion to complement that strategy? What if you followed and “networked” with industry thought leaders who you knew used Delicious and shared the links/posts they were tagging on a regular basis (and credited them in the tweet). Nice way to unearth new content–and a good community-building approach to boot.

5 ways to build thought leadership by using Delicious is a post from: Communications Conversations

We made a stop at Jimmy Johns sandwich shop this weekend as a family (disclaimer: I’m a huge Jimmy John’s fan–and no, they are not a client of ACH Communications). One of the first things you notice when walking through the front door is the headlines. They’re everywhere.

On table tents. On the cash register. On the walls. Heck, they’re even in the bathroom.

And, all these different media have one thing in common: They aim to stop you in your tracks.

As you may know, Jimmy Johns brand is playful, irreverant, unique. If you’ve seen their broadcast commercials or heard their radio spots, you know what I’m talking about.

And their in-store experience is really no different. All these headlines are “track-stopping” headlines. They’re not your garden-variety table tents, posters and signs. They want to shock you. To make you say, “whoa, that’s funny.” Or, “man, that’s pretty creative.” It all supports their brand. And it makes a whole lot of sense.

What’s more, the table tents, posters and signage in store is short, crisp and to-the-point. Most of the signage I saw contained little more than the headline.

What’s my point? Many brands have a propensity to want to say too much when it comes to marketing and advertising messages. Think about billboards. As an advertiser, you have about 3 seconds to grab the driver’s attention, relay one quick key message and a call to action. That’s it–no more.

How often do you see that? I might argue not enough.

Why? Because brands want to talk about themselves an awful lot. And why wouldn’t they? With all the features and benefits most products and services have to offer, you could go on for quite a while.

But, these brands forget one key tenet when it comes to most media these days: Less is usually more.

Just look at the Jimmy Johns collateral described above. For those folks reading this post in the Twin Cities, think about the HealthPartners campaign–they rely on a visual and usually one or two words.

Translate that to the online world. When it comes to blogging, less can definitely be more. Think about Seth Godin. While I’m not the biggest Godin fan, I definitely respect his work. Most of his posts are less than three paragraphs. Quick, to the point, and it makes you think.

Wanna talk social networking? Think about the Old Spice campaign. Sure, the real-time nature of the videos was a huge part of it success, but each video was less than a minute long. That meant virtually anyone could make the time to watch it. In essence, Mustafa had less than a minute to make you laugh.

Or, what about Twitter? Shorter is usually better anyway on that platform–if for no other reason than it encourages retweets (remember you only have a 140 characters and some folks’ handles get kinda long).

What do you think? Is less really more when it comes to branding and online efforts? Or, is there a case to be made for “more is more”? Love to hear your thoughts.

Why less is more when it comes to headlines is a post from: Communications Conversations

Last year, I organized a list of the top 20 social media innovators in Minnesota. It was a community-based list–the community nominated and voted for all 20 of those folks. And despite some negative feedback, a year later, it’s still a pretty solid list (although my one regret is allowing myself to be nominated–pretty lame in hindsight. Live and learn, right?).

But, it is a year later. And a lot has changed. People have changed jobs. Founded new companies. And moved a lot of needles.

So, I wanted to revisit the concept. But, this time, I thought I’d just share my views on 11 people who have moved the needle in the social media world by generating one little thing: Results. This isn’t a popularity contest–these are folks who took risks, pushed others to think differently or advanced the digital space locally in some way, shape or form.

Here you have it. Who would you add and why?

* Greg Swan. Greg continues to set the bar high for digital thought leadership in this market. As one of the leaders of Weber Shandwick’s digital team, Greg has played a lead role in a number of accounts, including the U.S. Army’s foray into social media. Without question one of a handful of folks in town I look to for advice and ideas on a regular basis. And, oh by the way, he also runs a pretty successful music blog, Perfect Porridge and organized a religious social media group, #smsheps.

* Lee Odden. The numbers speak for themselves. TopRank’s blog is killing. Lee is speaking at events across the globe. And while I don’t have hard numbers, I’m guessing his business is doing pretty darn well, too. The guy is on fire. But, here’s the thing: You would never know it by talking to him. Lee’s success definitely hasn’t gone to his head, which is what I love about him. Humble to the core. Apparently, nice guys don’t finish last.

* Mykl Roventine/Meg Canada. One of my favorite local events continues to be Unsummit. From the unconference feel to the wide-ranging speaker and topic list to the new venue, Unsummit has grown up in the last year. And Mykl and Meg have been steering the ship (plus they’re not afraid to take risks–like this!).

Glee-like Video – UnSummit4 from Mykl Roventine on Vimeo.

Sure, they had help from folks willing to speak and pitch in, but Mykl and Meg have done the heavy lifting. And it’s paid off in my view. Events like this are helping us all get smarter locally in the digital realm.

* Nancy Lyons/Meghan Wilker. Sure, those darn Geek Girls notebooks are EVERYWHERE in this town (that’s a metric in itself–number of notebooks found in agency, corporate and meeting spaces throughout the Twin Cities , but that’s not why these two stand out in the crowd. It’s their content. It’s the presentations I’ve seen them give. And it’s the way they do business and the actions they exhibit each day online–and off. At least from where I sit. Oh, and that Geek Girls idea: Brilliant (even though I know it’s a couple years old–I still love it).

* Erica Mayer. You can’t go two minutes on Twitter without seeing an avatar that’s been shot by Erica. And, it was all for charity. Charity Water, to be specific. Yes, Erica’s honed a reputation as someone devoted to giving back–not only to the community, but to the world. I think of her as our local version of Danny Brown (founder of 12for12k). In the last year, Erica has raised more than $11,00 for Charity Water–almost entirely by herself. That’s not just innovative–it’s incredible.

* Lee Aase. The “father of social media in health care”, Lee remains one of the true leaders in the Minnesota digital scene. He may be a bit overlooked here in the Cities because he’s down in Rochester, but I know a number of folks still look to him for ideas and guidance in this field (including me). And, even though Lee had early success at Mayo Clinic and with his popular SMUG blog, he hasn’t rested on his laurels. Recently, Lee played a lead role in helping the organization roll out its new Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media.

* Don Ball/Kyle Coolbrath/Zack Steven. If you’re a solo-preneur in Minneapolis/St. Paul, you surely know Don, Kyle and Zack. These three gentleman brought co-working to Minnesota. By creating collaborative, open work environments (CoCo in St. Paul and Third Place in Como) that are affordable (relatively speaking), these three gentleman have given solos/freelancers another option in town–one that really just hasn’t existed before.

Anyone you would add to the list? Minnesotans who have moved the needle in 2010? Please share your ideas–and results.

11 Minnesotans that moved the social media needle in 2010 is a post from: Communications Conversations

With so many experts, gurus and “mavens” (that’s my favorite, by far) telling people how they should and shouldn’t build engaged communities online, I think it’s funny we often forget that solid external communities often start right within our organization’s four walls.

Yes, simple corporate communications strategies and tactics can go a long ways toward building the external-facing communities companies crave right now.

What am I talking about?

Think about the organizations that are successful online right now. Look at Zappos? What’s made them successful isn’t their Twitter accounts, it’s the trust and open culture Tony Hsieh has worked hard to build. And, it’s the fact that he purposefully trains and trusts his employees with the brand in a very open and public way.

Or, what about Southwest Airlines? By all accounts, a fun, exciting and fulfilling place to work. Management has fostered a culture that embraces many voices speaking on the company’s behalf. And, it’s an organization that’s aligned all the way from CEO to customer service.

Finally, as a curve ball, what about the U.S. Army? Here’s one of the most hierarchichal organizations on earth–and they’ve worked extremely hard to give their front-line soldiers a voice online. That didn’t happen without a ton of trust and communication internally first.

So, what corporate communication strategies can you take from these companies and start implementing at yours as a way to build stronger external communities?

Focus on middle management. We spend so much time talking about how executives need to support social tools before employing them across an organization, but we spend very little time talking about getting middle management’s buy in. And, I tend to think that’s just as–if not more–important. Why? Think about who really directs the work of any organization–it’s not senior leaders. It’s middle management. If these folks aren’t bought in, your grand social media plans ain’t goin’ nowhere. Work hard to make sure these folks know what’s up from the get-go. Include them in planning meetings. Make sure they’re in the room when you’re developing your social media policy. And, make an extra effort to get them involved in some way, shape or form. It will pay off in the end as employees will see them embracing the shift/tools (and as a result, they will, too) and senior leaders will take pride knowing their teams are executing their vision.

Open up the lines of communication. If you’re going to build truly engaged communities externally, why not start internally by opening up the communications floodgates. Give staff-level folks VIP access to executives and senior leaders (start an “Ask the CEO” section on your intranet, ask your senior leaders to attend monthly brown bags with staff). By opening up the lines of communication internally, you will be setting the foundation for how you behave and act as an organization externally. Employees take their cues from leadership, remember. You want them to mimic the right behaviors.

Coach your spokespeople–for social media. Sure, you coach your spokespeople for mainstream media interviews with broadcast and print outlets. But, what about speeches executives give at national trade conferences? Won’t nuggets from those presentations get picked up by journalists or attendees and passed along via blog posts, Twitter or notes in LinkedIn? What about meetings with customers or vendors? In today’s world, you have to almost assume people will share information externally after the meeting. So, you should think about training and coaching your management team appropriately.

Build trust (repeat…and repeat again). Without question the most important aspect of community building: Winning trust (great post about this issue from my friend, Ari Adler, here). Internally, within organizations, it’s no different. And, it’s just as hard. Problem is, there’s no easy answer or solution. But there are usually a slew of opportunities. Leaders build trust by giving their staff the spotlight instead of hogging it for themselves. Leaders build trust by looking for opportunities to give their staff chances for success. Leaders build trust by talking about “us” and “we” instead of “I.” Leaders build trust by caring about their employee (not just lip service–for example, a CEO sending a staff-level employee a personal note telling him/her how much he appreciates their efforts the last few months). Remember, actions are MUCH louder than words. The opportunities are everywhere–and sometimes, it’s the smallest ones that make all the difference.

Note: Photo courtesy of The Great Beyond via FlickR Creative Commons.

4 corporate communication tips that will help build engaged communities is a post from: Communications Conversations

In case you didn’t notice, Facebook is constantly tinkering with its functionality, features and tools. In many ways, it’s a good thing. They’re always working to improve the platform–to improve the “user experience.”

On the flip side, it makes it tough to keep up with all the changes when the social media giant is introducing an update, change or tweak every week.

Along the way, I know I’ve missed a number of key updates, only to realize them a few weeks (or in some cases a month or so) later.

I’ve learned to become a voracious reader of three blogs: The official Facebook blog, Inside Facebook and All Facebook (the unofficial Facebook blog). Keeping up with these blogs has allowed me to stay up-to-date on the latest goings-on inside Facebook-ville.

Recently, Facebook has rolled out some changes that might impact you and your work a bit more than you think. Take a peek–and pass it along to those who you think might be impacted:

* Facebook Questions. This feature isn’t live for everyone yet, but when it does go live it has the potential to change the way people source information on the massive platform. By giving users the opportunity to crowd-source answers to basic questions, this tool could actually revolutionize the way people interact on Facebook. For brands, the opportunity is pretty big, too. Think about common questions that pop up around your brand (not just product/service-specific, but questions relating to topics around your brand). You’ll have an opportunity to listen to those questions–and see how other fans, customers and users are responding (remember, Questions will be on Community Pages, too). And, you should have the chance to weigh in with information that may influence purchase decisions.

* Multiple users can now access advertising accounts. For bigger brands, I’m guessing this has been a big issue. You have an advertising account, but only the creator can access the account, create ads and monitor results. With this recent change, you can give multiple admins access to the advertising info–huge for teams who need back-ups and agency partners to get to that information.

* Threaded comments for multiple posts of the same link. Facebook recently added an interesting piece of functionality. Any time a number of your friends post the same link, it will aggregate the posts and show comments and likes in threaded form. What does this mean for brands? It should give users and brands a better sense for topics that are “trending” and which posts more fans are talking about.

* Facebook ads now show friend reviews. You know all about “endorsed” ads–or those ads that are “liked” by your friends. But, Facebook recently took that concept one step further and added friend “reviews” to the mix. With a five-star rating framework now in place, not only can you see if friends like a brand page, but you can also see specifically how they feel about the brand, product or service. Especially helpful with retail products and service-based organizations (think health care providers).

* No more boxes. Two potentially huge changes for brand pages will take effect the week of Aug. 23, according to Facebook. The first, the removal of “boxes” for brand pages. Typically, this means those boxes brands have inserted on the left-hand-side of  Wall pages. These sometimes include policies or rules. If your page does have a box on the left-hand-side, consider moving that content to the Info tab or a custom tab. Secondly, Facebook is also changing the width of its custom tabs to 520 pixels. What does this mean? If you’ve created a custom tab, you need to change the width to 520 pixels–period. With all the FBML custom tabs brands are employing, this change affects more pages than you might think.

Note: Photo is courtesy of Franco Bouly via FlickR Creative Commons.

5 recent Facebook changes you may not know about (but should) is a post from: Communications Conversations

It’s not a new issue. In fact, it’s been going on far before social media burst on the scene. When is it OK to charge for content?

Chris Brogan faced this issue earlier this year when he launched Third Tribe Marketing.

On the other hand, online publishers like MarketingProfs and Mashable probably give away more useful content than they should each day–but, it’s all in an effort to make money in other ways, obviously (advertising, events, memberships, etc.) Heck, even solo consultants give away a ton of free content–see Jason Baer and Jason Falls’ blogs and e-newsletters–in an effort to drive business (sign up for those two e-newsletters now, if you haven’t already, by the way).

So, when does it make sense to give away content, and when does it make sense to charge for it?

Yesterday, right here in Minnesota, we had yet another example of this debate when our very own Social Media Breakfast chapter decided to start charging for events ($10+tax). My friend, Paul DeBettignies blogged about his reaction yesterday (check out the comments). Reactions were mixed, with more folks falling on the “it’s definitely worth it” side–at least initially.

For me, the content debate is pretty simple: Create quality, compelling content, and audiences will follow.

Period.

Want examples? How about Harvard Business Review? What about The Huffington Post? Heck, what about TED?

All examples of organizations that pride themselves on top-shelf content. And, audiences (and dollars) have followed.

One issue at play in all this is the notion that, thanks to the social Web, more people expect more for free these days. But think about it: Don’t you pay for content in other areas of your life?

What about your trade organization? You certainly pay for content there (PRSA, AdFed, MIMA, IABC, AMA).

What about your newspaper subscription (yes, some people do actually still read the hard copy newspaper)? Definitely still paying for that (although fewer and fewer people are).

What about books? Those aren’t free.

So, why do we make such a big stink when it comes to online content and events like our Social Media Breakfast right here in Minnesota?

Sure, there may be some other factors at play with the SMB issue locally (should it be a volunteer-led organization, or a more professional organization?), but in the end it really comes down to content. If SMB is providing quality content–I’m going. If they’re not, I’m not. It’s not rocket science, right?

Care to weigh in? When is it OK to charge for content?

Note: Image courtesy of pr1001 via FlickR Creative Commons.

When is it OK to charge for content? is a post from: Communications Conversations

I have a number of passions in life. One of them, it seems, is helping people find jobs. I find myself gravitating toward that work often. It led me to organize a one-day “tweet-a-thon” to help my friends Scott Hepburn and Sonny Gill (who were both looking at the time). It led me to co-found Help a PR Pro Out with my good friend, Valerie Simon. And, I’m constantly looking to match employers with candidates locally as I often hear of opportunities that never go public.

In this work, I’ve had the good fortune to hear about a number of creative ways to go about the job search. Today, I thought I’d share a few of those ideas–some I’ve picked up from friends and colleagues (during HAPPO, for example) and others I’ve just long thought would be interesting approaches.

* Offer up a digital audit of the agency’s/corporation’s activities. A friend of mine employed this approach earlier this year, and I thought it was brilliant. Come prepared with a full audit of the organization’s social activities and talk about how they could use that information to better their online strategies. Trust me, they’ll be impressed. Not only will they have practical thinking they can actually use when you leave the room, but they’ll also know you understand how to work up an audit and take the findings and apply them to a client’s needs. Believe me when I say, that will make a huge difference with the folks you’re interviewing with. And if it doesn’t, well, you probably didn’t want to work with that particular employer anyway.

* Make a video pitch. One of the tactics we encouraged folks to take earlier this year as part of HAPPO was to develop a video pitch–a 3-4 minute video that tells prospective employers who you are, what you do and why they should hire you (here’s a great example from Mary Krueger earlier this year).

The beauty of the video pitch is it gets beyond the limits of pen-and-paper. Employers will be able to see you in the flesh. They’ll get a better feel for who you are. Remember, “fit” accounts for a lot in the hiring process.

* Give the agency/organization 3 big ideas to consider for the rest of the year. Similar to the audit, walking in with three big ideas the agency/organization can use should really impress the hiring manager and anyone else in the room. Make sure the ideas are relevant, easily understandable and executable (don’t go suggesting a $200,000 campaign for a small business or niche agency). If it was me, I’d even throw them in a Powerpoint or Prezi deck/show and present it just like they were a client. Go all out–what do you have to lose?

* Let your friends do your talking for you. You know how most agencies/firms ask for your references right before they’re about to hire you? Why not move that process up a bit? Ask three trusted colleagues/fans to send a note to the hiring manager telling them why you’d be a fantastic candidate for the job–in their own words. The trick is to find the right three colleagues. Ideally, you want people the hiring manager knows–or has heard of. In this case, I might suggest using LinkedIn to find out who the hiring manager is connected to from your network.

* Write a blog thank you. A friend of mine (Dana Hughens) recently had a candidate who thanked her for an interview via a blog post (she also sent a private note and posted a note on her Facebook page). The end result? The candidate got the job. If you’re applying for a job in the digital realm, why not put one of the primary tactics to good use?

* Create a blog devoted exclusively to your job search. Granted this approach would take some extra effort, but you are looking for a job, right? Just take the time and energy you’re using updating your resume and put it towards creating a killer blog/site that highlights your strengths, experience and accolades. Make the site your virtual resume. Highlight projects you’ve led in the past–and results. Ask former colleagues to record a video testimonial. Record your own three-minute video that allows you to talk about yourself and how you could help an organization. Link to other online properties you’re involved with–including guest posts on prominent PR/marketing/social media blogs (if you haven’t done this yet, start now) and other online projects you’ve been a part of.

Have you seen any particularly creative approaches to the job search? Care to share?

6 creative ways to land a job in digital PR is a post from: Communications Conversations

It’s no secret: Foursquare (and other location-based applications like it) are as hot as White Board Jenny these days (can you sense the sarcasm here?). More than 1 million people are now checking in on Foursquare each day. Businesses are starting to salivate at the data now available to them. Meanwhile user numbers continue to climb steadily each month.

Meanwhile, if you’ve been on Twitter for any length of time the last 6-9 months, you’ve undoubtetely noticed the trend. More people are broadcasting their Foursquare “check-ins” to their  Twitter followers, too. Within the mobile app, this requires little more than a check of an extra box–a simple, easy way to let folks know where you are and what you’re doing.

Why wouldn’t you broadcast your check-ins via Twitter every time? It’s fast and easy, right?

I polled a few folks on Twitter earlier this week and seemed to get a mixed bag. Some were completely annoyed by the Foursquare check-ins while others thought they added value if additional context was added:

But, I will say the feedback definitely skewed a bit more toward the “annoying” side of this discussion (anecdotally). In fact, some folks were even filtering out (or unfollowing in some cases) folks who were posting check-ins via Twitter.

On the flip side, there weren’t too many people that out-and-out said they loved the check-ins on Twitter–most were of the “I put up with them if they add context to the check-in” variety. Also, the folks at HubSpot gleaned some interesting data that tells us folks who *don’t* post check-ins to Twitter (and Facebook) tend to have more friends and badges.

Now, let’s think about this from the brand perspective for a moment. Surely, people sharing their check-ins has value for brands, right? What’s not to like? Your company, hotel, restaurant or coffee shop’s brand gets shared with thousands of Twitter followers, brand affinity grows and cash registers start ringing, right?

Before we jump to conclusions, let’s consider the facts.

Each check-in on Twitter provides the name of the business and location (address). Check.

Each time you check in, you also have the opportunity to add your own context to the tweet–which some do, and some don’t. Check.

That’s it, right?

Outside of the lift (arguable) in name and brand recognition, how exactly does that help my brand again?

I’m just not sure tweeting that I’m at X location helps brands achieve key business goals online. Am I off here?

Surely, I see the value of Foursquare as a platform. I’m still an avid user (not as much as I used to be, but I still check-in once in a while). And, I clearly see the value for brands (in select circumstances). I’ve also made a concerted effort to add tips at my favorite places (Caribou, Bryant-Lake Bowl and a few other local haunts come to mind) more recently.

From a personal viewpoint, I get the benefit of checking in and scanning to see where folks are hanging out. I hear that’s how the cool kids hit the town these days and meet up at night (I wouldn’t know–haven’t been “out” in more than five years .

But, from a brand perspective (to be clear, I’m not an expert in location-based applications–I’ll leave that to smart folks like Wayne Sutton), I see the value of Foursquare as the ability to incent and reward customers for specific actions online–and to be able to do it with a hyper geo-targeted scope as a way to increase brand loyalty.

But, given all this, people continue to broadcast their Foursquare check-ins on Twitter anyway.

What do you think? Does broadcasting your Foursquare check-ins on Twitter really add value for brands? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Note: Photo courtesy of Nan Palmero via FlickR Creative Commons.

Does broadcasting your Foursquare check-ins on Twitter really add value for brands? is a post from: Communications Conversations

How do you generate ideas for your blog? It’s a question I hear often from friends, fellow bloggers and clients alike.

Let’s face it. Everyone runs into writer’s block from time to time–some more than others. But, if you have systems and processes in place to mine post ideas on a regular basis, you should have a full “draft” folder at all times.

Here are 13 ways to come up with blog post ideas on a weekly basis:

* Hop on your favorite Twitter chat for 15 minutes. You’re bound to uncover a nugget or idea you can explore further in a post. My favorites include #pr20chat, #journchat and #blogchat.

* Scour the daily news. Review your daily news sites and look for nuggets, news items and angles you can play off in a post. I’m constantly looking for a digital PR angle in current events (witness last week’s Brett Favre post).

* Bookmark, bookmark, bookmark. I find that 10 minutes with my Delicious account at the end of the week is a great way to look for post ideas. I bookmark so many great posts in my regular reading over the course of a week–my Delicious account is just full of nuggets by week’s end.

* Live blog conferences and events. Chances are you’re going to take notes at that industry conference anyway. Why not make it into a blog post in real time. Easy content opportunity (good example from my friend Tony Saucier who live-blogged BlogWorld last year).

* Pay attention to your daily interactions. It’s amazing the ideas that come to you when you always have your blog filter on. For example, the other day I was having lunch with my family at Jimmy Johns. The posters in that store always kill me–and they had one that read “We’d love to see you naked” in huge letters. Of course, the small print read: “But state code requires shoes and shirt.” Gave me a spark for an upcoming post about the impact of a good headline.

* Look for ideas in your email chains. Ever go back at the end of a long day and browse through your email? I do–and it’s a great way to mine post ideas. Conversations with clients (you don’t have to name the client, remember–talk about the concept you’re discussing instead). Discussions with colleagues about professional development. Or, a back-and-forth with a friend about a news item. You might be surprised what you find.

* Don’t forget the comments. Danny Brown recently talked about mining for gold in the comments section of your blog. I couldn’t agree more. After all, the comments are frequently more compelling than the actual post. Browse the comments in your own posts–and a few of your favorite blogs–for post ideas regularly.

* Take a favorite post and giver your perspective. Friends Scott Hepburn and Gini Dietrich just did this last week as they built off Jason Falls’ initial post about consultants offering incentive-based pricing. Great idea–wish we saw more of this “continuous conversation” post strategy.

A few additional ideas from friends and colleagues across the Web:

* See a random word, question or headline and twist it into a blog post. For example random words like “recipe,” “clash,” or “pyramid” could all be something to wrap a blog topic around some day. I push myself to find inspiration far outside the usual “echo chamber” – even through art and music — because I want to blog where no one has blogged before. (fantastic suggestions from Mark Schaefer)

* Check your Google Analytics. The phrases people search to arrive at your blog can be fascinating sources of ideas. Make sure to stop by Google Analytics regularly for a good look. (Great idea from Becky McCray)

* Reflect back on your week. Think back on the problems and challenges you faced during the workweek–and consider the solutions you came up with. Was it a particularly creative solution? If so, it would probably make a compelling post. Great idea by Christina Khoury.

*Insights from current projects. Think about your current client work. Is there a particularly interesting ethical challenge you’re facing? Or, maybe you took a different approach to a common problem. Whatever the case, there’s probably a post or two each week just in your everyday client work. (Nice add by Alison Lewis)

I’d like to close this post with a thoughtful comment from Edward Boches, chief creative officer at Mullen. I asked Edward what inspired him when it comes to posts. Here was his response:

“I find inspiration everywhere: industry news, new technologies, consumer behavior, the social dialog among the community of thought leaders I follow. I try not to make my blog a simple stream of what I’m seeing, hearing, reading, watching.  Rather I want it to add real value to readers, peers, employees and clients. So my preference is to look for interesting things to dissect and take lessons from.  For example, what can we learn from the NY Times use of social media? How can marketers obsession with Facebook teach us to be better at overall strategy?  What does consumer participation in news events and story spreading tell us about how to mobilize our followers?  What does it mean for the future of crowd-sourced video if the iPhone 4 lets you edit and post movies directly to YouTube. In short, I look for things that I can turn into lessons or meaning.  That way I don’t simply regurgitate, but add value and clarify my own thinking in the process.”

Well said, Edward.

What inspires you when you’re trying to brainstorm post ideas? I’d love to hear more about your process.

13 ways to find your blog inspiration is a post from: Communications Conversations

Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that good ol’ #4 knows what he’s doing on the football field. He’s a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, a Super Bowl champ and one of the best quarterbacks of all time.

I had the privilege to watch Favre up close last year as he led my Purple to a near-Super Bowl run (Note: I haven’t forgiven the Saints yet for that beating–and I’m sure I probably never will. You hear that Tom Martin?).

But, I bet you didn’t know there are a number of PR lessons you can learn from #4.

Yes, despite his “diva” status and his fascination and addiction to the limelight, you can learn an awful lot from Brett Favre. Let me explain:

* Focus squarely on your goals. At this point in his career, Favre has one goal: To win a Super Bowl. Nothing else matters. Nothing. As a fan, I love that attitude. As an owner, I’m guessing Mr. Wilf does, too. Now think about how laser-focused you are on your PR goals each day? Are you constantly thinking about those goals and how you can achieve them? If not, you’re missing an opportunity to move the needle for your clients or organization every day. Maybe you print out a copy of your goals and stick it right next to your computer so it stays front-and-center. Maybe your screen-saver is a screen-grab of your key corporate goals. Whatever the case, be relentless about pursuing these goals. It’s key to your success.

* Learn to play through pain. Brett Favre has started a record 285 straight NFL games. A record I’m quite sure won’t be broken anytime soon (Peyton may catch him, but I’d say it’s still a long shot). In fact, given the sport and the punishment QBs take, it might be one of the most remarkable records in all of pro sports. But, Favre only earned that record by playing through a decent amount of pain. The guy is an iron horse. As PR practitioners, we need to learn how to “play through pain”, too. Of course, the pain we deal with isn’t physical in nature (at least it probably shouldn’t be)–but it can be a mentally exhausting and painful profession. Crazy hours. Insane client demands. And  management teams that expect the best from us–all the time. That can be draining. But, we need to learn how to deal with those expectations and get the job done–day in and day out.

* Be the ultimate team player. One of my favorite stories about last year’s NFC title game came from a locker room moment after the game. To set the table for those non-Minnesotans, we had just lost a chance to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 70s. Our hopes and dreams were crushed. And everything #4 and the Vikes had worked for the entire year had just been flushed down the drain–in dramatic style at the Superdome. But, in that locker room after the game, there was Favre, with an arm around rookie Percy Harvin, consoling him and most likely giving him some “fatherly advice” on how to handle a situation like the one they all just experienced. That image still chokes me up a bit. Here’s a guy who–despite the “diva” label–is usually thinking about others before himself. And, that definitely wasn’t an isolated incident. Go back and watch the highlights. Any time Farve throws a TD, he’s RACING to find the wide receiver to give him a bear hug on the catch. Watch him on the sidelines. You can usually find him cheering on his teammates–no matter what. That, my friends, is a team player. Think about your day-to-day professional life. Are you spending ample time recognizing and rewarding your team? Are you taking opportunities to coach on a daily basis? Are you working to build creative, collaborative teams that trust one another? If not, just watch #4 on Sundays this fall (hopefully). Trust me–you will learn a thing or two.

* Don’t be afraid to take risks. While Favre is a sure Hall-of-Famer, he also hold the dubious record for most INTs thrown over the course of a career. His nicknames is the “gunslinger.” He has a penchant for making the big play–but also the big mistake (see 2008 and 2010 NFC Championship games). Point is, you don’t win big by playing it safe. Look at any sport/industry. The most successful folks are those who are willing to take risks–big risks. No different with #4. And, it should be no different with you, as a PR pro, either. Taking risks is healthy. We tend to learn more from our failures than we do from our successes–that’s just a fact. And without risk, there is no growth. This applies to all areas of your professional life–from client meetings (take a risk and make that suggestion you think will make a difference) to career paths (look for jobs that will allow you to stretch your skills and grow). Bottom line: Don’t be afraid to fail.

* Learn to perform under pressure. Sure, Favre has let his team down before in big spots (hello, did I mention the NFC title game last year?). But, he’s come through in big games many times before. What about the XXXI Super Bowl? The Monday Night game after his father passed away? Both Green Bay games last year? In each instance, Favre not only rose to the occasion–he exceeded expectations. Learn to do the same in your PR day job. Resist the urge to shirk spotlight opportunities–instead ask for them and step up. After all, practice makes perfect, right? You may fail under pressure (hey, we all do at some point), but if you accept these high-pressure/high-reward opportunities, you will learn how to deal with the pressure. And, you’ll get better at handling the spotlight. In the end, it’s a win for everyone–you learn how to shine, and your clients get rockstar service and results.

Note: Photo courtesy of ecjake via FlickR Creative Commons.

5 PR lessons we can all learn from Brett Favre is a post from: Communications Conversations