Our January event was a panel discussion attended by nearly 200 interactive marketing professionals. While we all appreciate learning from the national experts, such as November’s speaker, Ginny Redish author of Letting Go of the Words – Writing Web Content that Works, these panel discussions are equally worthwhile to attend.

That’s because MIMA members have a ton of creativity, knowledge, experience – and personality – and the panel format is an excellent forum for us to share our expertise with one another. It’s one of the things that makes MIMA membership great.

Actionable take aways recommended by the panel follow.  Like someone said: “If you’ve got clients, customers and competitors who A) know how to type and B) have Internet connections, seriously, don’t miss this discussion.”

• Set up a Google Alert for your company’s name as well as your own name
• Reach out to the people who are talking about you to help shape the message

Tammy Lee Stanoch, VP Corporate Communications for NWA

• Don’t overlook Twitter when listening for what people are saying about you
• Look for profile sites that are aggregating information about your company – sometimes the information can be incorrect and you can correct it
• Register your name on .org, .net, .biz, .tv and other domain extensions besides .com

Lela Phommasouvahn, Senior Consultant, Search Marketing for FindLaw, a Thomson Reuters Business

• Check out spy.apspot.com
• Before engaging customers in social media spaces, ask yourself what kind of relationship do you want
• Remember that you do not have control of your brand in social media – you won’t influence anyone until you build their trust

Steve Bendt, Social Technology Activist for Best Buy, Inc.

Moderator Greg Swan, Digital Strategy Manager at Weber Shandwick, also made the case for why digital reputation management should be a priority for any business by sharing the following quote from Warren Buffett.

“If you lose money for the firm by bad decisions, I will be understanding. If you lose reputation for the firm, I will be ruthless.”

Is this a corollary to the ageless axiom: “reputations take years to create but can be undone in seconds”? In today’s world of mobile internet, social media and user generated content, this is a truth that is wise to be mindful of.

For more information visit http://delicious.com/digitalreputationmanagement.

Over the past year, Twitter seems to have hit its tipping point and truly entered popular consciousness. (@idpkbrian called it when he saw a reference to Twitter in a Wal-Mart ad in a movie theatre this summer.)

Just to be contrarian, I think it’s time I shared my Twitter peeves. Let the Twitter scroogin’ begin!

Twitter != IM
If more than half your tweets start with @, you might want to consider downloading an instant messaging client. Of course, if all those @ replies are interesting to your followers, more power to you. But, more often than not, @ replies consist of stuff like, “@ so-and-so, what are you doing tonight? I’m washing my hair!”

Know what I say to that? #annoying! Pick up the phone, send an email or use instant messenger.

Watch the re-tweets, Mister.
RT, or re-tweeting, is repeating what someone else said because you thought it was funny or interesting. That’s fine, but if more than half your tweets are RTs, what the hell are you doing? Add something interesting to the conversation, or don’t talk. (This from the girl who tweets pictures of her kid. Who do I think I am?)

Twitter is also not RSS
If all that you or your company are tweeting about is your latest blog post, please stop. If we want to read your blog, we’ll subscribe to your RSS feed. (If you sprinkle your blog notices among other interesting tweets, no worries.)

On a related note, if all you’re doing is @replying to people who mention you or your competitor, please stop. You’re killing me.

Quantity vs. Quality
This goes for tweets and followers alike. If you’ve been on Twitter for six months and you have thousands of tweets, you are either:
a) incredibly interesting and knowledgable
b) self-obsessed
c) in need of an IM client (see: Twitter != IM)

The answer is most likely b or c. Sorry.

Low or No-Value Tweets
When it comes to followers, I’m glad you have X-hundred or thousand. Good for you! Seriously, good for you. But, you don’t have to tweet every time another 5 people start following you. “I have 100 followers!” “I have 110 followers!” gets old very fast. As someone who’s following you, I obviously think you have something to say. Rattling off your number of followers is not that interesting. If I want to see how many followers you have, I can look at your profile anytime I want. On a related note, it’s really not necessary to publicly thank all your followers.

I am Not a Snob.
I saw a video last month decrying Twitter “snobbery.” The basic message was that if you have a ton of followers and don’t follow all of them back, you’re not social media, you’re solo media.

Um, no. I certainly don’t expect every blog that I read to also read my blog. Similarly, I don’t expect everyone I follow on Twitter to follow me back. I’m busy, they’re busy, we’re all busy, and keeping up with 2,000 tweeters may not be high on my list, or theirs. There are certainly people with thousands of Followers and Followees, and God bless them (see: @stephenfry). But, I have a full-time job, a blog, a husband, a house and two kids. I use Twitter to follow some friends and some industry people that I think are interesting. That’s it. And it doesn’t make me a snob, it just means I’m smart enough to know my own limits.

The Elite
It bugged me when bloggers did it years ago and it bugs me now that tweeters are doing it: lists of who is “elite” based on number of followers or number of tweets or other wacky methods. What bugs me is the “I’m more popluar than you” mentality that smacks of junior high school. The beauty of where technology is right now (Web 2.0, if you will) is that we all have a voice. Not everyone can start a radio or TV station, or start printing a newspaper, but anyone can set up a Twitter account, a web site, a blog, or a Facebook page — and if they have something interesting to say, they’ll find an audience.

If anyone has this kind of right, it seems like Mr. Tweet does. He looks at it in terms of influence and relevance, which seems right on the mark. Trying to calculate who is elite based on followers or tweets just seems silly to me. I’ve seen people who have made thousands of low-value tweets. That ain’t elite. Where Mr. Tweet gets it right is in understanding that it’s in the eye of the follower: what’s relevant to me may not be relevant to someone else. This is not high school. There is no “in crowd.”

The Echo Chamber
Just like in real life, there are clusters of Twitter users. Many of us follow many of the same people. The result is that I might get the same article tweeted 5 times in 5 minutes. (related: my RT gripe). @jongordon noted a few weeks ago that it seemed like Twitter was made up of 90% PR people and “social media experts” and sometimes, it sure seems like he’s right.

Everyone was all a-buzz about the Motrin Moms a couple of months ago, but only ONE DAY after the whole thing happened there were so many tweets ABOUT it that it was impossible to find the tweets that actually WERE it. Echo….echo…echo…

Ego-Tweeting
I got a lot of Amens this week when I tweeted, “the more people use twitter, the more it becomes a place for ego-tripping and butt-kissing. i’m ready for that to stop now.”

Here’s what I’m talking about: the ego-tweet (made by what @JenKaneCo refers to as “twarcissists”) is the standard annoying bragadocious comment. This was brilliantly parodied by @lolife who said, “Having lunch with @god, then a meeting with @obama and then drinks with @bono before my date with @superhotchick.” Ego-tweets are all a variation on that theme. #snore

The butt-kiss tweet is usually a reaction. It goes something like this: powerful client-type person tweets about their business. The bajillion vendor-type people who follow this person go into a tweeting frenzy, each one trying to prove their smarts and derring-do. “Why yes, @powerfulclient-typeperson, we are incredibly strategic and smart!” And then we’re all subjected to the equivalent of a group capabilities presentation in 140 character bites. Which makes me, and all the kittens in the world, weep.

The Circle of Life
Don’t get me wrong, I love Twitter. It’s changed my life, cleared up my acne and I have lost 15 pounds since November. It’s just going through an interesting phase.

If you think about the arc that blogs have followed, it’s easy to draw parallels: began life as geek-only tool, gained popularity, users started defining crietria which make them “elite” to set them apart from all the newcomers, companies thought they were a golden ticket, blog ad networks developed and PR companies actively wooed bloggers, some bloggers were outed as shills and some managed to make a living at it, “real” journalists bristled but grudgingly started accepting blogs, blogs pronounced dead.

This same arc applies to Twitter. When I joined almost two years ago, there weren’t a whole lot of other people tweeting. Now that it’s hit the mass consciousness, the elite lists have started popping up, more and more companies are tweeting (and just like with blogs, a few are getting it right and the rest don’t know what to do), Twitter ad services have started popping up and will soon start to infiltrate. When I was watching CNN last month they were scrolling tweets across the bottom of the screen which means that sometime later this year, you can expect the “Twitter is Dead” headline to hit Wired.

Of course, blogs aren’t really dead — they’re just not the Next Best Thing anymore. Now, that mantle is carried by Twitter. We’ll see how long it lasts. In the meantime, happy tweeting. Follows or rotten tomatoes can be directed @irishgirl.

[cross-posted on the Geek Girls Guide]

Political oratory at its best can inspire, inform, and incite millions to action. (A bit like great web content, huh?)

Don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to hear Obama’s inaugural address. (Anything else I might blog about the day before this historic speech seems insubstantial.) So in anticipation, I took a close look at Obama’s inspiring November 4th presidential acceptance speech. Let’s start with the opening sentence:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

This is a fine example of a periodic sentence with expert parallelism and skillful repetition:

Like all periodic sentences, this one builds to a rousing conclusion. Just like election night itself, holding our interest hour after hour as the votes are tallied, this sentence holds us in suspense until its final inspiring statement:

tonight is your answer

The use of second person — your answer — speaks boldly and directly to this doubting anyone Obama mentions, as if to convince the stubborn holdout of the historic significance of this moment. How much weaker the sentence would be without second person:

The choice of anyone, rather than someone is also notable: If there is anyone out there who still doubts …

I particularly like the word choice out there. It suggests, quite literally, that you are really out there (out on a limb, out of it, out of touch) if you’re not moved by this historic moment.

And take a look at the two embedded independent clauses:

America is a place where all things are possible
The dream of our founders is alive in our time

My only quibble is that the third phrase in this grouping should also be an independent clause. So instead of this structure:

America is a place where all things are possible
The dream of our founders is alive in our time
The power of our democracy

It might be:

America is a place where all things are possible
The dream of our founders is alive in our time
The power of our democracy is unshakable

The sentence would then read:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions if the power of our democracy is unshakable, tonight is your answer.

So that was the first sentence. (I told you I liked this speech.) Let’s move on, quickly.

After proclaiming the ringing phrase tonight is your answer in his opening sentence, Obama skillfully reinforces it in the second, third, and fifth paragraphs:

It’s the answer told …
It’s the answer spoken …
It’s the answer that led …

He also evidences a skillful use of the humble prepositional phrase:

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.

Count ‘em. There are four:

of what we did
on this date
in this election
at this defining moment

And guess what defining word they lead us to? Change.

And of course, there are the carefully crafted soundbites:

We cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation … block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

A new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

What’s that? You’re not a fan of this rhetoric? Well go ahead then: Write Obama’s inaugural speech yourself.

Or take a less arduous path and read how noted presidential speechwriters are suggesting Obama craft his inaugural message.

So I ask all of you interactive marketers reading this today: Can we create web content with the same power and influence as an inaugural address?

Yes we can.

Both President-Elect Obama’s detractors and supporters agree that the man can turn a good phrase, so like many, I’m looking forward to his inaugural address. Maybe he’ll even have a few tips for interactive marketers. No, really! Some of the best Presidential quotes can easily be applied to interactive marketers. Here are just a few to inspire you in the new year:

“No one ever listened themselves out of a job.” -Calvin Coolidge

Now more than ever, the customer comes first. Think about what they want from your websites and communications, not what you want to tell them. For example, maybe your customers want information in a straightforward format, rather than in an exciting, cutting edge design. The customer isn’t always fun, but they’re always right.

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” -Dwight Eisenhower

For the retail marketers that survived it (and even those who didn’t), this holiday season seemed like nothing but a great battle. Plans were made. And changed. But that doesn’t mean planning is futile. Think like a great general and adopt the discipline of planning, but with the flexibility to manage contingencies.

“Information is the oxygen of the modern age. It seeps through the walls topped by barbed wire, it wafts across the electrified borders.” -Ronald Reagan

Many companies are understandably concerned about managing their digital reputation, but it’s important to set expectations around those efforts. In the digital age, anyone can write something negative about your company. It’s impossible to stop it, but it is possible, and vital, to join the conversation about your brand. There will still be negative comments out there, but at least your brand’s perspective on those comments will also be represented.

“I not only use all the brains I have but all I can borrow.” -Woodrow Wilson

We’re all swamped at work, but this quote is a good reminder to spend some time looking at what other companies are doing. What ideas can you borrow? Think about setting aside an hour a week to purposefully shop online and take note of the way that other companies promote and merchandise their product, not to mention the functionality they offer customers.

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. -John Adams

The beauty of interactive marketing is that it’s grounded in numbers. Everything is trackable. I’m an idea and gut instinct person, but I get far more buy in and support when I can back up those feelings with cold, hard facts.

Towering genius disdains a beaten path. -Abraham Lincoln

Don’t abandon ideas just because no one else is trying them. One of the other great things about interactive marketing is that it’s easier to recover from failure in the digital world simply because it’s easier to change things (and then change them back). Take advantage of this flexibility of interactive marketing to try something new.

In matters of principals, stand like a rock; in matters of taste, swim with the current. -Thomas Jefferson

By all means, explore the possibilities of the latest interactive marketing vehicles. Make a Facebook fan page and a You Tube channel. Have a blog and a Twitter presence. But, don’t forget that at the end of the day you’ll thrive and survive based on the experience and value you deliver to your customers (think of this as the “Zappos rule”).

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. -Theodore Roosevelt

In an age of limited resources, it’s vital to utilize every tool to its fullest. But as interactive marketers, you can’t just get caught up in technology. Don’t forget about existing, low tech ways like, for example, the lowly packing slip, that’ll help you get your message out.

It’s a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word. -Andrew Jackson

There are no cookie cutter customers. They’ll find you from different sources. They’ll navigate your site in different ways. They’ll want to talk to you via different channels. In an increasingly hostile economy, you can’t afford to support only those customers that experience your brand in the way you want or expect them to.

I always remember an epitaph which is in the cemetery at Tombstone, Arizona. It says: ”Here lies Jack Williams. He done his damnedest.” I think that is the greatest epitaph a man can have. -Harry Truman

You can’t control the macro economy. Sometimes you can’t control your pricing, product or even promotions. What we can do as interactive marketers is to continue to do the best work possible and learn as much as we can from both our successes and failures and be ready to pounce when the economy finally turns around.