This is a test site. For my writing and audio, please visit danyork.me.
I’m just testing out the new Gutenberg editor to see how it works on a WordPress site.
Pretty cool!
But much more to experiment with.
Testing a bit more. More testing.
Scott Monty and Laura Pevehouse joined host Shel Holtz for conversations about these topics:
Social media is being employed by victims of flooding from Hurricane Harvey; many are sending out distress calls via Twitter because they can’t get through to emergency services on the phone.
Candy companies are trying to find ways to make up for lost impulse sales as the number of cash registers declines.
We’ve heard it before, but eMarketer insists it’s for real this time: Teens are abandoning Facebook for Snapchat and Instagram (and maybe iMessage).
Sonos, the Internet-of-Things speaker company, says existing customers won’t get the option to opt out of a new privacy policy; if you don’t agree, your sound systems could stop working.
We’re visual creatures, so audio search may not take off the way some think it will.
Are all those differences between generations just so much nonsense? And is there really any such thing as a “digital native”?
Dan York covers a creepy side of Facebook, a concerning case where the US Dept of Justice is requesting significant user info from Dreamhost, a website hosting provider; in China, anonymity is basically dead as of October 1; on a positive note, efforts are underway from Mozilla and Google to build open datasets of voice samples that can used to develop new voice applications.
Scott Monty is an internationally recognized leader in digital communications, digital transformation, social media and marketing. As partner in Brain+Trust Partners, he counsels brands and agencies on strategy, executive communications, influencer management, the customer experience, and digital initiatives. Scott spent six years at Ford Motor Company, as a strategic advisor on crisis communications, influencer relations, digital customer service, innovative product launches and more. He is a board member of the American Marketing Association and an advisor for RPM Ventures, My Dealer Service, and Crowd Companies. He writes about the changing landscape of business, technology, communications, marketing, and leadership at ScottMonty.com and is the executive editor and co-host of the Sherlock Holmes website and podcast I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.
Laura Pevehouse is Chief Blogger for Direct2Dell. Laura brings 16 years of experience in corporate communications and digital marketing roles to her work, including jobs in public relations, employee communications, branding, community engagement, event management, online commerce, social media and virtual world development. In her role as Dell’s Chief Blogger, Laura is responsible for the development, coordination, and execution of strategy and content for Dell’s corporate blog, Direct2Dell. Since taking the Direct2Dell reins, Laura has recorded an 80% increase in time on-page at the end of the first year in this role. She also leads the company’s cross-business unit editorial team and engages with marketing, product line, operations and corporate communications colleagues worldwide to enhance the company’s brand.
Nora Ganim Barnes and Michael Harry Klein joined host Shel Holtz for conversations about these topics:
A brand’s response to a consumer suggestion on Facebook struck the consumer who made the suggestion as harsh.
Business was front-and-center in the political news last week with CEO’s abandoning U.S. President Donald Trump’s Manufacturing Advisory Council, prominent artists leaving the White House Arts panel, and nonprofits canceling plans for events at Trump’s Mar a Lago resort.
How is Twitter still alive?
Amazon has launched a new social network called Amazon Spark. So far, it’s only for Prime members and only on the iPhone. Will this shoppable feed attract users and how will it affect Facebook, retail, and other existing enterprises?
A company set up two fake Instagram accounts, bought fake followers, and paid for fake comments and likes. Those accounts were paid as influencers by brands. What does this say about the state of influencer marketing?
Dan York reports on a new evolution of the Facebook News Feed, recording podcasts using Wire, the end of typing, and the ethics of CloudFlare kicking a white supremacist website off the Internet.
Nora Ganim Barnes earned a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut and is a Chancellor Professor of Marketing and Director of the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Nora has worked as a marketing consultant for many national and international firms. Business Week, CNN, Inc. Magazine, Computer World, Washington Post, NY Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal and Fox News have covered her work on social media adoption. She is a popular keynoter and conference speaker and was invited to speak at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show on social media adoption in higher education. She has published over 125 articles in academic and professional journals and proceedings, has contributed chapters to books, and has been awarded numerous research grants. She is the only person in the history of University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to receive both the Teacher Of The Year and Scholar Of The Year awards.
Mike Klein helps businesses identify business challenges that focused communication can tackle. Then, by developing specialized strategies, delivering targeted writing and messaging, and identifying internal influencers, he works with these organizations to address their challenges. Mike comes come from a background in political consulting and advertising, combined with an MBA from London Business School and 15 years of experience working inside some of the world’s leading organizations – like Shell, Cargill, easyJet, Maersk and VEON.
In the August installment of The Hobson & Holtz Report, Neville and Shel talked about these topics:
The Society for New Communication Research has launched an initiative to assess options for the communications industry to address fake news.
An Artificial Intelligence bot can detect plagiarism (85% of the time).
Supporters of US President Donald Trump are amplifying their tweets through a little-known Twitter feature that lets you create and name a Direct Message group.
And let’s talk about that twice-daily folder the president gets filled with only positive coverage about him.
Agencies are cropping up that focus exclusively on Generation Z.
The Westin hotel in Buffalo, NY, is putting an Amazon Echo in every room. As Alexa for a toothbrush (for example) and a robot named Chip will deliver it.
Dan York talks about SoundCloud’s reprieve, the new Instagram feature that lets you add somebody else to your livestream (and how communicators might use it), the widespread availability of Facebook Video Covers, and Watch, Facebook’s move into video shows.
Links to the source material for this episode are on Contentle.
Special thanks to Jay Moonah for the opening and closing music.
About Neville Hobson:
Neville Hobson was co-host of The Hobson & Holtz Report for over 10 years. For over 15 years, Neville has been a voice of experience and influence when it comes to speaking about digital technologies, disruptive change in workplaces and marketplaces, relevant trends to pay close attention to, and what it all means for your business. His experiences embrace deep understanding and subject-matter expertise in contemporary business issues that include social, digital and cognitive technologies, connecting that with a career in traditional public relations, marketing communication, employee, compensation and benefits communication, and investor relations. Based in the Thames Valley some 30 miles west of London, Neville works either from his home office, or from a client’s location; or from wherever he has a good network connection.
Make your web page load fast... or Facebook will lower the visibility of links to your page in the NewsFeed! On August 2nd, Facebook announced that web page load time will be a ranking factor in placement in NewsFeed. Links that load faster will show up higher in people's NewsFeeds - and links that load slowly will be lower. If you want to ensure people see your links, make your pages load fast! More info at these links:
https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/08/news-feed-fyi-showing-you-stories-that-link-to-faster-loading-webpages/
https://media.fb.com/2017/08/02/best-practices-to-improve-mobile-site-performance/
The big news today was that SoundCloud closed a $170 million round of funding to continue its operations. I talk about that, and my own views on SoundCloud's evolution.
Sherrilynne Starkie and Christopher Barger joined host Shel Holtz for conversations about these topics:
A federal district judge has ruled that a Loudon County, Virginia public official cannot block social media users from accessing the posts on her Facebook Page, which she set up to share information from her government role and to solicit feedback.
In Canada, one passenger ultimately called 911 after spending six hours on the tarmac with no air conditioning during one of the hottest days of the year. Do these publicized passenger service crises have any real consequences for the airlines?
70% of Americans say they would not apply for a job at a company that is getting bad press.
A couple who trashed a wedding photographer online — and encouraged followers to do the same — ordered to pay $1 million in damages. When does legitimate criticism cross the line?
The Pokémon Go Fest was a disaster, leading some event-goers to file a lawsuit and Niantic to postpone upcoming events in Europe. Hosting an experience means meeting participants’ expectations.
The short tenure of Anthony Scaramucci as the White House Director of Communications underscores a real problem in the business world: people hired to manage communications who have no communications experience.
In his Tech Report, Dan York discusses the news out of Facebook that site loading speed will be a ranking factor for the NewsFeed.
Christopher Barger is a partner at Brain+Trust Partners, an executive consultancy helping leaders manage an evolving marketplace with common sense and strategic guidance. He was previously Senior Vice President of Global Programs at Voce Communications, a Porter Novelli company, helping clients around the world develop and execute social media strategies. Christopher has been in the Porter Novelli family since 2011, arriving after nearly seven years of leading social media programs at Fortune 50 companies, and has a decade and a half’s experience building corporate communications strategies. Before joining PN, Christopher was director of global social media at General Motors, building the company’s social media program and leading its presence across multiple social networks. Christopher also previously managed social media initiatives and corporate communications for IBM, serving from 2005-2007 as that company’s first “Blogger-in-Chief” and playing the pivotal role in the development of IBM’s social media program. Christopher is the author of the book “The Social Media Strategist” (McGraw Hill, 2012).
For more than 20 years, Sherrilynne Starkie has been providing communications consulting and services to blue-chip organizations in Britain, Canada and the United States. She focuses on helping clients leverage digital and social media to achieve organizational objectives. As President at Thornley Fallis, Sherrilynne is responsible for the profitable operation of the communications business including client strategy overview, business development, HR, quality assurance, marketing and team development. She is a blogger, an occasional contributor and is very active on social media. Recently, she’s been a speaker at the IABC World Conference, SXSWi, WTC and the UA Canada National Conference. She is an active volunteer with IABC Ottawa has volunteered with many other organizations.
Scott Monty is an internationally recognized leader in digital communications, digital transformation, social media and marketing. As partner in Brain+Trust Partners, he counsels brands and agencies on strategy, executive communications, influencer management, the customer experience, and digital initiatives. Scott spent six years at Ford Motor Company, as a strategic advisor on crisis communications, influencer relations, digital customer service, innovative product launches and more. He is a board member of the American Marketing Association and an advisor for RPM Ventures, My Dealer Service, and Crowd Companies. He writes about the changing landscape of business, technology, communications, marketing, and leadership at ScottMonty.com and is the executive editor and co-host of the Sherlock Holmes website and podcast I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.
Laura Pevehouse is Chief Blogger for Direct2Dell. Laura brings 16 years of experience in corporate communications and digital marketing roles to her work, including jobs in public relations, employee communications, branding, community engagement, event management, online commerce, social media and virtual world development. In her role as Dell’s Chief Blogger, Laura is responsible for the development, coordination, and execution of strategy and content for Dell’s corporate blog, Direct2Dell. Since taking the Direct2Dell reins, Laura has recorded an 80% increase in time on-page at the end of the first year in this role. She also leads the company’s cross-business unit editorial team and engages with marketing, product line, operations and corporate communications colleagues worldwide to enhance the company’s brand.
Nora Ganim Barnes earned a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut and is a Chancellor Professor of Marketing and Director of the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Nora has worked as a marketing consultant for many national and international firms. Business Week, CNN, Inc. Magazine, Computer World, Washington Post, NY Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal and Fox News have covered her work on social media adoption. She is a popular keynoter and conference speaker and was invited to speak at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show on social media adoption in higher education. She has published over 125 articles in academic and professional journals and proceedings, has contributed chapters to books, and has been awarded numerous research grants. She is the only person in the history of University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to receive both the Teacher Of The Year and Scholar Of The Year awards.
Mike Klein helps businesses identify business challenges that focused communication can tackle. Then, by developing specialized strategies, delivering targeted writing and messaging, and identifying internal influencers, he works with these organizations to address their challenges. Mike comes come from a background in political consulting and advertising, combined with an MBA from London Business School and 15 years of experience working inside some of the world’s leading organizations – like Shell, Cargill, easyJet, Maersk and VEON.
Neville Hobson was co-host of The Hobson & Holtz Report for over 10 years. For over 15 years, Neville has been a voice of experience and influence when it comes to speaking about digital technologies, disruptive change in workplaces and marketplaces, relevant trends to pay close attention to, and what it all means for your business. His experiences embrace deep understanding and subject-matter expertise in contemporary business issues that include social, digital and cognitive technologies, connecting that with a career in traditional public relations, marketing communication, employee, compensation and benefits communication, and investor relations. Based in the Thames Valley some 30 miles west of London, Neville works either from his home office, or from a client’s location; or from wherever he has a good network connection.
Christopher Barger is a partner at Brain+Trust Partners, an executive consultancy helping leaders manage an evolving marketplace with common sense and strategic guidance. He was previously Senior Vice President of Global Programs at Voce Communications, a Porter Novelli company, helping clients around the world develop and execute social media strategies. Christopher has been in the Porter Novelli family since 2011, arriving after nearly seven years of leading social media programs at Fortune 50 companies, and has a decade and a half’s experience building corporate communications strategies. Before joining PN, Christopher was director of global social media at General Motors, building the company’s social media program and leading its presence across multiple social networks. Christopher also previously managed social media initiatives and corporate communications for IBM, serving from 2005-2007 as that company’s first “Blogger-in-Chief” and playing the pivotal role in the development of IBM’s social media program. Christopher is the author of the book “The Social Media Strategist” (McGraw Hill, 2012).
For more than 20 years, Sherrilynne Starkie has been providing communications consulting and services to blue-chip organizations in Britain, Canada and the United States. She focuses on helping clients leverage digital and social media to achieve organizational objectives. As President at Thornley Fallis, Sherrilynne is responsible for the profitable operation of the communications business including client strategy overview, business development, HR, quality assurance, marketing and team development. She is a blogger, an occasional contributor and is very active on social media. Recently, she’s been a speaker at the IABC World Conference, SXSWi, WTC and the UA Canada National Conference. She is an active volunteer with IABC Ottawa has volunteered with many other organizations.