Social Media Up in a Down Economy.

Marketing investment in social media continues to grow, according to a recent poll by Forrester Research:

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/despite_recession_more_than_50_of_marketers_increase_spending_on_social_media.php

Jesus Saves...Careers?

In God we trust? An article in the April issue of Details highlights "prosperity theology."

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 48% of job seekers use churches to find a job, as do 24% of HR professionals.

Seems both believers and non-believers are networking in the pews.

Read the article at: http://men.style.com/details/blogs/knowandtell/2009/03/christian-netwo.html.

Wile E. Coyote & The Economy.

In his April Editor's Letter entitled "Once More Into the Void," Vanity Fair's Graydon Carter evoked a beloved cartoon character in his assessment of America's economic woes:

"As far as the global economic crisis goes, part of me thinks the U.S. has gone off a cliff pretty much the way Wile E. Coyote does in the Road Runner cartoons. He doesn’t drop immediately; he’s suspended in midair. He knows he shouldn’t be out there, but he’s not plunging! Filled with hope, he begins to gingerly tiptoe his way back to the ledge. He’s almost made it—he’s not going to fall! And then, with a puff of dust, he’s gone, plummeting far, far down into the canyon. As a nation, we might just be in the tiptoeing stage: we know we’ve screwed up big-time, but we’re praying that we can get back to the ledge before gravity takes over."

This gives me hope. Wile always survived.

Read the full article at: http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2009/04/graydon200904.

It Takes a (Creative) Village.

My new website, http://www.writesquared.com/, has been in the works for most of the first quarter.

In preparation for a total rebranding, including a new logo and tagline, new colors and design, new navigation and content, and a new photo, I immersed myself in research. I spent long, solitary hours reading books, watching TV, scouring magazines and surfing websites.

But it was hardly a DIY process. Rather, it was truly collaborative.

My brilliantly talented, endlessly supportive friends provided me with the most constructive and creative feedback. Often at exactly the time when I needed it most.

If you like what you see here, credit also goes to each of them. I couldn't have done it without their invaluable help. A heartfelt thanks to:

* Simon Cairns
* Debra Gallo
* Barry Guthrie
* Joy Hallinan
* Bradley Hazelrigg
* Philippa Kingsley
* Jeff Lebow
* Duane Marcus
* Susan Moss
* Erin Parks
* Nancy Robinson
* Stephen Walker

Beach Dreaming.

Grayton Beach, in the Florida Panhandle. Gorgeous in every season; but most serene in winter.

My fingers may be on the keyboard, but I wish my toes were buried in the whitest, softest sand on Planet Earth.

Bad Day?

I'm not sure where I read this, but I like it: A bad day for the ego is a good day for the soul.

I'll try to remember that when someone takes the piss out of me.

The Extra Inch.

Here's a reminder of what we already know, courtesy of Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval in their new book, The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference:

"There's often a pay-it-forward beauty to going that extra inch. It can be as easy as writing a thank-you note that isn't expected, or asking after your client's children by name. Too often in our elbows-out world, it's assumed that being considerate and being competitive are mutually exclusive. The opposite is true."

It Is Who You Know.

I've been hearing a lot of buzz about the book The Power of Who: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Know.

My good friend Simon Cairns says it will change how you think about networking. Sounds intriguing. I've ordered my copy.

Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Power-Who-Already-Know-Everyone/dp/1599951533

7 Signs That Spring Has (Nearly) Sprung.

The ATL has been a bit schizy, weather-wise over the past few weeks. But here are some telling signs that winter is ceding to spring:

"Ugly" tomatoes in grocery stores.
Bradford pear trees in bloom.
Manicured toes in flip-flops.
Frequent cravings for ice cream.
The beach house you wanted for Memorial Day weekend is booked.
Open windows.
Sneezing (yep, it's the pollen).

FYI, March 20 is the official Spring equinox.

Is your website a page-turner?

Jen Shockley, the whip-smart owner of San Francisco-based Jumping Fences Design, http://www.jfdsf.com/ made an interesting observation the other day.

“Websites should be more like magazines or movies. They often fall short on editorial quality.”

She’s right. So many websites are data-driven but boring, lacking the "what's-in-store" energy of a keep-you-guessing flick or a read-from-cover-to-cover magazine.

That, friends, can only be achieved with a combination of great design and great content. Make sure your site has both.

Sunny side up.

I've been on a news diet for months because the news has been so bleak. Seems others are also tired of being bummed out.

So imagine my delight to discover the Good News Network, http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/, which publishes upbeat stories.


Bookmark it this site. Consider it your daily dose of Vitamin A.

Righties rule!

Used to be that being "artistic" was a bit, well...suspect.

Daniel Pink makes the case for creatives in his excellent book "A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the World." Pink says that the workplace has shifted, with an emphasis on Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning--the essential new business skills.

So, mamas, let your babies grow up to be designers, writers, painters and musicians.

Freelance nation?

In this economic climate, more companies are using freelancers.

"As business models change, you get a lot of organizational upset and that adds to the economic uncertainty," says Joe Pastore, professor emeritus of management science at Pace University.
" A business really can't see out much more than a year, perhaps. And you're operating from business cycle to business cycle."

Pastore goes on to note the economic incentives to hiring freelancers, including savings in the areas of salary, benefits, payroll taxes and equipment and work space.

Find the full story at: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/01/14/freelance.nation/index.html

Can't Beat 'em? Join 'em.

I confess: I’m a fulltime copywriter and I’ve resisted blogging until now.

But the last line of Andrew Sullivan’s provocative essay called "Why I Blog" in The Atlantic changed my mind: “Words, of all sorts, have never seemed so now.”

But do all words matter? Not necessarily.

Sullivan argues that even with an explosion of words, the value of writers has never been more clear: "A traditional writer is valued by readers precisely because they trust him to have thought long and hard about a subject, given it time to evolve in his head, and composed a piece of writing that is worth their time to read at length and to ponder."

Lesson: make sure your words count.

Read the full story at: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/andrew-sullivan-why-i-blog