This question just came up in a Linked in Group where I am active, Called Legal Blogging:

… I am loooking for case studies of lawyers who’ve found success with social media and blogging … “

I was so excited to share my experience with the topic, I decided to post it here as well.

First, I Pitched A Law Firm …

About a year ago, I was pitching a marketing project to a regional law firm with 200+ lawyers.  In preparing to meet with this particular firm, I learned the following:

 … of 200 lawyers, only 1 wrote a blog or used any social media.  As a result, that one lawyer ended up on every who’s who list, was invited to speak on national panels, was extensively quoted in the media, and effectively branded himself as the “expert”.  The others appeared very set in their ways.

I was loaded for bear when I went to my meeting with the managing partner/COO.

Armed with two studies, that showed “beyond a shadow of a doubt” that slow law firm adoption of blogging and social media was hindering success, I made my pitch … unsuccessfully, as luck would have it!

Then, I Pitched My Sister- in-law …

Even though I did not get the project, I couldn’t contain my excitement about the data I had found!  The studies were too good not to share!

So, in my excitement, I shared it with a few other lawyers I knew.  First, my sister in law, who founded a law firm with 50+ partners.

She didn’t share my excitement, however.   Her response?   “Our firm is different …”

Beth, I still love you … but we can agree to disagree. Your firm is missing the boat:)

Finally, My Lawyer Friends …

Still bursting with the good news, I told not one, but TWO dear lawyer friends about it … only to hear, 

“My practice is different, that’s not how I get business …”

Well, I have no idea why the lawyers I KNOW remain resistent to social media and blogging, but this week’s Linkedin group question reminded me that it might help others to post that initial research.

Does Your Law Firm Blog and Use Social Media?

It it does, good on you!  If not, FWIW, here’s a summary of conclusions drawn from the research I found:  Do with it what you will!

2012 In-House Counsel New Media Engagement Survey (conducted by Greentarget Research)

Source:  http://www.greentarget.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/2012GTZGICSurveyReportFinal-WebsiteVersion.pdf

Summary:

• In house decision makers are relying on blogs for critical business information, which then influences which law firm to hire. There is an increased use of other forms of social media to build relationships as well.
• In terms of trend, in 2010, blogs were well used across the board, but use of social platforms like Linked in, Facebook and Twitter were much more concentrated among younger in-house lawyers.
• In contrast, by 2012, there was much wider social media adoption among in-house lawyers in their 40′s, 50′s, and 60′s, while the younger demographic is holding steady.
• As the legal industry has been slow to adopt new media, early adopters gained an advantage. Going forward, the lack of an integrated strategy becomes a distinct competitive disadvantage, as the use of these tools becomes the new standard. 
• Law firms must integrate a forward-looking social media strategy into their websites, help more of their lawyers become bloggers, and integrate the use of social platforms into their client interactions.

Key Findings by Social Media Platform:

Blogs:

• In-house attorneys exhibit widespread trust (84%) in blogs.
• In-house attorneys read attorney-authored or firm-branded blogs more often than they read blogs written by journalists.
• 76% say that a lawyer-generated blog had some level of influence over which firms to retain.
• While daily blog readership dropped, weekly and monthly readership more than made up for it, shedding new light on the quality versus quantity debate.

Other New Media:

• LinkedIn leads all other social networks in professional usage and credibility (88%); law firms clearly aren’t taking full advantage of its networking capabilities.
• While blogs are read more consistently across age groups than the “big three” social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter), new media usage is gaining steam, especially among younger counsel.
• While in-house counsel rarely contribute content on social channels, they are listening and consuming regularly.
• Social media as a firm-to-client client services mechanism is also increasing, with an eight percent year-over-year increase.

Update (5/1/13)

The 2013 In-House Counsel New Media Engagement Survey (conducted by Greentarget Research …  was recently released in April, 2013.  Here’s a link: http://insidecounselsurvey.com/

… the 2013 study confirms blogs and linked as the two most influential platforms for lawyers to use in order to build influence and business relationships.

Though an older study, these findings mirror the trends from a 2011 global study from Martindale-Hubbell on social media use among law firms:

http://kevin.lexblog.com/uploads/file/LexisNexis_Global%20Social%20Media%20Health%20Check_Summary%20Report_Web%20version.pdf

Leave a comment if you have personal experiences and successes to share with other lawyers, to give them that “nudge” to get started.

If so … leave a comment! 

(And, stop by and say hi on my facebook page, where I share marketing tips, opinions, stupid cat photos, and more).  Thanks!

My ears perked up right away when one of the sponsors joked that she could always tell what Mary was cooking, from the delicious smells greeting her in the hallway of the building where they both live.

With a client who is about to launch her own food blog, and ever the marketer, I was anxious to learn all I could about the reading habits of this scratch cook.  Imagine my surprise when I asked Mary if she read any food blogs, and she replied, “I write one!”.

One thing led to another, and I learned that Mary not only writes a food blog, she writes one whose popularity is growing like a weed.

Well, that did it.  I had to learn what secret ingredient besides “love” helped Mary’s blog, “Love, the Secret Ingredient” rocket to the top tier of a crowded niche in under 2 years.  So I decided to interview Mary and her team, and find out how they did it.

Do you know what I learned, fellow bloggers?

Plan the work, and work the plan … and that’s it!  (Well, maybe there’s a little more to it than that …  the secret ingredient IS love, as a matter of fact).

You can read more about how Mary and her team did it, over at Forbes.com, in my post entitled

 ”Love, the Secret Ingredient:  A Valentine for Bloggers and Entrepreneurs”.

I boiled Mary’s success down to 7 practices we all need to follow.  While there are no shortcuts, success is certainly attainable if you include these same elements in your approach.

Here”s the abridged version of my list, and you can read the expanded version over at Forbes.com.

7 Lessons From A Successful Food Blog: 

1.  Passion/Experience

2.  Teamwork

3.  Be social, on your blog and off

4.  Consistency!  (and hard work)

5.  Know your reader

6. Online marketing, PLUS old fashioned networking

7.  Build a community

(I would have reproduced the Forbes.com post here in it’s entirety, but Google doesn’t like that).

I’d love it if you check out the full post, and leave me a comment if you like it!  And, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Make my day … leave a comment! And, stop by and say hi on my facebook page, where I share marketing tips, opinions, and news. Thanks!

Image credit:  Heather Katsoulis

For many, those relationships exist online through the content we write, read, and share, which is why I’m excited to talk about link love!

I often use a link to share content from blogs that I admire. This simple action is guaranteed to make another blogger’s day, and can sometimes lead to a nice exchange of ideas. Some of the nicest online relationships I have built, started this way.

So what better day of the year than Valentines Day, to celebrate and encourage “link love”?.

Since there is a certain etiquette involved, here’s a short review of what you need to know:

• Linking provides a quick and easy way for you to reference someone else’s thoughts on a given subject, and build on them — making for interesting online conversations.
• Occasionally, you may decide to copy and paste an excerpt as well as a link. In this case, keep the excerpt short, and make sure you have permission to post it. While most bloggers will be flattered by your appreciation of their brilliance, and will accept your request with grace and delight, someone else’s original content iscopyrighted so you’ll want to check first.
• When you provide a link to someone else’s blog, make sure it opens in a new window. That way your reader remains on your page while being given the opportunity to read another perspective at the same time.
• When you share someone else’s content with a link on your site, let them know you’re doing so. Sure, they’ll get a pingback and a trackback, but the personal contact usually generates good will, so why leave it to a less personal form of notification?
• Regularly practicing link love is like giving someone an SEO hug — and as we all know, when you do a very nice thing for someone on the social web, without expecting anything in return, it generates the best kind of social karma.
• Don’t limit yourself to linking to A-list bloggers … It’s nice to share the ideas of up and coming bloggers and give their SEO a boost, too!

This February 14th, set aside time to show a little link love by sharing someone else’s content with attribution. You never know where it will lead!

PS - Have you ever broken the online ice by sharing a link to someone’s blog? How did it work out, where did it lead? Leave a note in the comments, or … If the spirit moves you … Link to or share this post!

My co-panelists, Stephanie Schwab and Ellen Gerstein, will no doubt have other insights  – and I can’t wait to hear them.

For now, this is the world as I see it:

1.  No more social media silos!   Businesses must finally adopt a HOLISTIC marketing approach.

Every marketing strategy needs a social component, and every employee needs to understand and think socially … as part of a much larger picture.

 2.  SEO, Social Media and Content Marketing:  The Three Pillars of Online Marketing!  When it comes to building a web presence, there is really no such thing as separate strategies.

If you want your business to be found online, pay attention to the twin levers of social and content.  Better SERPs demand it.

3.  Big data:  #SM Science finally trumps unicorns & kittens!  Marketing Analytics, Google Analytics …  it doesn’t matter which Analytics you use, as long as you’re using the data you have to gain insight.

As they say, in God we trust, all others bring data!

 4. Content Marketing:  your most important investment!? 

Either start writing, or hire a writer!  (of course, content can be more than just the written variety.).  One B2B marketer recently said that his whitepapers act like “catnip”!  MEOW:)

Prediction:  invest in creating fresh content now, and you’ll come out ahead of your competitors at the end of this year.

5. Importance of engaging visual images.  Photo sharing sites like Instagram, Flickr and Pinterest are all growing like crazy.

Images are the single best way to get social engagement, on almost every platform. Invest in more visual content, to boost engagement with your prospects online.

6.  Tell engaging stories about your brand.  The more human you can make your brand, the more trust you can build.  Maybe 2013 will be the year of the brand story (my friend Alan Berkson wrote about this).   Have a personality!

7.   Leverage peer recommendations and online reviews!  Online reviews influence people… so think of ways you can get more of ‘em.

I like when brands use a “Surprise and Delight“ strategy — and do something so unexpected and extraordinary for the customer, it creates positive online word of mouth and buzz in social communities.  Be creative, get noticed, create conversation.

(After all, the tweet that resulted in a steak dinner delivered to the airport for Peter Shankman bought goodwill and attention way beyond the cost of that steak)!

8.  Traditional “push” marketing websites (and traditional static websites) — aren’t working any more.

Today, it’s all about attracting customers to your marketing funnel (er … I mean website).  Beyond attracting the right visitors, your website has to educate and engage, and move people thru your funnel to CONVERT.

Mark O’Brien, a web designer I follow, recently wrote:  ”Because of how websites operate today — as the hub of a much larger and more complex marketing and sales ecosystem … no new site built this year will a worthy investment as long as it is considered a stand-alone expense“.

In other words,  Inbound Marketing is the new Black!

9.  Become mobile friendly, or you’re toast!  Invest in responsive design to support mobile visitors. Use mobile tactics to engage customers.

10.  Email and Face to Face networking is NOT dead!   Businesses need to get out there and use all this “social marketing” to expand personal relationships,  build an email database, etc.  No matter what year it is, that doesn’t change!

One last thought: my friend Carole Mahoney coined the term  “SMARKETING” …. since the point of everything we do is to drive sales.

So, quick reality check:  if Sales and Marketing  aren’t BOTH happy,  then something isn’t quite right with your marketing:)

Hope your 2013 is off to a great start, and Happy Smarketing!

Make my day … leave a comment! And, stop by and say hi on my facebook page, where I share marketing tips, opinions, stupid cat photos, and more. Thanks!

According to Hubspot’s latest research, Facebook  photo posts get 53% more “likes”, 104% more comments, and links on these posts get 84% more clicks.

Instagram and Pinterest also owe their explosive growth to our collective love of visual content.  Any blogger or social media manager worth his or her salt aims to add compelling images to their posts.

Do you have the rights to use the images you post on line?

Image Copyright: What Are The Rules?

What’s the best way to add photos to your blog or social post, without violating someone else’s copyright?

It’s easy to right click and save images you find online, and for some reason, it doesn’t FEEL as bad as cutting and pasting someone else’s words without permission … but, turns out, the rules for copyright are the same for images as for written content.

You can’t use someone else’s images without permission — simply giving attribution is not enough.

4 Tools to Re-Use Photos and Images, LEGALLY  

Here’s how to find and re-use images and photos:

1.  Search CreativeCommons.org: Rather than explain all the levels of CC permission, you can read about them here.

Select photos with the right level of permission (say, images that allow commercial and derivative use, with attribution), and respect the content creator’s rules for re-use of their work.

A useful search engine for CC photos can be found at search.creativecommons.org,

2.  Flickr Filter and Search Tools:  You can also search over 200 million images on Flickr.com, filtering by different levels of creative commons permission to find the right image for your post.

There are also search engines specially designed to make Flickr photo selection and attribution easier.  For instance, Photopin.com has an easy interface, and works great.

(Their tagline is “Search millions of CreativeCommons photos on Flickr and add them to your blog posts easily.”)

3.  WordPress Plug-ins For Finding and Attributing Images: Suppose you have a WordPress blog, and want to find an image on Creative Commons for re-use?  Try a WordPress plugin designed to search CC and add photos with the right level of permission, without leaving your blog (like PhotoDropper, or  Compfight).

     (Note:  I haven’t tried either yet, but the online reviews seem promising).

4. Google Advanced Image Search:  Google Advanced Image Search also has a filter for images that you are allowed to use:  look under “usage rights”, and select “free to use, share or modify, even commercially”.

5. Take Your Own Photos! If you’re a talented photographer or visual designer, you’re in luck!What could be more engaging and personal, than a picture you took yourself … and there will never be any question about rights!

Takeaway:  Do the Right Thing

From now on, take an extra minute to find and add the right image, while respecting the rights (and wishes) of the content creator.  Just do the right thing!

What about you?  Have you ever used an image without permission? Will these tools help you source images and photos legally for your blog?

PS -   Many earlier posts on this blog have images swiped from Google images.  The point of this post is to share how you can avoid making the same mistake.

With a little extra work this weekend, I’ll fix that.  I’m going through every blog post, deleting improperly used images, and replacing those I don’t have permission to use with others sourced as above.

Note photo credits: MAJTec via photopin cc (for photopin image) … and for main blog image: (Stacey… shared under CC BY-ND license).

Make my day … leave a comment! And, stop by and say hi on my facebook page, where I share marketing tips, opinions, stupid cat photos, and more. Thanks!

An editorial calendar is supposed to kick in at times like these … but how to gain enthusiasm for those “same old” topics?

When you can’t think of anything new to add to the online conversation, what do you do?

Maybe you just need a little help from your friends.  Your blogger friends, that is.

An Age Old, Blogging Dilemma

We all know the boilerplate … Keyword. Rich. Search. Engine. Friendly. Evergreen. Content.

But where to turn for inspiration?  To find that new spin on an old subject?  After all, we need to connect with people AND bots.

Happily, two bloggers re-energized me this morning.  Here’s some food for thought:

1.  How Do You Know If  Your Blog Is Making An Impact?  This post by Mark Schaefer jolted me from my blogging slumber, and I recommend it.

His idea is that we don’t ever really know what impact we are having on readers.  Perhaps we inspire, or provide the exact “how-to” to solve someone’s problem … and we might not even know it!

Mark’s post reminded me of a recent experience I had, unrelated to blogging:

I ran into an acquaintance with an event planning business.  Her business is doing well, and we started chatting about it.  Imagine my surprise when she told me that I had inspired her to start the business!

Apparently, while waiting to pick up our kids at a party 5 years earlier, something I said gave her confidence and  encouragement.  Truth is, I only vaguely remember the conversation.

It’s true, we never really know the impact we have on others.  Even a blog topic that feels ordinary to you can make a difference to someone else.  Today, this was just the inspiration I needed!

2.  Blog Curation, “Plus” 

If you’re like me, you read lots of blogs and learn something new every day.  Here are two ways to put your reading time to good use:

• Curation:  we’ve all seen blogs that curate content from other bloggers.  Mari Smith’s “Top 5″ posts,  John Jantsch’s Weekend Fav’s … with the fire hose of great content each week, good filters are indeed valuable.
• Curation, “Plus”:  Cindy Ratzlaff suggests that we go a step further.  If you’re inspired by another blogger, try writing a short paragraph about something they wrote, then share it socially.

(Bonus:  Do this on a regular basis on a topic related to your niche, and these posts can be curated to create even more valuable content.  That downloadable PDF you’ve been meaning to write to build your email list may be a simple matter of packaging a few months of curated “Best of” Tips on a topic of interest).

Takeaway:  

Think of how nice you’d feel if someone took the trouble to write about, and share, something you wrote?

As long as you give credit, use links, and add your own spin without copying someone else’s content, you can honor the original blogger AND create something new that’s of value.  Artists create derivative works, bands cover iconic tunes. Even basketball players get credit for assists.  We bloggers can do this, too.

“Inspired” blog posts come with a bonus, too: they’re a pleasure to write,  and we just might make a new friend in the process!   Want proof?  Check out the comments, below:)

So, next time you’re stuck, let another blogger inspire your blog post.  What about you?  Have you tried blogging about other people’s blogs?

Thanks for stopping by!  Tweet me, connect on Linkedin, or leave a question or comment on my my facebook page, where I share marketing tips, opinions, and news.

Instead of my usual marketing topics, a post about 3 people who were inspired to go the extra mile.

Here’s the common thread that runs through their stories:  having a goal, and committing to see it through … despite discouragement, even when it’s hard.

Here are their stories:

The Entrepreneur Who Intends to Cure Blindness

This week I met Evan Mittman.  Evan founded and grew Cipriani, an accessories company which was sold to multinational Li & Fung Ltd,  where he continues as President.  His story of building a company is one that every aspiring entrepreneur can learn from.

I also learned something completely unexpected about goals and commitment.  In college, Evan learned that he was losing his sight — and while growing his company, Evan set an audacious goal: curing blindness.

As board member of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, he now uses his influence to raise money for a cure, and is also the force behind the Evan Mittman Music Center, a special place where blind artists record, practice, and perform.  Incredibly, a cure for blindness is within reach.

Evan has been pursuing his goal for 40 years … truly, determination and persistance can move mountains.

An Artist Who Reinvented Herself

At a recent art show, I ran into a painter from whom I bought a floral watercolor years before.   Seeing her current display of bold, contemporary abstract oils was a complete surprise.

I asked Rosalind Oesterle what caused her to change:

” … Well, the market changed … people didn’t really want softly colored, floral vignettes anymore … and I got tired of doing the same thing over and over …”

 If an artist with over 50 years of experience can successfully change her craft, well … you know the rest.  Change can be overwhelming, and it’s hard … but change is rewarding for those who stick with it.

If change is your particular challenge, I offer Rosalind’s example.

Duke NY Job Angels: Going the Extra Mile

The aptly named “Duke NY Job Angels” is a group committed to helping fellow unemployed alumni land their next professional gig.

Maybe it should just be called, “Suzan’s Angels” … since the idea began with Suzan Fruchtman, who saw a need, and did something about it.  She not only provided the spark, but built a bridge from inspiration to action.  Now, there are dozens of alumni involved in this effort.

Why not help someone in transition network and connect to their next opportunity?  It’s hard for them to ask, so don’t make them … simply go the extra mile and offer your help.

P.S. – Would it Kill You to Say Thank You?

People of generous spirit,  like Evan and Suzan, don’t do what they do for the “thank you”.  It’s just who they are.  Saying thank you costs nothing, and sometimes, it’s the least we can do.

Not everyone gets this.  Recently I went the extra mile for someone, got others involved, and then … nothing!   I’m not sure what the lesson is,  except that occasionally, you meet a jerk.  They don’t come wearing “jerk” name tags, but their inability to show gratitude gives them away.

*****************************************

Humanity is a bell curve, and recently, I’ve seen both ends of that spectrum … but that doesn’t change what I believe.

I believe in going the extra mile to help others when you can … and in paying it forward when you can.  It feels really good, even if you encounter the occasional jerk.

*****************************************

PS –  if you are trying to accomplish something important but facing headwinds, hang in there!  Remember:

“The higher you climb on the mountain, the harder the wind blows”.

Thank you for listening.  Next post, my friends, will be back on point, marketing topics, keywords and all:)

Thanks for stopping by!  Tweet me, connect on Linkedin, or leave a question or comment on my my facebook page, where I share marketing tips, opinions, and news.

What starts with hello, can grow into a trusted relationship and result in revenue …

… but how to measure it?

Here are three resources that provide insight into social media ROI:

1. The Social Media ROI Cookbook, from Altimeter

This slideshare offers 6 different methodologies for measuring the results of your social campaigns.

I find it strangely reassuring that even large companies with lots of resources still struggle with finding a consistent way to measure ROI, and “anecdotes” is the leading method.

All 6 approaches are listed below, and more detailed descriptions are available here.2. FREE E-Book: 166 Case Studies That Prove Social Media Marketing ROI

If you follow Rob Petersen, you’ve undoubtedly seen his blog posts with social media case studies that prove ROI.  Now, he’s compiled them into an e-book.

The great thing about this book, aside from the obvious abundance of evidence that proves social media value, is as a source for creative inspiration.

His examples cut across every business type and size, so you are likely to find a business similar to your own.  It’s a great read.  (and available free on his blog).

3. Avinash Kaushik’s Blog: Occam’s Razor

No discussion of social media ROI would be complete without mentioning Avinash Kaushik, Google guru and author of the blog Occams Razor.

His many useful posts tell you which metrics are right for which circumstance.  Two of my favorites are here and here … challenging reads, but a good way to start thinking about the metrics that matter.

Now that every click can be measured, social media marketers will increasingly be asked to solve the ROI puzzle.

It’s still early in the game … technology continues to emerge … but these social media ROI case studies and resources are a good starting point.

But in the end, I tend to agree with Avinash Kaushik, who says that “you don’t participate in social media to only drive business outcomes”.   True … the value of relationships and other intangibles like customer insight and word of mouth are  impossible to measure.

Still, showing economic value, even if it doesn’t capture the entire benefit, will result in better decisions and a higher level of confidence in the value of your efforts, not to mention growing budgets:)

What’s your feeling about the social media ROI question?

Thanks for stopping by!  Tweet me, connect on Linkedin, or leave a question or comment on my my facebook page, where I share marketing tips, opinions, and news.

Just do a gut check … how many times just TODAY did you google something?  Check the news online?  Engage in a social site?

The world is texting and engaging and searching constantly, and when it comes to reaching customers, traditional interruption techniques just don’t work anymore.

Inbound Marketing … What’s in a Name

This culture shift has spawned a new generation of marketing tools and tactics that help customers and prospects find us online, and create a path to convert new leads to sales:  Blogs, SEO, Social media, E-marketing, Lead Management, CRM, and others.

“Inbound Marketing” is the common buzzword for the entire online marketing system designed to do this, using all the latest tools.

Whether you call it content marketing, online marketing, reality marketing, whatever-buzzword-you-want marketing … today, using all of these tools in a well designed plan is essential.

But with so many ways to interact with online, having each tool in it’s own system/database has also become a major headache to manage.

Here’s the good news:  it doesn’t have to be so hard.

Less Databases, Less Applications, Less Hassle  

Content creation, landing pages, calls to action, social dashboards, lead nurturing, CRM … we are swimming in tools. Marketing complexity has become a business nightmare.

Your digital strategy probably looks something like this:

Website + Blog +  Social Media Dashboard + E-Marketing + CRM + Google Analytics = A Confusing Mess!!!

There’s got to be a better way to handle all these online tasks!

Now, there’s finally a solution that’s been designed for marketers and business owners, not tech geeks.  In the spirit of “show, don’t tell”, here’s a 7 minute video that shows how all-in-one marketing software called Hubspot3 works.  Have a look:

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When your marketing is done this way, the whole is more powerful than the sum of the parts.  Instead of a mess, you get an efficient process that is easier to manage, enables better decisions, and ultimately, creates more sales.

Marketing software like Hubspot3 is still just a tool.  We still need smart strategy and creative design and someone to execute the plan each day …  but the ability to manage all the intermediate tasks without a PhD in technology, is gamechanging.

And the ability to connect all your efforts to RESULTS is long overdue..

A revolutionary marketing tool, long overdue.

Sorry about the overdose of marketing gobldygook.  I’m just really excited about it … and there’s one more aspect I haven’t even mentioned.  We need to figure out what parts of the process are working, in order to grow and hit our revenue goals.

This software has all the analytics you need to measure the impact of each marketing activity and see what’s working.

To me, it feels like we’re at a TIPPING POINT.  

What started out as a few hundred businesses using Hubspot a few years back, has grown into many thousands.  Here’s a prediction:

All-in-one marketing software will become just as essential as the website was 10 years ago.  You will not be able to grow your business without it.

What about you?  What are your biggest marketing frustrations?  If you could make one aspect of your marketing easier, what would it be?

Make my day … leave a comment! And, stop by and say hi on my facebook page, where I share marketing tips, opinions, and news. Thanks!

Rhonda Hurwitz in August: A Marketer Goes Off the Grid

Being off the grid for most of August made me wonder what news I missed … but a quick glance at Mashable (“Wheee! 10 YouTube Clips of Animals on Slides!!!) tells me I probably don’t have to worry.

I did miss connecting with my online friends, however.  Last week was all about catching up on client work … top of my list this week is to return to blogging, social media, and reconnecting.

Here are two things that inspired me in August …

My New End of  Summer Ritual

After kicking the tires from afar, last month I finally pulled the trigger.  I attended Inbound12, a huge gathering of inbound marketing professionals.

This conference was heaven for marketing geeks … hanging out with strategists and thought leaders like David Meerman Scott, Rand Fishkin, and Gary Vaynerchuk, plus 2800 other like-minded folks, talking about inbound marketing best practice for 3 days.

Spending the 3rd week in August in Boston will be my new end of summer ritual:)

P.S.:  You’re Invited ! (Inbound13)

Here’s a thought:  next year, come to Inbound13 with me.  I promise that we’ll learn a ton and have a blast.

Here’s the link for next year’s conference … they tell me this is the lowest price ticket we’ll see all year, and the price goes up next month.

(PS If you plan to go, take my advice and make your reservations at the Sheraton early … they do run out of rooms).

You know you want to … just do it!  And here’s another reason why you should …

A Final Thought:  Are You Making Time to Invest in YOU?

After some reflection, I have come to realize that investing in ourselves as business owners is one of the best investments we can make.

If you’re like me, you don’t do it often enough.  Working with clients all the time, attending to family responsibilities, not paying enough attention to your own personal development …

I hope this isn’t too woo-woo … but it’s time to give yourself the gift of investing in yourself, and your own business knowledge.  Make more time for YOU.

So Enough About Me, What About You? 

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