Category Archives: Marketing

Branding help for the Girl Scouts

Posted on by
Reply

It’s not because I was a Brownie as a child, but because I am a writer turned content strategist as an adult. Bear with me while I offer some free brand advice to the Girl Scouts. I’m compelled.

Unless you live far from civilization and any sort of elementary or secondary school, you’ll be familiar with the proud signs that parents skewer into their front lawns, or display in windows, boasting of their children’s accomplishments. They’re handed out by school clubs and sports teams everywhere: Continue reading →

Usability fail

Posted on by
Reply

I’m going to the theater next weekend. It’s kind of a miracle that I was able to buy tickets.

There’s no ticket scarcity that I know of. It’s not “Hamilton” I’m seeing but a very small show presenting a series of 5-minute plays focusing on themes related to digital privacy; it’s part of a series of local productions sponsored worldwide by the nonprofit Goethe Institut.

What makes it amazing that I’m able to attend is the website usability fail I had to get past in order to buy tickets. It was one of the worst digital user experiences I’ve had in a long time — and it turned out to be caused by one simple error. Continue reading →

Give Credit. Take Blame.

Posted on by
Reply

StopSign-OldSeth Godin recently wrote of the importance of owning responsibility for your mistakes and sharing credit for successes. He focused on use of the pronouns “I”, “you” and “we,” and when each is most appropriate. Example: Instead of saying “I” when announcing a success, he suggests using “we.” Continue reading →

How should you measure social media success?

Posted on by
Reply

Here’s a hint: How should you measure the success of anything else your organization is doing?

TapeMeasuresWatermkBeth Kanter wrote an encouraging post on her blog recently, saying she believes nonprofit associations are starting to get smart about social media measurement, looking to analyze its impact rather than just chart fan/follower growth. Speaking at the recent Social Media 4 Nonprofits conference in San Francisco, she said, “I didn’t get asked ‘What are the best tools to measure followers on Twitter?’  Instead, I got asked questions about measuring the longer-term impact of social media – how do we know that our use of social media has influenced a conversion to an action or behavior change or donation?  How do we measure and track engagement to results?” Continue reading →