Happy One-Year HARO!

Today marks one-year since the first HARO was published. HARO (Help A Reporter Out) was started by the ever-energetic Peter Shankman as a resource for reporters to connect with information, resources, and other people to help with stories. Three times a day a list of requests is published and sent out all over the world. In a year, the list of subscribers is now up to 70,000 strong and growing.

Consider signing up for HARO's list. If you are a reporter looking for sources, this is definitely the place to go. If you are a marketer or PR person, this is a great list for finding opportunities for your clients (just make sure to read and follow the rules). Happy HARO Day!

TwitterJobSearch.com

Just ran across TwitterJobSearch.com yesterday and thought it was a great tool to share. With a very simple interface (much like Google), TwitterJobSearch.com aggregates all Tweets pertaining to job listings and allows you to search for them. For instance, if you wanted to find jobs in Minneapolis, simply type "Minneapolis" and a list of all the job Tweets in Minneapolis, MN will appear.

If you are in the search for a job I would recommend setting up some RSS Feeds of the jobs you are interested in. Type in the term(s) you are interested in and then click the "Subscribe" button on the page. Now every time the search engine finds a Tweet with your term in it, you will be immediately informed and will be able to react quickly to opportunities.

Shameless Self-Promotion: A Good Thing for Targeted Ads

Who ever said that shameless self-promotion wasn’t a good thing? Oh yeah – Twitter. While dozens have dismissed the seemingly too commercial brands as nothing more than spam artists, companies like Google are now relying solely on what you want to say about their ads.

Finally, someone gets what social media is about: a content-driven democracy. Through Google’s new targeted ad approach, you can customize your preferences for the ads that pop up, but first you have to navigate through the many that land on your page as a result of cookies (those parcels of text that are input into a browser).

Still, other social Web companies have yet to catch on, like uStream.TV. Don’t get me wrong—I love uStream, but not the ads they have forced on a lifecaster’s page. I’d prefer to watch Cali Lewis of GeekBrief.TV talk about her video nomination for the Island Reef Job (Vote for Cali!) without the distraction of a Techcrunch ad. Sponsored ads only work if it’s really in the best interests of the consumer watching, not a generalization of the viewing public.

Facebook has somewhat gotten it right, as I don’t think ‘hot bods’ actually correlates to my profile interests of running or boxing. But I have to say, Google is entirely on the right track and I’m looking forward to seeing more shameless self-promotion being the criteria for ads smattered all over the Web… from this point forward.

What do you think about ads on your favorite social network?

Story Telling

"Eat at Java Street Cafe and pay what you think is a fair price." This creates a story and experience that people will share with their friends. It's innovative, unique, simple, and has the marketing built right in.

It's spreadable.

What kind of story are you telling? Are you creating products and services with the marketing built in, or are you creating confusing or frustrating stories that never take off?

Social Web Starter Kit: How to Avoid Reputation Desperation

Anyone notice how the Web 3.0 world (microblogging/blogging integration) is making brands (We’re all brands!) so desperate for attention? Time and time again, we at Daily Axioms have fallen into the trap of seeming too commercial and not enough personal—in order to build up buzz for our blog. In keeping aligned and keeping people’s interest within social networks, it’s important to know several things about building a socially Web-acceptable reputation.

1) Think self-disclosure
I’m very tired of trying to reach 1,000+ followers inappropriately on Twitter, hoping they’ll @ me by a “That’s cool” response. I managed to get @armano's attention by tweeting about something we had in common: we both like sour stuff. All relationships online, at the core, are personal—because self-disclosure is easier online. If I met @armano on the street, would “I like sour candy” be the first thing out of my mouth? No. We’d probably talk about the weather or sports.

Moral: When you say things that strike a chord with someone personally on Twitter, trust me, they’ll tweet you back.

2) I actually read your post. Here are my thoughts.
On blogs, brands don’t try hard enough. Moreover, the PR agencies representing them don’t really know this blog editor at all, and a simple “Great post. You should check out this new product from…” is a great way to let the commenters know you’re a selfish spammer. Some might think a post with massive comments= strong opportunity to get the word out, but if you don’t read the post and the comments pertaining to the post first, you don’t know the context.

Moral: Know the context to determine if your product/service/event really suits the situation.

3) Check your motive
This really sums up the first two, but this needs a category all its own. In an effort to get ahead or standout, we act very selfish. We won’t acknowledge others in the space and we’ll only speak to the author or moderator. When I see comments or replies on Ustream or Twitter hashtag events like this, it indicates a person doesn’t want to be social; rather, they’re in it for themselves, and if applicable, their client. Moderators and blog writers can see through this and dismiss the deceptiveness by blocking you. (Trust me, it can happen)

Moral: Engage with the community you are now a part of (You didn't just hop in).

4) Listen. Welcome feedback.
Has it ever occurred to you that your subscribers or fans will give you answers to your unsaid questions as to why you’re not getting more traffic, or why this product isn’t selling as well as you thought it would the ‘beta time around’? Your community wants to hear from you, so if you’re not reaching out to them and welcoming feedback, how are they going to know if you’re actually listening and making the necessary adjustments?

Moral: Say the unsaid so you can get the answers needed

5) Now you’re ready to build a networking plan!

• Make a list of all the people you’d like to know online that are also within your professional network offline. These are the people you see at pro events and social media conferences—within your region.

• Make a list of all the people you’d like to know online that are miles away from you. These are the people that you can have a long distance relationship with by simply being an active community member on their blog, discussion forum, LinkedIn Q&A, or Twitter feed.

• Engage with your key members of your new community 2-3 times a week—whether close by or long-distance.

• Provide your community with some helpful info you’ve read about recently that pertains to what was discussed on their blogs, Twitter feed, etc. You can do this by simply commenting on their blog or e-mailing them the info. You know it will appeal, or your community will at least acknowledge-- if it pertains to what’s been on their minds lately.

• Beyond your pro network, reach out to niche-specific audiences that align with your interests and your client’s interests. Consider the steps above before making a list and making the contact.

Moral: A crowded space will bury you and it’s important to stand out by offering something the community can chew on—something that’s beneficial to all.

And that, my friends, is how people will start talking about you and your contributions to online communities appropriately.