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Posts tagged Mike McDowell

People Must Really Want LinkedIn to Work

November 6, 2008 · Filed under Business, Marketing, New Media · Tagged application, Business, connection, Linked In, LinkedIn, Mike McDowell, social network

I guess people really want LinkedIn to not be another dead-end business network. I have a LinkedIn profile. Many people do. But, I don’t use it that much – do you? I have heard LinkedIn referred to as an “online Rolodex” more than a social network. While the debate about people using it remains, it has been growing rapidly – in fact, according to Nielsen Online, LinkedIn is one of the fastest growing social networks between 2007 and 2008, growing 187% (yes, that’s more than Facebook, which grew 77% from 07 to 08). I think last time I checked, LinkedIn was approaching 10 million unique visitors. Hard facts aside – anecdotally, I rarely find somebody who USES LinkedIn after they sign up and make some connections. It seems the only time people go back to LinkedIn is to accept a connection.

So, is LinkedIn really going to take? Are people going to use it as a legitimate business and networking tool? In the past few days, I’ve gotten updates that LinkedIn is going app crazy. From ways to create projects and collaborate, share information or customize your profile. Here’s a short list (full disclosure – most of this section is LinkedIn’s wording). Maybe this will help?

Work collaboratively with your network:

Box on LinkedIn: Share files and collaborate with your network.

Huddle on LinkedIn: Private workspaces to collaborate with your network on projects.
Share information and keep up to date with your network.

Amazon on LinkedIn: Discover what your network is reading.

TripIt on LinkedIn: See where your network is traveling.

SixApart on LinkedIn: Stay up to date with your network’s latest blog posts.

Present yourself and your work in new ways:

Google Docs on LinkedIn: Embed a presentation on your profile.

SlideShare on LinkedIn: Share, view and comment on presentations from your network.

WordPress on LinkedIn: Promote your blog and latest posts.

Gain key insights that will make you more effective:

Company Buzz by LinkedIn: See what people are saying about your company.

How to Use LinkedIn

There’s also a blog dedicated to using LinkedIn (tough to say how deep the connection between the blogger and LinkedIn is). But, there are some decent tips there: The LinkedIn Personal Trainer – ways to use LinkedIn. There is actually a pretty interesting article about how people in the financial industry are using LinkedIn a LOT in the past several weeks.

The Future of LinkedIn?

What’s your take? How do you use LinkedIn? DO you use LinkedIn?

Comments (2) »

Got Creativity?

October 27, 2008 · Filed under Creative, Marketing, Rants · Tagged Aaron Burr, advertising, creativity, got milk, Marketing, Mike McDowell, milk

OK, this is my rant about lack of creativity by marketers. This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. It irritates me to no end to see marketers lazily attempt to market their product or services by copying the popular “got milk?” ads by simply using lowercase type and filling their product or service in the blank of “got ______?” How lazy are you?

The “Got Milk” advertising campaign was created in 1993 by Goodby Silverstein & Partners for theCalifornia Milk Processor Board and later licensed it for dairy farmers. Milk had seen a 20-year slump, and this wildly popular advertising campaign is credited with milk’s resurgence as a competitor in the beverage industry. The first TV ad to run in 1993 was about a luckless history buff who adores Alexander Hamilton (in fact, it appears his apartment is like a mini-museum). He is slathering peanut butter onto a sandwich as he hears the radio announcer’s trivia contest. The question: “Who shot Alexander Hamilton in that famous duel?” Next caller gets a chance to answer. Well, who do you suppose would get the call. None other than our tragic star who has just stuffed that peanut butter sandwich in his mouth. The DJ cannot understand his answer (Aaron Burr), so our hapless hero reaches for the milk to wash down his woes and win $10,000. No milk. Tragedy. “Got Milk?” is the simple tag on a black screeen. Brilliant!!! Check it out, below.

OK – so what’s your problem, Mike? I was driving in the Costco shopping center and drove past this pickup truck with these 10-foot cat tower things (I guess the cats climb on them), and a big sign that said, “Got Cats?” Ugh – why don’t these amateur marketers come up with something original instead of stealing and presenting a pathetic carbon copy of a great ad? And there are no boundaries for burglary of “Got Milk?” Check out some of the examples below. You’ve got everything from “Got Jesus?” to “Got Sand?” to “Got Shoes?” Plus, my favorite: “Got Poop?”

Anyway – that’s my rant. Keep your eyes open for these pathetic attempts at marketing, and gaze upon them with absolute disdain. Promise you will?

(Also, just for all of our viewing pleasure, I added a true “Got Milk?” ad featuring Hayden Panettiere to the gallery)