Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 250

Bring Back The Corporate Blog

Blogs don't have a chance against Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Don't blame blogs for this, but let's be honest: if given the opportunity the vast majority of consumers would rather read a quick 140 character tweet, watch a video or glance at a photo than dig down deep into a text-heavy reading-intensive form of communication. Once technology enabled the creation, sharing and speed of access to images and videos, it was merely a matter of time before everyone who was all excited about blogging hopped over to whatever the newest and shiniest object was. With that, we know that human beings try to avoid reading as much as possible (don't believe me? Please read this: Are You Reading This?). If you take all of those issues and you roll it up into a bigger social media marketing mix, you would uncover that blogs and blogging should fall below the level of interest for most brands.

Don't forget about the blogs.

I was taken aback by some of the data that was released yesterday in a WP Engine study on how consumers prefer original content from brands. The biggest surprise is in how much value consumers derive from corporate blogs (of course, with the caveat that they are rich with valuable information and delivered in a non-sales-like manner). Some key point to consider:

46% of consumers say they read the blogs of their favorite brands.

48% feel that it's important for a brand to include brand content on their blog to assure most up-to-date information.

40% believe there are negative effects if brands do not provide up-to-date content on their blogs.

40% prefer to read content directly from a company blog rather than a news magazine or website.

52% prefer to go directly to the company website for content about the brand, vs. 25% going to social media and 22% to third-party articles.

60% want to see content directly from brands.

Here's the one mind-blowing thing about blogs...

If this data is true, sound and accurate, what we are seeing is great news for brands that consumers would acknowledge as their "favorite." As exciting as Facebook and Twitter may be, these influencers prefer real content directly from a company blog over a news magazine or website. If there was ever a more powerful data point to support the notion of building a direct relationship with consumers (this is also a huge component of my second business book, CTRL ALT Delete), I don't know of one. Corporate blogs, when done right, are the true voice of the brand. Corporate blogs, when done right, engender a brand to consumers. As much as consumers are busy creating and sharing content in a myriad of social media channels, brands tend to forget the complex matrix of value that is created when they are openly communicating (and on an ongoing basis). Consumers prowl the Internet for information on brands (nothing new there) and they're trying to ensure that whatever they come across is as credible as possible.

Time to reboot your company blog?

I never expected Six Pixels of Separation to build a million-plus readership as a blog. There was never a desire for it to become a Mashable. The content here is direly niche. It speaks to businesses looking to better understand and navigate digital marketing and the opportunities that come from it. Within this niche is a rich and deep group of professionals who are learning, sharing and adding to the discourse. While we don't track ROI in terms of directly bringing in new clients at Twist Image, it has become abundantly clear to us, that having a corporate blog of our own (for over a decade) has enhanced our credibility, work and brand perception in so many ways that it is hard to list out after all of this time. What brands forget about building and nurturing a corporate blog of their own, is the immense amount of work and dedication it takes to make it work (I stand before you to testify how challenging it can be!). In fact, it's probably no more or less work than the PR machine of pumping out press releases or contributing to trade publications. The big difference, it turns out, is that consumers would much prefer a blog over that other kind of content.

Who would have thought that in 2014?

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CTRL ALT Delete - Weekly Technology And Digital Media Review - CHOM FM #30

Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am a guest contributor on CHOM 97.7 FM radio broadcasting out of Montreal (home base). It's not a long segment - about 5 to 10 minutes every week - about everything that is happening in the world of technology and digital media. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly to SoundCloud, if you're interested in hearing more of me blathering away. I'm really excited about this opportunity, because this is the radio station that I grew up on listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry and Heather B. morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.

This week we discussed:

Why is Apple buying Beats?

Is this making Apple look cool... or old?

What does this mean for the iPhone 6 (which is, reportedly, due in August)?

If Apple is looking at wearable like a watch, what do we make of the Samsung watch?

We went from wearing a watch to smartphones... now, back to a watch?

The fascination of Tesla - the car and the story of Elon Musk.

The problem with Tesla's stock.

Tesla is building battery factories and more.

App of the week: oSnap.

Listen here...

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Time To Get Your Freak On

Episode #409 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.

It used to be easy. I could simply say that Chris Brogan is one of the most read, liked and followed bloggers on the Internet. Then he became a kinda big thing on Twitter. Then, he started writing books and become a New York Times Bestselling author with Trust Agents and The Impact Equation (both were co-written with Julien Smith). He also wrote books like Social Media 101 and Google Plus For Business. What some people may not know, is that he is also the cofounder of the PodCamp new media conference series, and has spent over sixteen years trying to help others understand technology, media and how to create a more human/humane kind of business. Now, he's publishing all kinds of stuff, creating events, teaching and more. He has an online magazine called, Owner, and just launched a really smart book called, The Freaks Shall Inherit The Earth. We met at the very first PodCamp, and have been friends ever since that day (over eight years ago). Whenever we get around to doing a Media Hacks podcast, he is one of the guests. Enjoy the conversation...

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast #409.

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Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #203

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (BitCurrent, Year One Labs, GigaOM, Human 2.0, Solve For Interesting, the author of Complete Web Monitoring, Managing Bandwidth: Deploying QOS in Enterprise Networks and Lean Analytics), Hugh McGuire (PressBooks, LibriVox, iambik and co-author of Book: A Futurist's Manifesto) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person "must see".

Check out these six links that we're recommending to one another:

SCP Foundation . "One of the weirdest things on the Internet. This is, in some ways, a great example of collaborative storytelling. It's also freakishly bizarre. The only rule is that these are all stories of containment, obsessively detailed descriptions of how to stop X-Files-like monster-of-the-week horrors from leaking out. The idea of a vault is a pretty common sci-fi trope -- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has the Fridge--and apparently, the Internet has the SCP Foundation. And I bet you can't read just one." (Alistair for Hugh).

An Easy Interface for the Internet of Things - MIT Technology Review . "All of your devices are belong to us. If you haven't heard how the Internet of Things is going to change your life, you're living in a cave. But connecting all those things to one another is a big problem. This MIT Technology Review article talks about one startup, Bug Labs, whose new service, Freeboard, is a really easy way to capture data about a thing and share it. Visit their page on a mobile device (go on, do it now... I'll wait) and you'll see stuff about that device, including its current location and position in three dimensions. Now realize that while you're on that page, anyone anywhere can visit the URL at the bottom, which is unique to you, and see that data. And now, think what a rogue mobile app on your smartphone with one line of code -- visiting a web URL -- can share with the world." (Alistair for Mitch).

Ukraine: The Phony War? - The New York Review Of Books . "In the fast-moving world of Ukranian politics, this April 27th article is a bit out of date. But, it's the best overview of what's going on there, which, frankly isn't saying much. What is going on?" (Hugh for Alistair).

Monica Lewinsky's story is a scandal of Americans' double-standards - The Guardian . "Remember Monica Lewinsky ? This The Guardian article (inspired by Lewinsky's Vanity Fair article) makes for strange reading about a very strange episode in US politics. Can you imagine the effect of having your most private sexual encounters scrutinized in a court room, and gleefully reported on in media outlets around the world? It's absurd, and horrifying. And terrible." (Hugh for Mitch).

CEO Of Anonymous Social App Whisper Nearly Melts Down On Stage At TechCrunch's Startup Conference - Business Insider . "I've been down this road before. I interview someone for my podcast or an article, and they're doing their best to stick to whatever narrative they created for their brand. When someone pokes, prods and shows them other sides of the coin, it creates frustration - as if everyone else doesn't get what they're doing and the value. There are three sides to every story, and many shades of grey (in almost every story). The challenge is this: if you're only willing to listen to your own narrative, it may cause some pretty uncomfortable moments... like this one. The bigger lesson: the inventor doesn't always know what the invention is for or how it will be used. Sometimes accepting other, plausible, outcomes and discussing them openly is better than resisting the reality." (Mitch for Alistair).

The Obsessive Curator of the Internet: Jason Hirschhorn - Priceonomics . "Jason Hirschhorn's MediaREDEF is an amazing e-newsletter. If I had to choose just one email to get daily, it would be this one. I have no idea how he curates the world of media so well... until now. And, if you dive down deep into this article, what you uncover is the true art of great curation. You also realize that simply sharing links is not the same as curation. Anyone can click and share, few have raised it to an art form like Jason has." (Mitch for Hugh). 

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook or wherever you play.

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agents of shield

alistair croll

bitcurrent

book a futurists manifesto

bug labs

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iambik

jason hirschhorn

lean analytics

librivox

link bait

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managing bandwidth

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mit technology review

monica lewinsky

pressbooks

scp foundation

social media

solve for interesting

techcrunch

the guardian

the new york review of books

vanity fair

whisper

x files

year one labs

Winners And Losers In The Digital Age

This is probably one of the most eye-opening perspectives on the digital age that you will see.

We have new business models, brands that explode with popularity, platforms that keep being invented. We watch the stock market dance like a funky chicken when it comes to tech companies. We see massive companies get uprooted and startups get acquired for billions of dollars. But what does it really mean? Who is winning at business... and who is losing? Scott Galloway has a think tank called L2 and is also a marketing professor at NYU Stern. He recently presented his data-based insights and predictions on who is pushing ahead and who may not make it across the finish line in everything from social media and retail to brands at DLD NYC.

You really do have to watch this...

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Are You Reading This?

How many books do you read a year?

It's an unfair question, because if you are reading this blog post, you are already amongst the reading elite. I used to toss out a statistic about reading (don't know where I got... don't know what the source is) which stated that the average person reads about one book a year. School has a funny way of turning people off of reading and learning. Fully recognizing that this isn't the case for everybody (some people loved it back then and keep at it now), but - on average - if you are to believe Sir Ken Robinson that school kills creativity, it's not that far of a leap to believe that it kills reading right along with it.

When did you rediscover reading?

When I finished High School, I half-jokingly told my friends that I would never read a book again. I say half-jokingly because it's hard to believe your own hype when you look back on the things one did in High School. I stuck to my guns, though. I came back to reading when I took a job working for Andy Nulman at a mobile content startup around fifteen years ago. On my first day of work, he passed me a copy of Tom Peters' The Project 50 and told me to read it. I did. I fell in love with reading. I was shocked. My perception of a business book was that it was an adult's version of a text book. Lots of words. Lots of pages. It makes your eyes tired and close. Non-medicated sleeping pills. What I discovered was a whole new world. A place where bold ideas are pushed out, prodded, explored, challenged and floated. I devoured that book... and most any other book related to business in its path. I read. Relentlessly. If I'm not in the middle of a book (or two... or three...) it can be panic inducing... like I am missing out... falling behind.

So, how about you?

I like reading (and writing) so much, that I'm fascinated with books about people who write (and those that love to read them). Yesterday, I dove deep into a Research Brief article titled, Only Time Prevents More Reading. Here are some of the good (and bad/depressing) data that was uncovered about how we read:

54% of Americans currently read e-books, including 66% of Millennials.

36% of Americans say that they read more than ten books a year.

Those who read exclusively in the e-book format are more likely to read over 20 books in an average year.

65% of Americans purchased at least one book in the past year, 9% purchasing over 20. 

Those favoring e-books purchased roughly twice as many as those preferring hard copies.

Millennials were more likely than their elders to have read more in the past six months.

The vast majority of Americans read at least one book a year.

Women read twice as many books as men.

46% of Americans say that they only read hard copy books.

Busting myths.

It's interesting to see that while nearly half of Americans only read hard cover books, those that read e-books are much more rabid. It also debunks the myth that young people do not read as much as they used. But, there's something bigger at play here (and it's a topic that all marketers need to be constantly reminded of): the digital disruption, in this case, is both good and bad. Having access to books nearly everywhere makes people buy and read more books (yay), but having those books on tablets, smartphones and e-readers couples book reading with other massive distractions (emails, surfing, articles, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube... everything else). People's general sentiment is that they would love to read more, if only they could find the time.

The thing about "finding the time."

We have to just admit it. We're never going to find the time. We have too much content in too close of proximity to us, at all times. No one has ever "caught up" on their reading. There's always something else (more) to read. These digital devices don't just enable us to carry around an unlimited amount of books, they enable us to carry around an unlimited amount of content across every platform (text, images, audio and video). The competition for attention is fiercer than it has ever been. But, reading is important. Not just any kind of reading, but long form content. Yes, in our ADD 140 character world, depth and time spent with a richer piece of content will fire synapses that you just won't get from Buzzfeed or Upworthy. Sadly, you won't find more time to read. Sadly, we just have to accept the truest reality: We always make time for the things that are important to us.

Digital technology is making us better at reading books. Make time for reading. It's that important.

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Online Video Is Just As Expensive As TV Advertising

You have to wonder just how powerful online video advertising really is.

Targeting is - more often than not - the most significant value proposition that is given to brands from media professionals as to why online video is such a wise advertising investment. With so many types of online video (and this goes beyond the breadth, depth and dominance of YouTube), it's hard to argue with this simple fact. If a brand is trying to get a message across, there is something deeply profound about being able to target that message to such specific, interested and connected niches and audiences. On the other hand, if a video goes viral, the ability to dump a pre-roll or post-roll on that piece of content can create substantive impressions against even the most illustrious of prime time shows. For years, the argument has also been that online video is that much more cost effective. So, you get targeting, brand awareness and cost savings. That works.

Well, is online video advertising that much cheaper?

Without any data, my gut was telling me that online publishers are keenly aware of the CPMs being coughed up by the major networks, and that they were leveraging their own size and specialty to edge their prices ever-closer to TV in a bid to make a run at more significant advertising budgets. A few weeks ago, Research Brief published a news item, Untargeted Online Tonnage Buys Comparable to Selected TV CPM Norm, that validated this thinking. The article suggests that, "Untargeted online tonnage buys generate much lower CPMs of about $9, which makes them roughly comparable to TV's all-daypart/all-platform norm... targeted video ads are much pricier, averaging CPMs of $32-33, says the report. In both cases, however, the analysis is comparing 30-second TV CPMs to online video ads, which tend to be of shorter length."

What's the prognosis?

While more research and reporting needs to be done, the article suggest that targeted online video ads can outperform non-targeted TV counterparts in recall and impact. This is interesting on many levels. First, contextually, human beings are such different beasts when they're watching TV at home on the couch compared to leaning in and sifting through online video. We're also location-sensitive. Online videos are now seen while being hunched over our laptops at our desks, gripping one hand to a subway rail as we watch something on our iPhones during our commute to work or while sitting outside with our iPads. Screen size, location, device, platform and environmental factors all play into how effective and how concentrated consumers are when watching these online videos. There's also the notion of abundance. While we have many more channels to choose from on television and many more specialty and cable options to augment that experience, it is still, primarily, driven by a scarcity model (there is a finite amount of channels and opportunities to advertise), while online video flips that on its head (it's an advertising model of abundance). Every second, hours of new video is being uploaded to YouTube and, while watching an ensemble of cats dance to Pharrell Williams' smash hit, 'Happy', may not be your thing, with a little linkbait love these are the types of videos that generate millions upon millions of views. And, in that same instance, while you may have no interest in some documentary on chemical engineering, it is content like this that offers a corporation a very unique opportunity to connect with a specialized audience.

It's also about more than advertising.

Online video is also a great place to tell a more personal story... to do something more than simply advertise. Seth Godin often says that advertising is a tax that brands pay for mediocre products (or something like that). Online video should never be solely regarded as the place to just pump more ads into. A smarter - more profound - marketing strategy should focus on building a healthy mix of ads with great storytelling and the ability to produce, distribute and share video-based stories about your brand that you have created.

The real myth of online video.

There is no denying that online video is one of the most powerful tools that a brand can use, but there is still a widely held perception that online video is cheap, easy (and even free) to do. Don't be fooled. Whether it is buying online video ads (which are very comparable to buying TV ads, if you believe the report above) to creating an online channel of owned content, it is still a laborious, difficult and costly venture for brands. It's easy to scoff at this notion and point to platforms like Instagram videos or Vine as a cheaper way to accomplish the same goals, but as these platforms grow in terms of audience and functionality, it becomes increasingly more difficult and challenging to be great at them without investing in the talent, production and persistence. Bear in mind that those newer forms of video also have a non-existent shelf life. A video on Vine today won't sustain much beyond its moment of distribution. Brands need to feed that beast at a voracious pace.

Yes, the same stuff it took to be great at TV has reached the online video world. And, if it's not quite there yet, the same issues and costs are just around the corner.

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Why Did I Sell Twist Image (And Other Questions)?

Last week, my three business partners and I announced that Twist Image would be joining WPP. It was a very long and extremely emotional journey. We were able to really let the world know about this acquisition last Thursday morning, once WPP announced it to the London Stock Exchange. From there, it became a race to tell our team, our clients, the media, our family and friends in a world where the tweets started flying about five minutes after it was announced. Since then, I, personally, have experienced an outpouring of amazing kindness and love. On top of that, I can tell (based on media interviews, questions from team members and family) that there may be a few, unanswered questions about why we were making this move, at this moment in time. 

So, here goes...

Why did you sell Twist Image... I mean, really?

First of all, "I" didn't sell anything. Twist Image is actually four business partners. Mickael Kanfi started the agency back in 2000 (he's our Chief Product Officer), Shortly thereafter, Aubrey Rosenhek joined him (he's our Chief Operating Officer). I met these guys (who had another employee or two, at the time) and we decided that I would join in 2002 (now, my title is President, but I prefer the title Media Hacker ;). A few years after that, we managed to convince Mark Goodman to join us as our CEO (Mark was responsible for launching FCB Direct in Canada). Everything we do, we do as a team. Truthfully, business was great and, with each and every passing year, we continued to grow and do better. We built this agency up. We currently have over one hundred full-time digital marketing professionals on our team across two offices. About a year and a half ago, we decided that it was time to make a bigger bet. To really go for it at a bigger scale. We looked at acquiring a couple of businesses and we looked at bulking up on some services that we didn't offer. We even looked at partnering with other strategic agencies. Along the way, we started thinking about joining someone bigger than us. As the four partners, we sat down and discussed what each scenario could look like. From there, we created frameworks (or "best possible outcomes") for each scenario. For each scenario we had a handful of "must-have" scenarios that would lead to that "best possible outcome." As that journey unfolded, we realized that being acquired could provide our company with a best case scenario, in terms of enabling it to grow, while securing the future of the agency and the many people that it makes up. Ultimately, the WPP deal best suited our needs, in terms of enabling us to add new services, have access to great talent, leverage their strategic relationships and be a better Twist Image.

So, is this acquisition a good thing?

No. It's THE BEST thing. We are thrilled about this opportunity. We are excited about what the future holds. We are confident and excited that we will be able to better serve our existing clients. Plus, and this is selfish, I want to grow as well (and I know that my three other business partners feel the same way that I do). WPP employs over 175,000 employees in 3000 offices in 110 countries. They have deep strategic relationships with Facebook, Adobe, Twitter and more. They own agencies as diverse as AKQA, JWT, Mindshare and more. There are a ton of smart people who are a part of the WPP family. Access like that can't be understated. On another tangent, I had no idea that the perception might be that we were selling the business because times are tough or times are stagnant (which is why some businesses decide to sell). This was not the case for us. We have seen growth in every year that we have been in business, and this year was already looking better than last. Often businesses sell because one (or more) of the owners also wants out. Again, this was not the scenario. Not by a long shot. I really can't express in words how great of a deal this is and how thrilled we all are that it came to fruition. Yes, it's a dream come true.

Are you selling to get out of the business?

No chance. We truly saw this as an opportunity to grow. The four of us are committed to seeing this through. A big part of making this deal come together was the agreement from WPP that the four of us (and our entire team) can keep on keeping on. We're all in it for the long haul. WPP was attracted to us for our entrepreneurial spirit and our track record. It is our understanding that this really is "business as usual" with a plus to it (being newer and more services). Now, we can add a whole bunch of interesting components to make us even more unique in the marketplace and more valuable to our clients. I am often asked what the "exit strategy" is for Twist Image and my response is (and will always be) the same: Twist Image was my exit strategy. My exit strategy is my desire to do the work that I am supposed to be doing. This is it.

Is this going to change Twist Image?

We hope so. We have always been an agency that wanted to work with big brands on more complex digital marketing challenges. We have always been an agency that focuses on ongoing digital marketing opportunities, instead of quick projects. That desire for scale and complexity has not changed or wavered in the past fourteen years. So, yes, we did this deal in the hopes that it would change Twist Image. That it will enable us to grow, adapt, add and push the envelope of digital marketing. We do this kind of pushing for our clients, and we're excited to keep on helping them to achieve their goals as digital marketing continues to evolve.

How much did you sell the business for?

Really? I'm actually shocked that people have asked me this question. You may be shocked to know that it gets asked often. How much money do you make? What's your salary? Maybe I come from a different generation, but these are not the types of questions I have ever asked anybody. It seems rude to ask (maybe it's just me). Obviously, one of the "best possible outcomes" for my partners (and myself) in figuring out whether or not an acquisition was a plausible avenue for us included financial terms. That's about all you're going to get from me. If we did this deal, it should be obvious that it met that part of our desired outcomes. It may sound cliche, but it's not about the money (I can hear you snickering, but it's true). We've been running a successful and profitable business for a long while. We have all gained enough experience to keep us employed for the long haul. This deal was much more about securing the future of the agency, it's health and growth and our ability to tap into new and exciting opportunities. We love what we do. We want to continue doing what we do and we feel very lucky that we're going to be able to do just that. If this were just about money, I probably would be Silicon Valley right now slogging it out.

Do you feel like a sell out?

I don't even know what a sell out is. Really. I got into business to feed and nurture my creative spirit (and that is coupled with making a good living). I have always had a desire to grow Twist Image to be as big as it possibly can be. I have always had a desire to grow a profitable business as well. That has never changed, and this move will only help facilitate that. The humor of being called a sell out in the marketing industry isn't lost on me either. My job is pretty simple: to help brands sell more stuff and connect to more people. I fell madly and deeply in love with social media, because it shifted marketing away from shouting at people, to creating real interactions between real human beings. I still believe in that and I still believe that marketing is a wonderful profession. Am I a sell out? I hope that my job is to help brands sell out of whatever it is that they produce with each and every passing day. This question also reminds me of the rock band, Metallica. After their massively successful The Black Album (1991), they kept getting accused of being sell outs. The band would famously retort: "Yes, we sell out... every arena, every single night, every day of the year." 

Is there anything you don't like about the deal?

It's going to be hard to go from being the final decision maker with my partners to being an employee. I have been an entrepreneur for a long time, and choosing that path was directly related to my desire of not wanting to have any bosses. With that, I have matured and grown since I first thought like that. So, while I am no longer the entrepreneur, the deal was structured in a way that leaves the four business partners in a very entrepreneurial place. I'm also, naturally, anxious about this because it's such a big change. So, while I am thrilled about it, the anxious mind can wander into some funky territories. So, other than moving from entrepreneur to being entrepreneurial, we're all totally psyched about this deal.

Are you still going to blog, podcast, write books, speak, etc...?

In a word: yes. WPP likes and admires the work that we have done, and they recognize how powerful it has been in terms of our business and brand development. I will still blog and podcast with the current schedule and frequency. We will still share our "6 Links" every Saturday (so long as Alistair and Hugh desire to contribute). I will still speak, and there are some pretty cool plans in development for the next business book. So, if you thought you might get a reprieve from my tornado of content, I apologize. It ain't going to happen.

Are you happy?

I don't share much about my personal life. Those that know me can understand how challenging the past four months have been. Lots of ups, but some pretty deep downs too (all related to personal stuff). I am happy. In fact, happy is not the right word. I am proud. I am so grateful. People have asked me if selling Twist Image is like putting a child up for adoption. It wasn't (granted, I have no idea what that might feel like). It was more like sending your child off to university (granted, I have no idea what that might feel like, either). We knew that we wanted to do something big with Twist Image, and this relationship with WPP just feels right. The people we have met have been incredible, and everyone is genuinely excited about what comes next. I get to put on my (black) jeans and sneakers, and go to work today just like I did yesterday. Only now, it feels like we're working with a bigger and more impressive toolbox. I'm fully aware that this is the honeymoon phase, and that things will change. I'm pragmatic. I'm also very confident that the challenges we will face will make me a better marketing professional and a better businessperson, and that's why I get up in the morning. That makes me very happy. I hope you're happy too. Life is too short to be doing something that doesn't make you happy, proud and grateful.

Any questions that I left out? Feel free to ask me on Twitter (I'm @mitchjoel there). I'm happy to answer them.

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CTRL ALT Delete - Weekly Technology And Digital Media Review - CHOM FM #29

Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am a guest contributor on CHOM 97.7 FM radio broadcasting out of Montreal (home base). It's not a long segment - about 5 to 10 minutes every week - about everything that is happening in the world of technology and digital media. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly to SoundCloud, if you're interested in hearing more of me blathering away. I'm really excited about this opportunity, because this is the radio station that I grew up on listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry and Heather B. morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.

This week we discussed:

The backstory as to why Twist Image has joined WPP.

Here's a great story about our deal: Twist Image's Year-Long Journey To WPP.

Local businesses who do well should be the stories that we tell.

Are you ever respected in your own city?

What is Digital Marketing?

The problem with unsubscribing from e-newsletters (it doesn't always work).

Can you ever, really, get rid of your online accounts?

What about your older accounts? MySpace? Second Life? Help!

Did you ever have a really cheesy email address (that you're not embarrassed about)?

App of the week: Account Killer.

Listen here...

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ctrl alt delete with mitch joel

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terry dimonte

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Networking Is Not Working

Episode #408 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.

I have an aversion to those in wealth management. That being said, I have many friends in the space and I'm thankful for the professional help I have received to date from some very smart people. Here's where that aversion comes from: in my early years of networking, I would find myself at Chamber of Commerce-like cocktail events, and I felt like the people who were the most annoying in these scenarios were the wealth management people. They would "work the room" and fling out business cards like ninja stars at any body in their way. Derek Coburn is a wealth management guy, but not "one of those guys." We met a while back when he invited me to present the concepts in CTRL ALT Delete to his networking group, Cadre. Most recently, he decided to tackle the issue of networking and better connecting with individuals through a business book called, Networking Is Not Working. I often relapse and struggle in networking situations, so Coburn's advice and insights are important. Enjoy the conversation...

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast #408.

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