Inspiration for Communications Wonks

Posted on | May 27, 2010 | 1 Comment

Communications professional, business copywriter, social media maven (I refuse to use the term “guru”; I have yet to meet a physical example of this mythical beast), branding and messaging consultant, shameless promoter… these are all titles I’ve applied to myself over the years. At heart, I’m a guy who writes stuff and helps other people communicate better.

It’s been a while since my university days, so I rely on the input of dozens of other experts and cool people to keep me informed of communications best practices, case studies, relevant business news and local events. I don’t always get the chance to highlight these people in this blog (or one of the other many blogs to which I contribute). In a brief roundup today, I will pay homage to some of these smart people who allow me to ~~steal their ideas~~ benefit from their inspiration.

In no particular order:

Rob Cottingham of Social Signal. What can I say? I’m addicted to Noise to Signal cartoons. And I’ve been watching a heck of a lot of his videos explaining trends in social media. I particularly liked this cynical send-up on tweaking Facebook. And if you’re a social media consultant who hasn’t yet checked out the Social Signal consulting practice open-source intellectual property vault — boy, are you in for a treat.

Lorraine Murphy AKA Raincoaster’s Operation Global Media Domination has achieved some significant milestones this week. Congratulations, Red Queen of Social Media. I would advise anyone in Vancouver who is interested in how to use social media for business to attend the rapidly-growing Social Media Club Vancouver.

All of the Fine Speakers at New Ventures BC. I’ve been blown away by the business seminars happening every week in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown. From refining your business plan and marketing to dealing with copyright and trademark and how to present to investors, I’ve learned a tremendous amount. There are still a few seminars left, so check ‘em out. The last topic was on getting financing for your start-up; if you’re interested, check it out here.

Jen De Tracey of Lift Strategies. Jen’s Marketing Tips are always good food for thought. I particularly liked this two-parter on being consistent with your customers. By the way, if you happen to need a new comprehensive marketing plan for your company, Jen does that — and the government will pay for it. Check it out.

And finally, some timeless yet hilarious copywriting tips from the Fail Blog, compiled by fellow copywriter Dean Rieck.

Are You Feeling Inspired?