What I Would Tell Facebook About GM.

Mary Schmidt

May 22, 2012

So, let’s assume that GM didn’t take any of my advice (What I would have told GM about Facebook.) They went ahead and signed up for paid ads with Facebook (and spent an absolutely obscene [and totally clueless] amount of money on “creative” and content).  Then, somebody at Facebook read my post and called me.  Here’s a summary of what I’d tell them in a post-mortem.  (I may or may not have a Powerpoint.  I’d probably go full-on, rock-on online for examples and - maybe - some shadow puppets…)

In Marketing Troubleshooting, Social Media For Skeptics, Web Bytes

What I Would Have Told GM About Facebook.

Mary Schmidt

May 17, 2012

So, there I am.  In GM’s big conference room. All power-suited up. Powerpoint at the ready. What would I have said? (You can pretend I’ve got a beautiful Powerpoint set here, complete with compelling images [no stock photos] to reinforce my sound track blips below. There’s also a hand-out of the market scan I did for them that includes additional data points and recommendations. I’d be talking to the marketers on point after this overview presentation to the poobahs…if the poobahs

In Marketing Troubleshooting, Social Media For Skeptics

Would You Invite Your Customers To Your Home?

Mary Schmidt

May 14, 2012

(A quick social media reality check.)

Would you feel comfortable doing it?  I’m fine with it, but that’s me. I’ve had clients to lunch, dinner, and holiday open houses.  We’ve even actually worked around the kitchen table on occasion. I’m a pretty much a “What you see is what you get” person, in both public and private life. (I do, however, reserve my Facebook page for private…although several clients are friends, because they actually are friends. But that didn’t happen immediately.) 

On

In Marketing Troubleshooting, Social Media For Skeptics

My New, One-Size-Fits-All “Cut the Crap” Service!

Mary Schmidt

May 10, 2012

(With a HT to my fellow participants in the CMO network discussion over at LinkedIn re social media -  the promise, the hype, the crap.)

Yes, for only $1995.00! I’ll solve all your business problems - from getting funding to that pesky sink drip in the restroom. I can slice, dice, julienne! BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE!  Act TODAY and you’ll get my “Five Easy Steps to Social Media Nirvana.” ACT within the next fifteen minutes and you’ll also get a free set of ginzu knives! 

Okay, I’ve had my fun

In Marketing Troubleshooting, Pet Peeves, Social Media For Skeptics

What Am I (Are You) Missing?

Mary Schmidt

May 08, 2012

I’m renovating my services and marketing (yes, again).  A process that is incredibly difficult to do when it’s your own stuff.  What’s immediately obvious to someone else sometimes takes a brain-bending epiphany when you’re thinking/rethinking your own biz. (I had one the other day, on a power walk, NOT staring into a computer…)

So, I’m asking people - colleagues and clients - to give me input.  Getting a lot of excellent advice.  One client noted, “One thing you do better than anybody I’ve

In Brain Food, Start-Up Sanity Checks, Marketing Troubleshooting

“This will go on your permanent record!”

Mary Schmidt

May 07, 2012

Remember when those words struck fear in your little childish heart?  Where was that record anyway? What happened to it?  What actually went on it?  Beats me.  Which brings me to other follies and fallacies from our school days. (Note: Being taught isn’t the same as learning.)

From Forbes: Nine Dangerous Things You Were Taught In School

5. There is a very clear, single path to success.
It’s called college. Everyone can join the top 1% if they do well enough in school and ignore the basic

In Brain Food, Start-Up Sanity Checks

Want to Kill Innovation? Form a Committee

Mary Schmidt

May 03, 2012

Steve Jobs on collaboration and ideas: “You know how many committees we have at Apple? ZERO!”

Steve Jobs was brilliant.  He groked and rolled in a very unusual combination of technical savvy and design genius. However, he had a lot of help transforming ideas into reality…and then improving on the reality. 

Want to kill innovation? Form a committee.  The agenda games will begin (mine is bigger than yours…)  Then there’s who’ll take minutes. Who’ll order the donuts? Who’ll chair it? Who’ll

In Start-Up Sanity Checks, Marketing Troubleshooting, Pet Peeves