Imagine you’re a public relations professional in search of a job. You’re clicking through Craigslist when you see this ad:

“PR manager sought to execute association media campaign. Duties will include: contacting at least 7 radio stations per week (between 10 am and noon); purchasing banner ads on sites selected by PR director; launching a print ad campaign with the tagline “Building a Better Future”; pitching stories to the press (scripts will be provided). . . . . and other tasks as dictated by PR Director. Office hours are 8 – 5 pm; lateness will not be tolerated. For consideration, send cover letter, resume, five writing samples, six letters of reference, certified college transcripts, and Social Security Number.”

Would you respond? My guess is probably not. Not even in this lousy economy.

A job ad is the beginning of a dialogue between the employer and the eventual employee. This ad opens the conversation with a tone of micromanagement and mistrust, and eliminates any promise of autonomy. Most talented candidates wouldn’t bother to reply,

Think of your RFP as a want ad for a vendor. It’s an opportunity for you to outline your needs, identify your challenges, and articulate your goals. It should give potential vendors a solid understanding of what you want to achieve with the project and what their role will be. Here are a few tips on what to do, and what not to do the next time you sit down to write an RFP.

Continue reading "Writing an RFP for Results" »

We had great turnout for our first-ever holiday cookie smackdown; almost everyone brought in something they--or a designated family member--had made themselves. And we ate ourselves into a happy holiday stupor.

And the Winners Are

Best In Show

Project coordinator Kelly McNamara, Tiger Cookies, because one was not enough

Least Original

President Scott Adams and Creative Director Matthew Snyder -- who both made the same recipe

Most Original

Designer Shuangshuang Wu, for flying without a net by creating a banana coconut recipe from scratch

Best by Someone with the Least Evidence of Cooking Ability

Sysadmin Karim Alim, Cocaine Crescents -- who had to go out and buy a mixer to finish the recipe

Congratulations to the winners!

As the year comes to a close -- and CDG Interactive's offices close for the Christmas/New Year's week break (thanks, Scott!) -- the CDG bloggers take a moment to look back at the Top 9 things we learned in 2009.

(For those of you keeping track at home, that's 3 lessons each.)

What we learned ranges from how to continue to stay inspired when writing to why cute animals will always drive blog traffic.

Continue reading "Top 9 Lessons We Learned in 2009" »

Using Google Analytics to ask the right questions

In a recent conversation, one of our clients asked for more research on why their bounce rate has gone up in the past year. Their traffic has quadrupled and while their bounce rate has grown at a significantly slower pace, they still wanted to know if there was any specific cause. It was a reasonable question, and I set off into Google Analytics to find some answers.

The first thing I noticed was that their direct traffic was quite high – over 40%. Which gave me an idea – why not segment their traffic by source and see which had the highest bounce rate? Of course, I anticipated that direct traffic would be the lowest, since those are people who presumably intended to arrive at their site, while those who arrived through search and referring links are somewhat taking their chances.

Wrong. Direct traffic had the highest bounce rate.

Continue reading "First of All, You’re Wrong " »

On our way back from a client visit last Thursday, it was such a beautiful day, we couldn't resist a detour to the new Farmer's Market on Vermont Avenue near the White House. And we were delighted to find another CDG client - Firefly Farms - as one of the most popular vendors at the market.

Firefly Farms, a local Maryland goat cheese producer, is a long-standing CDG client, and a favorite vendor at local farmer's markets. My favorite was always the Buche Noire but now that I've been introduced to the Ginger, Almonds & Honey Meadow Chevre, there's some competition. By luck or happenstance, they are particularly well-situated at the market, right next to a wonderful local baker where you can get croissants or a great crusty bread to complement your cheese.  Plus, it's a great day when you can visit your clients, get some great produce and cheese, and be outside on a beautiful fall day.

The White House Farmer's Market runs every Thursday afternoon from 3 - 7 p.m. until the end of October. There's no decision yet as to whether they'll extend or re-new it for next spring yet. But it's worth a visit, and Mrs. Obama has been known to drop by to pick up a few things, so you never know who you might run in to.

The big day has arrived. You're responsible for marketing your business or organization and you're ready to take the plunge into social media. 

You've talked the board into it. You've talked your boss into it.

Now what?

Wouldn't it be nice if you had a Starter Kit? 

This is CDG Interactive's kit. These are five steps we take with our clients -- and that any business can take when getting into social media.

Continue reading "The Social Media for Business 5-Step Starter Kit" »

Every week, I get a Google Analytics report containing key metrics for this blog. Scanning through the data is a great way to get insights into who's coming here and why.

Until earlier this month, that is.

Continue reading "Twitter vs. the Long Tail" »

On this 8th anniversary of the still-unimaginable attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, this date that will forever be known by its numerical shorthand, we take a moment to remember.

We remember the lives lost -- some in the attacks, some by those trying to save the injured. We remember where we were: traveling abroad, or at work atop a tall office building with a view of the smoke from downtown, or locked down on a visit to a federal office building.

With its new site, Make History, the National September 11th Memorial and Museum aims to take our memories of the day and use them to create a collective, interactive, living 9/11 memorial.

You can search for others' stories by timeline or subject, and upload your own, whether text, photo, audio or video.

By preserving our memories, we can never forget.

One of the coolest parts of my job is taking everything I already know about the web and interactive and applying it to a new client project, while also trying to add something different and creative.

To put it another way, 1 part Experience + 1 Part Creativity = Innovation.

So how can I draw out that knowledge and spark new ideas? Here are a few methods I like to use.

Continue reading "Experience + Creativity = Innovation" »

Ever been struck with a fantastic idea, only to realize that you’re the millionth person to think of it? That’s the story of this blog post. In a recent meeting, a client who had just started using Twitter for his business asked us about the protocol for following other people. Was it “polite,” he wanted to know, to reciprocate by following them?

Ah—a lightbulb! Why not do a post on Twitter etiquette? Wait—we’ll call it “Twittiquette.”

Alas, a quick Google search revealed that not only was the idea unoriginal—so was the name. On the up side, though, a conventional wisdom is developing around good Twitter behavior.

So allow me to channel Emily 140-Character Post and present a few rules of Twittiquette for your business.

1. DO follow (real) people who follow you.
Getting right to our client’s question, it’s a good idea to follow folks who follow you. Not only is it “polite,” it will help give you insight into your customer base. You’ll know what they’re doing, what they’re thinking about, and—in some cases—what they think about your products and services. Of course, if a spammer starts following you, there’s no need to return the “favor.”

2. DON’T go berserk with promotional tweets.
People aren’t on Twitter to read mini-commercials. If you have something genuinely interesting or important to say about your business—like a new product launch or an upcoming event—then go ahead. But unless you want people to tune out your tweets—or worse—stop following you, keep it to the bare minimum.

3. DON’T be disrespectful to your clients
In my favorite Twitter morality tale, a hot-shot ad guy (ironically using the grandiose moniker of “KeyInfluencer”) tweeted disparagingly about the city of Memphis. He was in the city visiting a hugely important client, FedEx, to give a seminar on . . . wait for it . . . social media. Someone at FedEx saw said tweet and clued in corporate executives. FedEx excoriated Mr. KeyInfluencer, and it’s safe to say the agency/client relationship was highly frayed.

This is a dramatic example of the dangers of Twitter, but the lesson bears repeating: Don’t tweet anything that you wouldn’t shout out loud in the middle of Times Square. You never know who’s listening.

4. DO ask questions.
As Fast Company points out on its blog, Twitter is about conversation, not “pontificating.” By asking questions, you help spark a dialogue, and hey—you can learn something!

5. DO be transparent
Authenticity is the currency of social media. Avoid all temptation to set up fake Twitter accounts to cheerlead for your business. People will get wise to it very fast. And you’ll never regain your credibility.

There you are. Rules as timeless as saying “please” and “thank you.” What are your guidelines for good Twitter etiquette?