Forbes published an article this week explaining why Google and Facebook could disappear in the next 5 years. I, uh, beg to differ. I wrote my thoughts on the subject in an article published on AllThingsD. You can read it here. Give it a read. I think Google will be around for a long, long [...]

Base your campaigns on the ‘average’ customer. Only follow the data. Never follow the data. Skimp on content. Wait for perfection (hint – you’ll never get it). Leave design to designers (hint – you need to know about it, too). Leave development to developers (hint – see above). Micromanage. Use empty controversy as an outreach [...]

At first Google was just a search engine; then it started to get funny. Now, Google tricks, or “Easter Eggs,” lurk behind every Google search. The right keywords or an “I’m Feeling Lucky” search will often lead you to odd and awesome Google jokes. And Google Easter Eggs aren’t just in Search, you can also [...]

OK, I don’t think Google is ruined, but it sure seems like they’ve become increasingly weird since their big IPO. I wrote a piece about it, and it just went live on Techcrunch. Read it here.

First off, I’m a cat person. I want to make that perfectly clear. It’s a high honor if I compare you to a cat. So saying a marketing agency’s clients are like cats is very favorable. In Portent’s proposals I compare my employees to rats. So really, clients are coming out way ahead. A quick [...]

No, Portent didn’t merge with another company. But we just finished merging my blog, Conversation Marketing, into the Portent web site. From now on, you can find all the same stuff I used to write on Conversation Marketing here, instead. Why’d I do it? Let me count the reasons: The rest of the team at [...]

Tomorrow I’ll be talking about ‘advanced’ link building. The term drives me insane, since most folks use ‘advanced’ to mean ‘I give you lots of advice, but I do not add any links.’ So, I’ll go over real-life advice for building links, including some fairly geeky stuff, like: Log file analysis Using Google Webmaster Tools [...]

It’s a lot harder to impart knowledge than to pass information. But it’s also worth it, because knowledge sticks. Why does application teach better than rote memorization? Hmmm let’s think. Oh yeah—because application creates knowledge, which quickly remaps neural pathways. Memorization sends us into an information-overload daze, which leads to sad, lonely little neurons. If [...]

In business, everyone keeps confusing information with knowledge. They’re different. Even the dictionary says so: Information: Facts provided or learned about something or someone. Knowledge: Information and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. Information is ones and zeros. It’s raw data, or a list of facts. It’s [...]

My post yesterday really stirred some people up. This is a big blind spot for me. I believe anything worth discussion is worth discussing in a civil manner. BUT, I had to delete a lot of comments. So I figured I’d better explain what’ll make me delete your comment (or Wall post, by the way): [...]