How to change your Tumblr logo

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Want to change your Tumblr logo?  Aside from the gratuitous nude photo of Adriana Lima, this is actually a useful, straightforward tutorial.

The internet is at war with itself

Video, text or image, the fundamental form of online ad campaigns depends on purpose, ingenuity and budget.  But depending on where you stand in this vast ecosystem, as a consumer, you may find particular ads captivating and creative versus annoying and disturbing.

As for the former, where I work to be at, I look at ad campaigns as a study in commerce, persuasion and creativity.  I am an eager student, really.  As for the latter, where I am on occasion, I reflect on where these campaigns fail.  They may be overly repetitive, in which case I am turned off, or overly intrusive, in which case I am pissed off.  Certainly not where any brand or advertiser wants me to be.

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So this grabbed me on Google News - Troubles Ahead for Internet Advertising:

Much of the Web relies on advertising income, but anti-ad technology could put a dent in that revenue. A recent report from the Web service PageFair said that on average 22.7 percent of visitors to 220 Web sites were using ad-blocking software, which automatically removes most ads from a Web page. The figures were highest in gaming and technology Web sites, which tend to have a large concentration of savvy users.

PageFair said the practice was growing at a rate that suggests almost all sites will appear without ads by 2018.

There are plenty of reasons to say that isn’t so. For one thing, PageFair makes money by helping companies get around ad blocking, so it has an interest in making ad blocking seem like a problem in dire need of solving. In an e-mail, however, PageFair executives defended their methods and conclusions. The company compared visits recorded on Google Analytics with the ad impressions recorded by a separate ad server.

The challenge for advertisers - whether it be video, text or image, or some combination - is to create an ad campaign that actually works:  Someone buys their product or service, at the end of the day.  In turn, the challenge for consumers is to appreciate the give-and-take nature of the ecosystem.  For example, we can enjoy Facebook for free, but for the sake of having ads in our midst.

Me, I am not so concerned about this anti-ad technology.  We humans are a creative lot, by and large.  So anti-anti-ad technology will develop, if necessary.  But the solution in this matter may be more human than anything else:  Engage us, appreciate us, be fair and reasonable, teach us, and we as consumers are more apt to be captivated and enthralled.  We will not have a need for anti-ad technology.

The new look groups on LinkedIn

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LinkedIn Groups, one of our most popular products on LinkedIn, is getting a major redesign with a beautiful new look and feel. There have been more than 2 million Groups created around almost every topic imaginable — from entrepreneurship, philanthropy and careers to social and digital marketing. These communities have become places where our members are exchanging and sharing their experiences, business knowledge, interests and ideas with other like-minded professionals daily. 

As part of our ongoing efforts to make LinkedIn easier and simpler to use, we’ve brought a new streamlined look that will give Group managers and Group members the ability to customize and visually differentiate their conversation space.

Reference:  Introducing a New Look for LinkedIn Groups [INFOGRAPHIC].

As with anything worthwhile and important on social media, managing a group requires that (a) you clarify your purpose, intent or priority and (b) you invest time and effort into serving your purpose.

Keep it short and sweet

Snapchat Fact: Learn more about snapping from Shannon!

A short and sweet video on Instagram (click the caption link, above).  Shannon's Snapchat tip?  You guessed it:  Keep it short and sweet.  

I love it!

The personal quandary of blogging

Sometimes blogging can be a personal quandary.  What people - bloggers and readers alike - love is straight-from-the-heart, useful and funny stuff.  But the exigencies of making a living - for the blogger and-or the publication - can be a rude headwind for all the joy that blogging promises.

Nicole Knepper

In Blogging: Is monetizing your blog worth the price of your dignity?, Nicole Knepper writes a very thoughtful, wonderful piece that seems to have resolved, if not transcended, that quandary.

Almost ten years ago, I left my career as a professional therapist to become a stay at home mom. Back then I was feeling burned out, isolated and depressed. A friend suggested that I engage in social media, and doing helped to pull me back into the world. Five years ago, I drifted into blogging. There was no plan aside from remaining plan-less. The blog saved my life. That’s not hyperbole. 

It saved me.

It didn’t used to be this way, and in my experience, this kind of thing causes a rift within the various blogging communities, tapping into the greatest fear of a writer – the fear that our words won’t connect us with others, that nobody will care about what we write, that we will be harshly judged, that we simply aren’t good enough.

Today, paid bloggers are constantly under the pressure to prove their worth in order to monetize their blogs. I am one of those bloggers. My boss has to “justify the cost” of keeping me, (his words, not mine) and he can’t do that unless I am generating income for the site in a measurable way. It’s impossible to do that without a community. 

What to do?

Bowing out gracefully seemed like a good plan, really the only plan that would make me happy again. 

“The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy!"

Robert Burns – 1785. 

Translation? Even if you have a good plan, there are just no guarantees your plan will succeed or bring you happiness. Plans fail. Plans change. Expect the unexpected and the Gang aft agley (whatever that means).

Social me(ow)dia, explained

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What a fantastic #infographic to explain the concept behind each of the main #SocialMedia platforms. Definitely some #fridayfunnies to finish off your week!

Reference:  Nicholas Redfern.

Any questions?

Super-fast stars promoting high-speed broadband

A member of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, Virgin Media is a pay-TV and high-speed broadband operator.  It makes sense that they engage track stars to be spokes-athletes for their offering.  Usain Bolt, for example, is considered the fastest human on the planet.  In particular, he is the first to win gold medals for both the 100- and 200-meter races - twice:  in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.

Mo Farah is also on the Virgin Media ad team, though I couldn't find him in any of their commercials on YouTube.  So this Nike commercial will do.  Farah is an Olympic and World champion in the 10,000- and 5000-meter races.  

Christine Ohuruogu

Finally, Virgin Media signs Christine Ohuruogu to be part of advertising campaign.  She is a double World champion in the 400-meter race.

"Christine has consistently shown that the rest just can't keep up with her incredible speed, so what better ambassador for Virgin Media and our superfast broadband?" said Jeff Dodds, chief marketing officer at Virgin Media. "She's part of a stellar Team Virgin Media and will be a great representative for us as we look ahead to Glasgow 2014."