Alan Weinkrantz PR Web Log

"Presence is the New Dial Tone" (by me); "You Shall Know Us By Our Dial Tone" (by Chris Brogan)

I met Chris Brogan through Jeff Pulver.  Like so many in Jeff's sphere of friends, they are not only smart, but very nice people.  Ditto for Chris Brogan.  

It's personally gratifying when I write something in my column for the San Antonio Express-News and then I see someone like Chris thinking in the same vein elsewhere and in a different format.

Here is my column on "Presence being the New Dial Tone".  Below is Chris Brogan's presentation, "You Shall Know us By Our Dial Tone."

you shall know us by our dialtone

View more presentations from chrisbrogan.

Speaking Today at UTSA's Technology Entrepreneur Boot Camp

I'm speaking today at UTSA's Technology Entrepreneurship Boot Camp and look forward to meeting students, teachers and other speakers.

In these times of uncertain economic uncertainty, I am absolutely convinced that reduced marketing budgets will lead to smarter thinking in the area of PR and Social Media.

Geoff Livingston chimes in on Recession Brass Tacks.
Chris Brogan's take:  25 Ways Social Media Prepares You For the Downturn
Todd Derfren's view:  Will Social Media Help PR Weather the Storm
Jeremiah Owyang's sobering question:  Social Media Questions You Must Answer During an Economic Downturn

Here's my presentation:

Download utsa_boot_camp_october_10_2008.pdf

Chris Brogan Launches Dad-o-Matic

Blogger pal and Social Media guru extraordinaire, Chris Brogan, has launched yet another blog, Dad-o-Matic.  (Memo to Chris:  when do you have the time to do this?)

As a geeky Dad, I feel so good that finally, I have a community that I can read about and participate in with like minded geeky or maybe not totally geeky Dads who love their kids, but realize that we gotta have a life, put food on the table, and be their for our kids.

Me?  I got two big kids- 21 and 16.  The 21 is in Austin going to school and the 16 year old is a junior in high school.

I'm just now starting to scan the content and will make it part of my daily reading gig.

Are you a Dad-o-Matic?  If so, come join in.

Here's Are The Links from Today's Column in the San Antonio "Express-News"

My monthly column in the San Antonio Express-News ran today where I have list of daily online reading that begins at home and continues at work, when I am on the run, and back home or at a hotel when I travel.

Here are links to the sites recommended.

- Gadgets and Electronics:  Gizmodo and Engadget, CrunchGear, GadgetLab, The New York Times' Personal Tech

- Politics:  Huffington Post and Politico

- Marketing:  Seth Godin's Blog

-Social Media:  Chris Brogan, Groundswell and Micropersuasion

-Getting Things Done:  LifeHacker

-New and Emerging Technologies:  TechCrunch, GigaOM, All Things Digital

What are you reading these days?  eMail me:  alan at weinkrantz dot com

Chris Brogan Blogs About Client, BlogCatalog

Blogger buddy and genuinely nice person, Chris Brogan, has written a thought provoking post on client, BlogCatalog.

Chris claims that he did not "know" any of the bloggers in BlogCatalog. 

I would not expect him to.

Chris has genuine rock star status in the world of blogging and social media.   

BlogCatalog is not for someone like him, but certainly welcome - and he is registered.

BlogCatalog is for mainstream bloggers. Call it the middle of the long tail for the blogosphere.

As media company, think of BlogCatalog being more akin to "Time Magazine" or "Reader's Digest," vs. something like "The New Yorker," "Vanity Fair" or the "Paris Review."

What was most telling and helpful about Chris' post were the mostly very positive comments which you can read here. 

All this aside, make Chris' blog part of your daily reading routine. It's part of mine and there's always a good snippet of info and insights.

Highly Recommended

"Hi Alan, I'm just backlogged right now, and can't get to it."

Even though I claim to "know" and have good relationships with lots and lots of journalists, analysts, and bloggers, I still get responses like this when I am pitching.

Of late, I have noticed many of my media related contacts on Twitter and FaceBook are just plain busy and backlogged.  My pal, Chris Brogan, even had a post yesterday simply saying the he was underwater.  See his post "I'm Drowning."

When that's the case, I leave them alone.   There will always be another opportunity to pitch.

Photo shot on location in Iceland by Alan Weinkrantz (c) 2008

Follow Up To Chris Brogan's Birthday: A Birthday Present From Chris To His Readers

As a follow up from yesterday's post about Chris Brogan's birthday, he is offering a free birthday gift to his readers.  (seems like this is sort of backwards....aren't we supposed to give him a gift?

Any who....here are Chris' suggestions for building community around your blog.  Below the suggestions you may download the entire document (2 pages):

1.  Visit other blogs

2.  Promote your URL

3.  Use Social Bookmarks and News Voting Sites

4.  Submit guest posts

5.  Interviews are great, too

6.  Once you get more audience...

7.  Give your readers a chance to be authoritative

You may download the document in its entirety here:

Download buildingcommunityaroundyourblog.pdf

Happy Birthday, Chris Brogan. (And Make His Blog Required Daily Reading)

Happy Birthday to Chris Brogan.
Happy Birthday to you.

Chris is a pal,a good guy and really smart about this whole world of (for lack of better definitions) social media.

Put his blog on your daily reading list for the next 30 days.

If you don't think his blog merits staying on your daily reading list for the next year, send me an email, and I will you a $25 Starbucks gift certificate.

No kidding.

Oh- and may all your dreams come true.

What's A Blog? Common Craft Explains in Plain....Video

So, just what is a blog - as in this one you are on and my other blog- 3Screens.net?
I found this via Chris Brogan's blog.  The video from Common Craft tells it best.

At Bar Camp / San Marcos Today

So yesterday as I was eating my oatmeal, Chris Brogan send me this email saying he was in San Marcos, Texas - about 45 miles north of San Antonio, where i live. 

So, yesterday, I ran up to see Chris, meet some nice Social Media folks and decided to come to Bar Camp / San Marcos where I am right now.

More to come because this is my first Bar Camp.