Merc Strategy Group, LLC

A ‘Political Force’

March 9, 2010 – 12:40 pm

As we’ve posted about before, we are honored to work with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on their national online grassroots program. This morning, the program was highlighted in the Los Angeles Times in an article, entitled, “U.S. Chamber Grows into a Political Force”:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is building a large-scale grass-roots political operation that has begun to rival those of the major political parties…

The network, called Friends of the U.S. Chamber, has been used to generate more than a million letters and e-mails to members of Congress, 700,000 of them in opposition to the Democratic healthcare plan. That is an increase from 40,000 congressional contacts generated in 2008.

Please click here to read this full article.

By curtmerc | Posted in Clients/Case Studies, Content, In the News | Tagged Congress, Curt Mercadante, email, grassroots, Los Angeles Times, Merc Strategy Group, social media, social networking, U.S. Chamber | Comments (0)

Getting Started on Facebook

March 9, 2010 – 11:02 am

by Curt Mercadante

The video excerpt below is from my presentation last month to the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, in which I discuss getting started on Facebook. Please also click here to get a free copy of our new e-booklet: The Press Release is Dead: Using New Communications Tools to Build your Business, Non-Profit or Campaign.

By curtmerc | Posted in Presentations/Keynotes | Tagged Facebook, Merc Strategy Group, social media, social networking, Twitter | Comments (0)

The Secret to a Successful Company Blog

March 3, 2010 – 12:58 pm

Thanks to Rick Stratton at Feed.us, who forwarded me this Inc. article discussing the secret to successful corporate blogging.

The secret (which will shock many) is to avoid the hard sell. Avoid talking all about yourself, your company or your services. As the author, Joel Spolsky of Fog Creek Software, writes:

An entrepreneur’s blog has to be about something bigger than his or her company and his or her product. This sounds simple, but it isn’t. It takes real discipline to not talk about yourself and your company. Blogging as a medium seems so personal, and often it is. But when you’re using a blog to promote a business, that blog can’t be about you, Sierra said. It has to be about your readers, who will, it’s hoped, become your customers. It has to be about making them awesome.

So, for example, if you’re selling a clever attachment to a camera that diffuses harsh flash light, don’t talk about the technical features or about your holiday sale (10 percent off!). Make a list of 10 tips for being a better photographer.

Exactly.

If you notice here on this site, we rarely post about our new services or company news. Most of what we provide here is tips, advice and news on how to use online tools effectively.

And we recommend the same to our clients (and anyone else who will listen.)

Stop talking about yourself — and start providing value.

By curtmerc | Posted in Content | Tagged Blogging, Curt Mercadante, Feed.us, Inc., LLC, Merc Strategy Group, social media | Comments (0)

Twitter: The Online Cocktail Reception, Part II

March 2, 2010 – 8:21 pm

Following is Part II of Curt Mercadante’s explanation of the “ins and outs” of Twitter — excerpted from his recent presentation to the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber Business Expo:

By curtmerc | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Curt Mercadante, Facebook, Merc Strategy Group, social media, social networking, Twitter, YouTube | Comments (0)

Twitter: The Online Cocktail Reception?

February 26, 2010 – 1:42 pm

In this brief video, taken from our recent presentation to the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber Business Expo, Curt Mercadante explains the ins and outs of Twitter — and how to get started using this online tool effectively.

By curtmerc | Posted in Conferences, Presentations/Keynotes, Technology/Tools, The Press Release is Dead | Tagged Curt Mercadante, Facebook, Merc Strategy Group, social media, social networking, Twitter | Comments (0)

Getting started on Twitter

February 25, 2010 – 9:41 am

by Curt Mercadante

The following post is taken from our new, free booklet, The Press Release is Dead: Using New Communications Tools to Build your Business, Non-Profit or Campaign.

Have you ever walked into a cocktail party full of people you don’t know and cringed at the mere thought that you’d have to break into one of the many conversations going on around the room?

Getting started on Twitter can be the same way.

There are millions of conversations going on at once. Who do you follow? Who’s going to follow you? Why are people you don’t know suddenly following you?

What’s the point of Twitter?

Well — the cocktail party analogy is perfect, because Twitter is the ultimate conversation tool.

Let’s take the analogy a bit further …

By curtmerc | Posted in Content, Technology/Tools, The Press Release is Dead | Tagged Curt Mercadante, Facebook, Merc Strategy Group, social media, social networking, Twitter, YouTube | Comments (0)

Is the press release dead?

February 24, 2010 – 6:50 am

The video excerpt below is from my presentation last week to the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Business Expo. In this excerpt, I deal with the question, “Is the press release dead?” Please also click here to get a free copy of our new e-booklet: The Press Release is Dead: Using New Communications Tools to Build your Business, Non-Profit or Campaign.

By curtmerc | Posted in Presentations/Keynotes, The Press Release is Dead | Tagged Curt Mercadante, Facebook, Merc Strategy Group, social media, social networking, The Press Release is Dead, Twitter, YouTube | Comments (0)

Email as social networking tool? Absolutely.

February 23, 2010 – 1:23 pm

by Curt Mercadante

The following post is taken from our new, free booklet, The Press Release is Dead: Using New Communications Tools to Build your Business, Non-Profit or Campaign.

When we use the terms “social media” or “social networking” most people immediately think of Facebook or Twitter or MySpace.

They rarely think of email.

But the truth is that email is a social networking tool. It is the largest such tool — and the oldest.

By curtmerc | Posted in Content, Technology/Tools, The Press Release is Dead | Tagged Curt Mercadante, email, Facebook, Merc Strategy Group, social media, social networking, The Press Release is Dead, Twitter | Comments (0)

Get Your Free Copy of “The Press Release is Dead”

February 22, 2010 – 2:53 pm

Last week, at the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, we released our new free online booklet, entitled, The Press Release is Dead: Using New Communications Tools to Build Your Business, Non-Profit or Campaign.

Some have referred to the new booklet as “Social Media 101 ” guide … while others have billed it as a roadmap that helps “demystify” social media.

Please click here to sign up to receive your free copy of this new booklet.

We address the key reasons your business or organization can’t afford not to be using new online communications tools, we share case studies from our clients and other noted success stories, and provide some simple “how-to” notes to help you get started on email, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Thanks to the many who already have downloaded our booklet — and we hope you’ll check out The Press Release is Dead today.

By curtmerc | Posted in The Press Release is Dead | Tagged Curt Mercadante, Facebook, Merc Strategy Group, social media, social networking, The Press Release is Dead, Twitter, YouTube | Comments (0)

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