I commented recently on how Web 2.0 benefits nonprofits by reaching nontraditional donor communities and distributing lesser-known voices. Artists benefit too; see this post on using YouTube to promote creative work.
Chicagoland Supplies Tech Star to Silicon Valley June 5, 2008
I’m curious to explore colleagues’ responses to YouTube founder Steven Chen’s statement about Chicago’s technology capabilities at today’s Chicago New Media Summit. Chen, as reported in the Sun-Times said “Silicon Valley is the fertile crescent of start-ups.” If Chicagoland fed the west with tech star Chen, I guess that makes us the Tigris and Euprates.
I was excited to see envisionit media client Ifbyphone mentioned in the same article, as I worked on an early iteration of the site’s copywriting (through Paladin).
Does Your Website Prattle On? June 5, 2008
Jakob Nielsen, as reported by BBC’s Web Users Getting “More Ruthless” article, thinks your website should get to the point.
Get Remotely Organized April 25, 2008
No matter our jobs, we all need some method to get and stay organized. I’ve been a Palm person for years — tossed my address book and bulky planner and never looked back. Now if only someone could design an online version that syncs to desktop and a handheld PDA (none of those phone-PDA combos for me, thanks). Here are some close-but-no-cigars.
Thunderbird
37signals
iCal
The Omni Group
International Virtual Assistants Association
Chris Benevich’s April Calendar April 15, 2008
It was great to see new and old faces at the mediabistro.com party and Creative Expo Chicago 2008 last week! I’ll also be at the following places in April and would enjoy meeting you there or nearby.
4/16 - Chicago Women in Publishing
4/22 - Alliance for the Great Lakes
4/23 - University of Chicago GSB’s marketing roundtable
4/25 - Naperville
4/26 - Milwaukee
Case Study: Website Revamp April 15, 2008
Project:
A new agency client wanted to win a consumer goods website project and asked me to make an analysis on how to proceed. As an upgrade to an existing site, the creative director wanted to explore the addition of multimedia and an online community.
Solution:
I did a competitive analysis of brands with similar products. I compared sites’ design, functionality, brand alignment, and use of online communities. I suggested that the existing site was more of a bookmark, lacked a story, and needed more of a lifestyle approach. Instead of grouping products by type on the site (i.e., in the visual layout, information design, and search functionality), they should be grouped by use, as that’s how a consumer would approach it.
I also explained potential affiliations for product placement and co-promotion online, including:
- Celebrity recipe instructional videos and mentions,
- A recipe exchange tool integrated into the site, and
- A contest for consumers to win a chance to guest blog on the site.
The account team fleshed out the pitch, the design team handled the production, and I drafted the presentation talking points.
Outcome:
The agency won the business.
Professional E-marketing and E-networking March 11, 2008
Planning on attending my presentation tonight, Writing for the Web: How to Find, Get, and Do Your Next Writing Gig Online?
Study ahead of time or review tomorrow by visiting the links below. I’ve included all the URLs I plan to discuss for your surfing pleasure. Don’t forget to post your favs, too!
http://online.wsj.com
http://blogs.sun.com/jonathan/entry/sunlight
http://www.google.com/search?q=independent+writer+chicago
http://chrisbenevich.wordpress.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/secure/login
http://www.myragan.com/
http://www.google.com/addurl/
http://del.icio.us/about/
https://login.yahoo.com
http://www.idea-xchange.com/about/
Chronicbabe.com
Gapersblock.com
http://www.iwoc23866.viausa-hosting.com/find-a-writer.htm
http://mediabistro.com/fm/
webmonkey.com
Fatcow.com
http://executivesguide-linkedin.com/blog/ http://www.nytimes.com/ref/technology/circuits/03basi.html
http://www.basecamphq.com/
http://highrisehq.com/
http://www.google.com/ig
https://getfriday.com/index.php
http://www.chicagotribune.com
http://www.idea-xchange.com/post/208
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property
http://creativecommons.org/
http://www.law-arts.org/about.htm
http://mediabistro.com/ondemandvideos.html
http://www2.oprah.com/index.jhtml
http://www.foodnetwork.com/
http://www.chronicbabe.com/help-desk/cat/63/
Writing for the Web: How to Find, Get, and Do Your Next Writing Gig Online March 10, 2008
For those of you who plan on attending my presentation at IWOC tomorrow, here’s a nugget for you ahead of time. Kay Daly, a fine freelance writer and friend, gave me her list of online job boards back in 2004. Here it is with her gracious and generous permission. Thank you, Kay!
Many sites have launched (or died) since then, so please feel free to post your favorite places to find work.
http://www.hotjobs.com/
http://www.creativehotlist.com/
http://www.womenforhire.com/
http://www.monster.com/
http://technology.monster.com/
http://www.jobs.com/
http://www.dice.com/
http://www.dice.com/jobsearch/metro/chicago.html
http://www.vault.com/
http://www.ajb.org/ca/seeker/reg/
http://www.Brainbuzz.com/
http://www.Brassring.com/
http://www.Flipdog.com/home.html
http://www.ComputerJobs.com/
http://www.jobsonline.com/
http://www.girlgeeks.com/
http://www.myjobsearch.com
http://jobs.cnet.com/Main/Index_m.jsp
http://www.wetfeet.com/
http://www.net-temps.com/
http://www.mediabistro.com/
http://careerlink.devx.com/articles/je013001/je013001.asp
http://andreas.com/intro-job.html
http://www.webmonster.net/
http://www.getthatgig.com/
http://www.ajb.org/
http://careerbuilder.com/
http://www.careershop.com/
http://www.myjobsearch.com/
http://vault.com/
http://www.gamejobs.com/
http://marketplace.mysap.com/
http://www.careermosaic.com/
http://www.execunet.com/
http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/
http://careers.lycos.com/tools.asp
http://www.headhunter.net/
http://careers.wsj.com/
http://www.searchbase.com/
http://www.careerchoiceconsultant.com/
http://www.aquentpartners.com/info/free_tools/index.cfm
http://www.fortune.com
6/24/08 http://www.media-match.com/
Chris Benevich’s March 2008 Calendar February 25, 2008
3/11/08
The Independent Writers of Chicago has invited me to speak as a part of its “How to Get Hired” series. Thanks to Dave Epstein for inviting me to speak and providing ten questions IWOC members have about finding work online. They will form the basis of my presentation, “Writing for the Web: How to Find, Get and Do Your Next Writing Gig Online.” I’m excited to share my sweat equity and facilitate a discussion among our attendees.
3/13/08
As a cohost of mediabistro.com Chicago parties, I would love to learn about your goings-on and introduce you around the group.
Case Study: Rebranding Via Digital Launch February 11, 2008
Project Request:
My client was working on a proposal to help a company gain foothold in the online market. It had used the same promotional campaign two years in a row. In addition, the company was concerned about a competitor who had gotten on the ball quicker with higher search engine rankings and consequential revenue. The company’s RFP stated an openness to viral marketing. My client invited me in for a brainstorm and asked if I could bring another trusted cohort to round out the discussion.
Solution:
My associate and I first talked about the different technical options available online and how they functioned. We explained the use of tags and how viral marketing is a digital version of word of mouth. We also touched on the ethical concerns of stealth communications, where companies set up online profiles and purport to be consumers.
For creative, we focused on the YouTube video-sharing phenomenon. As a group, we played out different storylines that might work for kitchy, reality parodies.
Outcome:
Client won the business.
