When I boarded my flight Wednesday morning from Denver to Houston to connect to a flight to Asheville for my speech on Thursday, I tweeted out a question. I said “I’ve got roughly five hours in the air today. How can I help you? You’ve got 45 minutes to respond.” And people did! So briefly, here’s what people asked, and my answers: @andreahrizk said that she needs exposure about a shortage of interactive talent in the advertising industry, and included a link: http://imediaconnection.com/content/28737.asp – I think she has a point – Small interactive ad shops can’t offer the same “possibility of instant riches” that tech startups, whether they be in a basement or in the Google offices, can. As such, [...]

When I speak at conferences catering to small businesses, I usually show up an hour before the conference starts. I check in, but don’t pick up my own badge. Instead, I scan the badges already spread out, and grab someone else’s – usually someone who runs a small business. I’ve been Jon Michelson, Tyrese McHale, and my personal favorite, Gordon Brown (not that one), all of whom own small businesses, and all of whom are looking for the magic bullet that will convince them that social media actually works for them – will actually make them money, will actually help them sell product, and isn’t the next BS thing they hear about every day on the radio, on TV, and [...]

While in San Francisco last week, I had a spectacular opportunity to have lunch with Philip Hotchkiss, Joe Fernandez,, and Ash Rust, the three heads of one of the hottest social media companies currently out there, Klout. For those living under a half-mile of earth for the past 69 days, Klout is making quite a stir lately, as the company that’s assigning each user of social media (Twitter, Facebook, and the like) a “score” to determine their influence in the online world. The more you engage, the more people find you interesting enough to respond, repost, or retweet your information, the higher your Klout score will go. Essentially, Klout is using various algorithms to determine your relevant worth in the [...]

Quick fun interview with Amy Carlson, PR Manager for the Venetian and Palazzo properties in Las Vegas. One or two social media questions, but also questions on where to eat, and the top five things to do if you’re staying in Vegas. See? It doesn’t ALWAYS have to be about social media. Sheesh. Happy Friday! Interview with the Venetian/Pilazzo PR Department from Peter Shankman on Vimeo.

As I start to do more and more video (both online and TV – Did someone say “series?” Not me… I have no idea what you’re talking about…) I’m finding that I’m drinking more and more coffee. It’s sort of becoming a thing with me – If I’m doing TV, I need a cup of coffee. Fine, call it an addiction, if you need to. So… Because what’s life, if not a branding effort, do you want your company’s logo on TV with me? Just send me a coffee mug. Each time I do a segment, be it online or on TV, I’ll be drinking a cup of coffee out of a new mug. Got a cool one for your [...]