What’s ‘The Gist’ of it?

Thanks to text messaging and social media sites like Twitter that have reduced much of today’s communication to a mere character count (if not simply a picture), it could be argued that people are growing weary of long-form content and are just looking for the bottom line, leaving them asking, “What’s the gist of it?”

Well, now there’s a site that helps you find just that. Launched today by the creators of Someecards and HappyPlace, The Gist gives a comedic take on the day’s top news in as few words as possible – usually just a sentence or two!

The Best of 2012

As 2012 came to a close, the press and media sphere were inundated with a deluge of year-end recaps. Everything from The Most Viral Video Ad Campaigns of 2012 to The Best Tech Quotes of 2012 had people reflecting on another year gone by. But, one of the best recaps I saw came from Google’s Zeitgeist.

Will Early Deals Deflate Black Friday Online Spending?

Today is Black Friday – the notorious day of shopping sales and major discounts. Each year, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, this day is supposed to mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season frenzy. And, while many still wait in lines and brave the crowds, more and more are finding comfort in shopping from home via their laptop, smartphone or tablet.

Understanding SEO [Infographic]

What is SEO? Even without looking up the formal definition, many people know that SEO, or, search engine optimization, is all about improving website visibility in search engines’ results – their “natural” results, i.e. the unpaid ones. But, if SEO is free, why aren’t more people doing it effectively? Well, it’s a complicated process. Incorporating everything from spiders to link bait can quickly make an SEO strategy go from understandable to unwieldy.

YouTube Reshaping the News Industry

What was the last search you conducted on YouTube? As today’s third most popular online destination with more than 72 hours of video uploaded every minute, there’s certainly plenty of content to choose from. But, while my last search was for the Sesame Street spoof of Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit song Call Me Maybe, the majority of people would likely answer with a news-related item. According to a new study from the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism that examines YouTube as a new kind of visual news source, the most searched term of the month on YouTube from January 2011 to March 2012 was a news event.

Networking is a Verb

Networking is a verb. Anyone in business will tell you the importance of networking – but it’s all just talk until you actually get out and start doing it!

Last night, my colleague and fellow BC alumni Jason Fidler and I attended a “Speed Networking” event put on by the Boston Chapter of the Boston College Alumni Association that was quite different from any networking event I’d previously attended.

Besting the Booth Babe Trade Show Strategy

As you would expect from any major tech trade show, last week’s Interop event in Las Vegas generated quite a bit of buzz around new announcements, technology innovations and partnerships. But, one thing I didn’t expect to see so much coverage around was the continued use of “Booth Babes.” While booth babes are getting increasingly negative exposure, several of my clients who were in attendance at Interop this year found creative ways around this tactic – and to great effect!

Happy Leap Day

Once every four years, we get an extra day to help offset the rotation of the Earth and coordinate with the sun’s position. This is because a full rotation of the Earth actually takes 365 days and 6 hours, thus resulting in a Leap Year every 4 years once 24 hours has accumulated.

Overcoming To-Do List Angst

Recently, I came across Daniel Markovitz’s article, To-Do Lists Don’t Work, and was immediately floored by the title. To-do lists don’t work? How could this be?! As someone who has been making lists since I was 10 years old (surprise, surprise), I was obviously shocked to learn that to-do lists could actually be a recipe for failure. Markovitz outlines five problems with to-do lists, some of which I agree may be detrimental to overall productivity – namely the paradox of choice and having varied priorities. But, I believe that with each disadvantage comes a solution that will keep to-do lists alive!

Jump Starting Your PR Career

With approximately 1,706,000 students at the bachelor’s degree level projected to graduate in 2012, there are a plethora of young professionals who are about to begin their job search and enter the workforce. But, with lingering economic woes from the 2008 financial crisis and heightened unemployment rates, many will be looking for creative ways to jump start their career. Using your college’s alumni network is a great place to start, and, as Boston College alumnus, I’m always willing to share advice with up and coming Eagles as they embark on their career paths.