Social Marketing Panorama

The Social Marketing Blogosphere is Alive and Well!!

...Even if I have not posted in awhile!

My apologies to everyone who has followed my posts, for not having blogged in several weeks!  It seems I have run out of day before I have run out of things to do.  I have decided that creating this new blog is kind of like having a baby, in that you have to get into a rhythm of having this new thing in your life to care for.  So, "baby" and I will continue to get used to each other, and I plan to be a better blogger!

Despite my absence in the blogosphere, there are a whole family of social marketing blogs to keep your head well fed.  There are the blogs I cited in my September 10th post, Craig Lefebvre's "On Social Marketing and Social Change," Nedra Weinreich's "Spare Change," and Alexandra Rampy's "Social Butterfly."   In addition, I want to highlight the following social marketing blogs.

Stephan Dahl's "The Social Side of Marketing," gives us a look at things social-marketing from a UK perspective.  Stephan is Principal Lecturer at Middlesex University Business School in London.  Recent posts on his blog have included using mobile technology to access information on HIV, and links to an interview with Jeff French, head of Britain's National Social Marketing Centre.  (When you visit Stephan's blog, note that he uses the European convention of writing dates as day/month/year!)

Andre Blackman's blog, "Pulse and Signal" provides an enlightening look at public health and e-technologies.  Andre states that the purpose of his blog is to comment on "the impact and potential usefulness, of technology (e.g. social media, consumer/emerging web tech) on health communication, health education and social marketing."

Know of other social marketing blogs that I have missed?  Tell me about them, and I will post them.

On the right side of my blog, I have added a new feature, Social Marketing Bloglines, developed by Craig Lefebvre, which brings together feeds from several of the social marketing blogs.  If you see a topic that interests you, just click on the title and you can read the full post.  Just trying to make it easier, for you, my reader! (I removed the widget for assisting with hurricane responses, since we are coming to the end of the hurricane season here.)

A Shout Out!

This blog exists due to the inspiration and encouragment of several people!  (I recommend each of their blogs!)

Craig Lefebvre "On Social Marketing and Social Change", whose presentation on social networks led me to an intellectual acceptance that social marketing and public health needed to be using blogs and other e-tools.  And who then graciously answered many practical aspects about blogging, reminded me about branding and provided a blogging role model, once I felt that I had to do this. Keep howling, Craig!

Nedra Weinreich "Spare Change", who inspires my inner blogger by word and example, provided much practical advice, and gently encouraged me to join the blogging community. (I want my blog to be like hers, when it grows up.)

Kelley Dennings "RE3.org", whose early adopter attitude toward blogging technology and e-tools provided a "social norm" for me to emulate. Kelley is my colleague on the North Carolina's Division of Public Health Social Marketing Matrix Team, and a fellow deviant in pushing social marketing and e-tools in a state government environment.  (She also taught me how to e-mail cell phone pictures to myself!!)

Alexandra Rampy "Social Butterfly",  who talked with me about some important things--the rationale for creating a blog, names for blogs, her own journey to blogging--and who shared with me an amazing overview of various blogging solutions.  Seeing her own blog come to life inspired me to get on with it.  Alexandra is an energetic and inspiring new voice in the social marketing community. 

Finally, thanks to the other patient souls who thought through various permutations of names for this blog, Nancy Lee, Rebecca Brookes, and my wife, JW-N. (I think there is still room on some of the napkins for more names!)

Welcome!

Welcome to the newest social marketing blog in the blogosphere! I created this blog to provide a place where people could exchange ideas about social marketing, have more extended dialogues about specific topics than may be appropriate (or enjoyed!) on the Georgetown Social Marketing List Serve, share links to way cool resources, and get to know one another more, personally and professionally--in short to provide a place to create community.

I also created this blog to provide a place to share my own unique observations about social marketing (yes, I am an only child!), to distribute more widely the resources, knowledge and opportunities that I am aware of, and to have the occasionally rant about the state of social marketing and the world!   

To these ends, I invite you--vis-a-vis social marketing, to observe the world around you, listen to what people are saying, reflect on your experiences, and share them here! Read what others are writing, and respond!  And come by often!  I will endeavor to post at least weekly, read and respond thoughtfully, share a lot, and use spell check!  So again, welcome!