Articles
Connecting People and Technology for Building Your Brand
Your brand is not like Vegas—what people say on social media about your brand does not stay there! In fact it actually drives whether you get the sale or not.
Did you know: 71% of consumers are likely to purchase an item based on social media recommendations?
When you understand the difference between how technology communicates verses how people communicate and then how to merge them together you’ll begin to understand why some brands go viral or are able to build that cult-like following—two g…Mel DePaoli featured as a #LadyLeader: We idealize people who are famous, have a fancy title, or have a lot of money
This article was originally featured on redlmb Management Solutions blog as a part of their #LadyLeader Series. You can read the original article here. The #LadyLeader Series is designed to help you get from someplace complex to something more simple. Some of the smartest women and men uncovered tips, tactics, and strategies for how to go from complex to simple. They’ve shared ideas around how to network to maximize your business's reach, outlined ways to move out of your comfort zone and start …
The Selfish Selfie
There was a time when what we now call a “selfie” was cute, sweet, fun, memorable, and even unpredictable. Contrary to popular belief, the selfie was not invented when our phones got cameras. They have been around for a long time, just by other names.Let’s go back to days of Polaroid’s, 35 mm, and 110 film. Even in the days of film we took selfies. It was how you documented a vacation that you were on but didn’t have anyone to take the picture, or it was you hanging out with your friends wanting…
Mel DePaoli Goes Back to School to Get an Executive MBA Degree
By now you have probably heard that I have been accepted into the University of Washington's Michael G. Foster School of Business’s Executive MBA program. But the news I haven’t shared until now, is that I have also received two scholarships! The National Speaker’s Association has given me $5,000 and Tabor 100, $2,500.
My intention of going through this program is to obtain a different and more enhanced perspective of the business market, experience the international immersion session that is bui…
My intention of going through this program is to obtain a different and more enhanced perspective of the business market, experience the international immersion session that is bui…
Communicate with, don't talk at people when you are participating on LinkedIn
Yes it is easy to automate your blog posts so they automatically post to the groups you belong to. The challenge with that is it screams "Sales Pitch! Do not click!" It is also against the rules in some groups which could result in you getting banned from the group, or worse, being put in LinkedIn jail! I know this may surprise you but all of those little photos of people that you see on LinkedIn, they are real people just like you! They don’t like to be talked at, told what to do, or to be trea…
Tips for Publishing Successful Posts on LinkedIn
Yes you can think of Pulse as LinkedIn's blog. But do not confuse it as a replacement for your blog! When LinkedIn acquired Pulse a few years back, their intention was to create a central hub of business-related news and resources so you, the busy executive could spend less time searching the internet for your business-related questions.
Pulse is also not intended to be a place where you copy and paste the same article from your blog onto it. The search engines actually frown up reposting the sam…
Pulse is also not intended to be a place where you copy and paste the same article from your blog onto it. The search engines actually frown up reposting the sam…
Yes! LinkedIn Endorsements matter!
Simply put...Endorsements are LinkedIn's way of verifying what you say you know.
Before they rolled out the endorsements, LinkedIn would just ask you what your Professional Skills are and then take it at face value. But then there were people that understood that LinkedIn is a search engine and applied SEO techniques to their profile skewing LinkedIn's search results. So now, LinkedIn asks you what you say you are an expert in, and then goes and asks your connections if that is true!
So the more e…
Before they rolled out the endorsements, LinkedIn would just ask you what your Professional Skills are and then take it at face value. But then there were people that understood that LinkedIn is a search engine and applied SEO techniques to their profile skewing LinkedIn's search results. So now, LinkedIn asks you what you say you are an expert in, and then goes and asks your connections if that is true!
So the more e…
Mel DePaoli Interviewed on The Brand Journalist Advantage #TBJApodcast
How to communicate your brand message. Mel DePaoli shares brand message insights and consumer engagement strategies. Find out what you should be doing to win clients. Listen to #TBJApodcast.“People think in stories, not statistics, and marketers need to be master storytellers. But to encourage your audience to take action, you need to move beyond storytelling to “story-doing".” DePaoli says.
Brand Journalism is journalistic storytelling that focuses on communicating messages that consumers care a…
Did you know that each LinkedIn Group has its own rules?
If social media didn't seem complicated enough, it is true that each group on LinkedIn has its own rules. As a member of that group you are expected to follow those rules or you the group moderator could put you on restriction which means that all of your posts and comments have to be approved before they go public. You could also be banned from the group, or worse, you could be put in LinkedIn jail if you violate to many groups rules. But don't worry, most group managers will give you at least …Was Starbucks’ #RaceTogether campaign really a failure?
The campaign lasted less than week. There was a formal announcement in the press to both launch and cancel it. Articles are being 
written about it regularly and the social media posting is still ongoing! So was the campaign really a failure?
The purpose of any campaign is to break through the noise of our day to day lives and give our audience a reason to remember our brand. Most companies choose safe campaigns conforming to society’s acceptance of what is right or wrong. These campaigns usually …
written about it regularly and the social media posting is still ongoing! So was the campaign really a failure?The purpose of any campaign is to break through the noise of our day to day lives and give our audience a reason to remember our brand. Most companies choose safe campaigns conforming to society’s acceptance of what is right or wrong. These campaigns usually …