Rob Cottingham's blog

If you're going to ask, why not listen?

Show your users you've heard their feedback

Facebook ad with x button highlighted

If you use Facebook, you've almost certainly noticed the ads on the right-hand side of most pages. And chances are you've also noticed the little "x" in the upper right-hand corner of each ad.

It's the "I don't like this" link (the opposite of that little thumbs-up icon under each ad), and I use it regularly. I let most Facebook ads slide, but some either offend me (usually with a gratuitously sexist photo, or a clearly misleading come-on) or are just so clearly not intended for me (thanks, but I'm not in the market for a condo) that I end up clicking - more to alert Facebook than for any other reason.

Help me find a Haiti relief agency with peer online fundraising

Like many people, when I heard about the disaster in Haiti, I wanted to help. And I wanted to give others a way to help, too.

Here's what I decided to do: go to a relief agency's web site, and set up a peer fundraising page (along the lines of what Convio, Blackbaud and DemocracyInAction create for their clients).

Dipping a toe

Six tools for trying social media on for size

Free puppy

Last week, I mentioned BC Hydro's Deb LeRose, and the brilliant opening slide in her social media presentation: the one that shows a free puppy and a baby. Her point is that, like many social media presences, each is supposedly "free". But you have to look at the long-term cost, whether it's feeding your dog... clothing and educating your child... or maintaining an effective, engaging social media presence.

So what if you're not sure you're ready yet?

Alex and Rob teaching Fundamentals of Social Media at UBC in March

Ready to dive into social media, but not sure where to start? Alex and I will be teaching Fundamentals of Social Media at UBC Continuing Studies in March - a more in-depth version of the course we taught last fall. (Which, by the way, we enjoyed tremendously - thanks to everyone who took part!)

Free as in puppies

One way or another, organizations have to pay for their social media presence

Free puppy

One of the great things about the clients I've been lucky enough to work with is how smart they are. Case in point: BC Hydro's Deb LeRose, who - among many other things - helps the company's many departments and business units understand social media.

That was the year that RSS

2009: a social media retrospective in cartoons

2009 retrospective

Here's a New Year's treat from Noise to Signal: the past year's social media high- (and low-) lights in cartoon form. Enjoy!

(You can find the individual cartoons at Noise to Signal's new home. And not to worry - we'll keep posting the most social-media-y of Noise to Signal here on SocialSignal.com.)

A great next step for a terrific member of the SoSi team

Channing moves on to National PR

Channing head shot

In the dying days of last winter, Alex - who was sifting through applications for our social media strategist position - showed me one that filled her with unbridled excitement.

The cover letter was written extraordinarily well (and believe me, you don't appreciate quite what a treat that is until you've posted a job opening). And the resumé - a decade of non-profit program and funding development; launching a sexual health education project for Montreal youth; promoting human rights in Europe; writing a kick-ass blog - was stellar.

Google Apps + Manymoon = productivity and customer satisfaction

Google profiles Social Signal's project management process

Social Signal regulars will know that we've (and by "we", I especially mean "Alex") put a lot of effort into finding the perfect solution to our project management needs. We've tried web apps like Basecamp and Remember the Milk, desktop apps like Daylite... but nothing has met all of our needs.

Warm hearts vs. cold feet

ChangeEverything.ca launches "Got socks?" drive

If you've ever accidentally soaked your shoes in a puddle on a freezing day, you'll appreciate how miserable the experience can be... and how desperate you can be to get to your home, school or workplace to change into a spare pair.

When you're living on the streets, though, it's more than just discomfort. Cold, wet feet can quickly become agonizing to walk on - adding a big barrier to finding a job, food or shelter for the night.

And I'm going to let Kate Dugas from ChangeEverything.ca take it from here:

Social Signal 2.0 - or is that 3.0?

The next step in Social Signal's evolution

Social Signal logo

Since we launched in 2005 - a social media firm at a time when the term "social media" had yet to be coined - we've evolved constantly. No big surprise: this is a field that's changing rapidly too.

Last month, we told you we were refocusing on capacity-building: helping other organizations, agencies and individuals to make the most of social media. We expected that would mean we'd support our clients through trainings and Concept Jam strategy workshops, while reaching a larger audience through blogging, cartooning and other media.

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