11 best practices for working with an editor

My latest blog post for the Harvard Business Review makes the case for adding an editor to your content marketing team. As I note in that post, Content marketing will only deliver on its promise if it’s good enough to deliver customers–that’s why improving the quality...

5 ebook features that tap the power of social note-taking

Peter Meyers has a useful blog post on 3 ways to improve ebook note taking over at O’Reilly Radar. As he points out in his post, note-taking is one of the ways in which print books still kick the ass of digital books, since they allow you to “[j]ot notes...

The 8 stages of professional commitment: social media edition

I’ve recently crossed the commitment threshold. Not the romantic commitment threshold — heck, that’s easy, considering how little software is required (usually). I’m talking about the professional commitment I make to each project I take on,...

Get visual inspiration from Pinterest

I’m trying out Pinterest, which I’d describe as a social bookmarking system for images. You create “Pinboards” of images you like, and “pin” items onto the board when you spot something you like online. The site’s default...

Discovering family through a social media crisis

My latest blog post for Harvard Business Review tackles the challenge of surviving a social media emergency. It was inspired by what turned out to be a minor emergency: the earthquake that rattled most of central Canada yesterday. As it happened, I was in Ottawa at...

9 questions to ask before starting a nonprofit technology project

Whether you’re a tech professional who wants to lend your time to a good cause, or an NGO that needs a new web site, your online efforts can benefit not just one organization, but many organizations facing similar challenges and opportunities. These 9 questions will ensure your nonprofit project has the maximum impact.

Collaboration on nonprofit technology in academia and beyond

I’m currently attending the International Digital Media and Arts Association’s annual conference, which primarily draws academics who work and teach in digital media. This afternoon’s panel on Innovations in Teaching/Learning: Public Service/Civil...

How the social web can nourish your most personal relationship

The process of strengthening a relationship by working hard together; by facing, nurturing and celebrating your successes and challenges together — that’s an experience that’s open to any couple, or indeed any relationship, that integrates the creative and communicative possibilities of the social web. Here are some of the ways you can use the social web to bring the energy of creative collaboration into your relationship.