Top Five Stories for Week Ending August 27, 2010

Last week Daniel Hindin and I had a Twitter brainstorm while I was in LA and he was in our office. While we were talking to one another, because it was publicly, a few of our friends jumped in to help. The idea? A round-up of five blogs, articles, videos, podcasts, or columns from the week that you should read/listen to/view.

We have decided to do the round-up on Fridays because it’s our non- self-serving day as we already discuss reasons you should #FollowFriday someone on Twitter and on their blog. We figure this is another great way to talk about our smart friends around the globe.

So here goes…in no particular order other than what’s most fresh in my brain at the very moment I’m writing…the top five stories for week ending August 27, 2010.

5. PR Pros Have to Pitch More than the Media. If you’re a PR professional or own a business where you do your own PR, Becky Johns has a great article this week on using the back channels to not only pitch reporters, but also build a local community of people who care about your client’s or company’s news. While this isn’t happening at a broad level (yet), it’s important to be aware of, keep in the back of your mind, and understand how this will affect how you do business in the future.

4. Tips from Jim Collins, Daniel Pink, and Jack Welch. Even though the posts are from a couple of weeks ago (I know, that’s an eternity in the online world), the reviews Brad Farris did from the Willow Creek Leadership Summit are top-notch. Get information, nuggets, and goodies from Jim Collins, Daniel Pink, and Jack Welch.

3. My Niece Is Famous. Alright, this one is a little self-serving, but it is H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S! Shelly Kramer grabbed a photo I put on Facebook of a drawing my niece made for me. Then she blogged about the drawing – what she saw, what she thinks I’m saying with my mouth wide open, and my niece’s sheer brilliance (she is, after all, related to me). Trust me on this; I’m not just a proud aunt. If you don’t read the post, the drawing, alone, is worth a visit.

2. Fake Reviews on iTunes. A PR firm in California settled charges for engaging in deceptive advertising by having its employees write and post positive reviews online of clients’ games, without disclosing that they were being paid to do so. The New York Times warns companies that writing good or bad reviews is illegal if you are being paid to do so and charges will be brought against you if you’re caught. If you have employees or your vendors/partners submit a review on your behalf, make sure they’re disclosing their relationship with you.

1. Building Customer Loyalty. MarketingProfs has 10 tips for building customer loyalty during a recession, but we think the content works no matter the economy.  Some of the tips are common sense, but some of them (such as identify and build your brand so your customers know why they’re buying) are great thought starters.

What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Want more? Could do without?