The Social Path

Biz blog vs. Facebook page: Tune in Sunday for #BlogChat

Could your business get more mileage out of a blog or a Facebook page?

That's the topic for this Sunday's #BlogChat on Twitter, which I'll be cohosting with corporate blogging baron Mack Collier. Here are the details:

BlogChat on Twitter
8-9 p.m. Central
Sunday, Feb. 20
To participate, simply follow the #BlogChat hashtag and jump on in.

I'll be singing the praises of Facebook, while Mack defends the flexibility and search-friendly mojo of blogging.

Obviously, I don't have a real beef with business blogs. You're reading one right now, and I'm far more active in blogging personally than I am on Facebook. But I do think this topic raises a fun debate about whether blogging is right for every business — or whether Facebook is as all-encompassing as some might think.

I look forward to the chat, and I hope you can join in.

Photo credit: Kate Gardiner on Flickr.

David Griner is a social media strategist for Luckie and Company and contributing editor for Adweek’s blog, AdFreak.com. You can reach him by e-mail or on Twitter.

Day 28: Follow these seven PR and marketing mavens.

Throughout January, The Social Path is running daily tips on how to improve your social life — online, at least. Click here to learn more.

Considering the incredible diversity of people and professions involved in social media, it's shocking to me that so many folks turn to the same small set of social media luminaries.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of Chris Brogan, David Armano, Jeremiah Owyang and the rest of the top-tier thinkers in the social space. But I get just as much or more inspiration from my own subset of thought leaders, and I think you will too.

One warning: this is a marketing-oriented list because, well, that's what I do. But even if you just do social media for fun, you should still give these folks a read. No matter where the industry and technology shifts, I find that each of them keep me feeling excited about the opportunities.

(Want to follow them all on Twitter with one click? Here's an easy way to do it.)

• Leigh Householder, brand strategist and author of Advergirl.com. I can never say enough good things about Leigh, a longtime friend and confidant. Her perspectives on social media are meticulous enough for the executive set and clear enough for the rest of us. 

• Shannon Paul, community manager. If you could get a cup of coffee with any social media pro in the country, Shannon would definitely be a top pick. As insightful as she is approachable, Shannon always offers a candid take on the human side of technology.

• Brian Morrissey, Adweek digital editor. Brian brings a much-needed skepticism to social media. In a world where bloggers are the primary source of news on all things social, it's nice to have Brian to scrape away the bull and talk about what companies are really grappling with as they struggle to reach new audiences online.

• David Stutts, Luckie's director of brand planning. I'm not one to glorify coworkers willy-nilly, mostly because I work with a lot of incredible people and would have a hard time playing favorites. But I'm constantly learning about trends and emerging ideas from David, who posts his many findings on Twitter and Tumblr. If you're not already subscribing to his free e-mail newsletters, Trend Trackers and Generational News & Views, you really should. Just drop him an e-mail, and he'll start sending it to you each month.

• Gini Dietrich, CEO of Arment Dietrich. For an executive, much less a PR executive, Gini is always refreshingly honest on her blog, The Fight Against Destructive Spin. She offers a fantastic mix of practical tips and big-picture thinking. She's even re-imagining what her agency "does," and anyone is welcome to chime in on their transition from PR to social engagement.

• Alan Wolk, creative strategist. I've long been a fan of Alan's sharp and witty takes on the marketing industry, which he posts on his blog, The Toad Stool. What's nice is that Alan's never afraid to go against the grain and disagree with the big-time social media gurus. Some people do this just to inject themselves into a conversation, but Alan's restless insight comes from a more earnest and experienced place, making him always worth a read.

• Mack Collier, social media consultant. My biggest problem with Mack is that we agree way too much, on issues as small as Twitter semantics and as large as corporate marketing strategies. His zeal for transparency and customer-focused conversations have made him a hero to many of the unsleazy social media pros around the country. Be sure to check out his blogs, The Viral Garden and MackCollier.com.

It's always hard to create a list of smart folks like this, because I end up wanting to include dozens more. But if you follow this crowd, you're bound to find my other favorites soon enough.

Who are your personal, somewhat-under-the-radar thought leaders? I'd love to hear about them in the comments.

When is it kosher to delete a nasty blog comment?

If there's one thing that seems to terrify even the toughest, most iron-willed executives in corporate America, it's the idea of opening themselves to online criticism.

Personally, I think this is because social media is an ultimate equalizer, one that is finally erasing the gulf between corporations and customers. And let's face it, most executives have surrounded themselves with people who are paid to be loyal, so unfiltered criticism is far from being a standard aspect of daily life.

As part of my brief series of posts about blog comments, I wanted to pick the brain of Mack Collier, a social media consultant who specializes in corporate blogging. I turned to Mack because I think he balances the open-dialogue dreams of the social Web with the practicality of the business world.

Check out my quick Q&A with Mack after the jump.