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U.K. nonprofit’s ‘shock-humor’ global warming ad goes viral

Have you seen the latest video from U.K.-based nonprofit 10:10?  Advertising Age calls it “shock-humor.” 10:10 is a global campaign to inspire — or frighten — people to reduce their carbon footprint by 10 percent a year. The video, called “ No Pressure ,” presents three scenarios in which groups of people — at school, work, a football club — volunteer to join the cause. The ones who don’t are detonated. Pretty gory stuff. Probably best to re…

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How to write headlines that get retweeted

“There is an art and science to getting blog posts to travel like wildfire,” writes best-selling author Timothy Ferriss. So what is the art? Coming up with good headlines. The science? Borrowing headlines or testing them. The key takeaway: Don’t tell the whole story in the headline. Want more tips? You need to read this post. — Matthew Royse

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And the word of the year is …

Refudiate. That’s right; the apparent cross between “refute” and “repudiate,” which reality TV star Sarah Palin let fly in July, has captured the New Oxford American Dictionary’s 2010 Word of the Year award. “From a strictly lexical interpretation of the different contexts in which Palin has used ‘refudiate,’ we have concluded that neither ‘refute’ nor ‘repudiate’ seems consistently precise, and that ‘refudiate’ mor…

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Want more blog traffic? Try writing about TV

The New York Observer calls it “the rise of the recappers.” It’s the increasing popularity of websites featuring recaps of the previous evenings television shows. “The rise of the Internet television recap has been an inevitable side effect of a medium that allows for instant reactions, favors a freelance model, and realizes that the winner of a reality show will dominate Google searches on the day following a season finale,” reports the Observer . Maybe your blog needs a T…

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5 easily forgotten rules of social media etiquette

The unwritten rules are often forgotten. Jean Aw, founder and editor-in-chief of NOTCOT in Open Forum, reminds us of  five rules that you should never forget. It’s always good to brush up on your online behavior. — Matthew Royse  Related Ragan.com How AmEx’s Open Forum uses content to build community and brand loyalty.

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To excel in social media, you must embrace social science

Many companies are struggling to adapt to the social in social media. Brian Solis empathically insists : “Social media are the gold mines of anthropology, sociology, and ethnography. To excel here, we must embrace social science to create and earn relevance.” Glad to know that sociology degree I obtained is coming in handy!—Claire Celsi

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Women still earning more than 20 percent less than men

Prosumer-Report, brought to you by the people of Euro RSCG, just posted  this entry inspired by a new book, How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life . Written by McKinsey consultants Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston, the book highlights a number of the troubles still facing women in the workplace, with the post presenting a rundown of some key points. Among such pivotal points: The idea that on average a female’s wages are more than 20 percent less than men. Despite i…

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3 marketing pet peeves

Consider these the equivalent of a small woodland creature laid to rest on the marketer’s stoop — too bad they aren’t as easy to dispose of as a mouse or squirrel. Here’s one: “Sites that suddenly and unexpectedly autoplay video or audio as soon as your browser lands on them.” Read the other pet peeves .

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Survey: 59 percent check work e-mail during holidays

Will you be scrolling through your smart phone looking at work e-mails after the Thanksgiving meal on Thursday — what about during it? A new survey from Xobni and Harris Interactive says that 59 percent of employed American adults check e-mails during holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, reports Mashable . Does that number seem high or low to you?

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3 things a video needs to go viral

It’s often said that making online content go viral is like capturing lightning in a bottle, or, if you prefer, tackling a greased pig. But Dan Greenberg, co-founder and CEO of social video advertising company Sharethrough, thinks he’s cracked it, at least part of it. In a post for Mashable , Greenberg explained three components any videos needs to go viral.

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125 fearless and fabulous female bloggers

It’s not unusual to read a great blog written by a woman, and yet many of the “best blog” roundups are dominated by the same group — men.  This list is refreshing because it cuts across genres and nations to find fabulous women who write well and love to blog. Consider this a starting point for clients who are looking for ideas on what women are talking about. — Claire Celsi

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3 tips for writing stronger press release headlines

Hundreds (maybe thousands) of press releases roll across the various wires each day. How will yours get the notice it (may or may not) deserve? A compelling headline—that’s how. Business Wire’s Chicago editor offered  three tips for making your headline stand out.

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Looking for a social media job? Check out the new online job fair

Some grim economic news this morning (just in time for the holidays!): Unemployment rose to 9.8 percent , while benefits for the unemployed may expire for millions of Americans . On the heels of these announcements, social media strategist Jay Baer is planning to launch an organized job forum for social media job postings called, “ The Jay Baer Job Fair .” The new feature will provide exposure for companies and job-seekers. Thing is Baer needs jobs to promote, so he’s asking for compani…