Checking the stats for my site today I noticed a few visitors coming from a new URL…this one actually http://www.hardnewscafe.usu.edu/ archive/april2008/ 041708_snow.html which turned out to be an article about yours truly.  A friend of mine had written an aritcle last semester for a project and I assumed it never got published…yet lo and behold, here it is!

Just to fill y’alls in, the Hard News Cafe is a worldwide source for the latest and greatest in news.   Hundreds of people each year pour over the stories…never to read it again.  Well, this found of knowledge is now complete after being graced by my name earlier this year.

Althought a few of the facts are a little bit off, its still fun to see my name up in lights…no matter how small.

I thought I would take a few minutes at lunch to share some insiders knowledge as to what really happens in board meetings.  Blackberries happen.  Yep, it may look like attendees are checking an urgent message but in reality, they are surfing the net, looking at family, pictures, and even playing games (all of which I have seen happen during my internship).

So what do I think of all this?  I think I need to get an iPhone.  No, actually I think its great.  Sometimes, meetings can get long and boring when discussions are going down that are totally unrelated to you.  Mobile devices are a perfect way to get a little work done or pass the time so that when you are needed to contribute, you’re on the ball…not asleep drooling on the visiting CEO next to you.

I decided to go to my first out of state expo…the New Media Expo in Vegas on August 14-16th. A good friend, Steve Nance, is getting married the morning of the 15th. After the ceremony I will be whisked away by my limo (a UTA bus) to my private jet (economy class on US Airways) where my greeting party (a hotel shuttle) will take me to my private suite (the Palace Station hotel/casino). I am super excited for it. I think podcasting and blogging over the next couple of years will be a key to branding myself and getting my name out there. This conference should be a great way to learn uber-valuable stuff to help my on my path.

One of my favorite chapters from Robert Cialdini’s book “Influence: Science and Practice” is the chapter about social proof: if other people are doing it, why shouldn’t you?

Recently, aWeber, the leader in online autoresponder communications, launched a new website featuring, what I consider to be one of the most obvious but clever methods of social proof I have ever seen. All it does, it tell you who has recently ordered. With aWeber, you can clearly see they are popular and trusted by the fact that they rarely go more than 15 minutes with a new customer.

I’ve been looking for a script that will do something like that but haven’t found a good one yet…i’d love to give it a try. Simple but powerful, that’s usually the case with innovation in marketing. I love it.