SEO Werkt!

There you are, full of gumption, standing next to a packed car. You’re off to college. You’re about to set off into the world to, as they say, make something of yourself. Armed with your trusty iPhone, you’ll likely reach your lofty goals. But an iPhone can be more than just a smartphone. With the right case, an iPhone can be a multifunctional tool, converging the power of the Internet with personalization more brilliant than the mating dance of a peacock.

Rocking a naked iPhone is a sign of confidence with a side of stupidity. One drop, and the phone will die. Thankfully, there are countless iPhone cases that will wrap the phone in protection while providing plenty of charm and character. As explained in the Legend of Zelda, it’s dangerous to go alone. Take one of these (iPhone cases).

Opena

Available in black and white, the $40 Opena is an iPhone case with slide-out bottle opener. It’s a bona fide crowd pleaser that will turn any chump into a lady-killer. As I wrote in 2011, cool kids are never without bottle openers and the Opena iPhone case sticks one on the backside of your iPhone.

Now, as an owner and occasional user of this case, I can profess that it’s worthy of your money. First off, the case itself is very durable and withstands nearly everything. It’s hard as nails. But more importantly, the bottle opener works very well. It’s a bit of a novelty, but it performs as advertised and even after likely hundreds of uses, the iPhone has survived despite the dock connector’s proximity to the beer bottle. The Opena is a must-have iPhone case.

Playa Case

The Playa Case comes from the makers of the Opena. The backside of the polycarbonate case sports a discreet storage compartment. The possibilities are nearly endless. Store your lunch card or computer lab’s access card in there. Slip in some notes.

Or use the case as it’s designed and store two condoms with your iPhone. For $35 the Playa case will protect your iPhone and your future: Don’t store condoms in your wallets, guys.

Speck SmartFlex Card

iPhone cases with card slots are pocket savers. Ditch the wallet and store your credit cards, IDs and access cards with your iPhone. However, there is a big downside: If you lose your phone, you essentially lose your entire life.

The SmartFlex case from Speck is my favorite. It’s durable, comes in a range of colors, and at $35, it doesn’t drain the beer fund. Or, for a few dollars more, Speak also sells the CandyShell case which also holds cards but offers a bit more protection.

Mophie Juice

The iPhone’s battery life sucks. It just does. There are plenty of ways to recharge the phone while on the go, but leave the battery charger at home and snag a Mophie Juice case.

Starting out at $80, these iPhone cases add a bit of heft to the sleek iPhone but they basically double the phone’s battery life. For $100 the Juice Pack Plus offers 25% more battery life, at $130, the Juice Pack Pro sports military-spec construction and even more battery.

Durable cases

College is a brutal environment. It’s best to protect your iPhone from the mayhem. There are several solid options available, too.

Lifeproof cases are the gold standard when it comes to durable iPhone cases. They’re a tad expensive, but they work. Since Lifeproof brags its cases can protect an iPhone from water, dirt, snow and shock, I’m sure it will protect against beer, mud, slushies and dropkicks as well.

G-Form makes several durable cases that are rather attractive as well. At $40 each, the X-Protect and Extreme Grid wrap the iPhone in the company’s shock absorbing material and provide extreme protection against droppage. Plus, they look pretty rad.

See all of our back to school coverage right here.

I’m afraid I am a heretic of business communication. I don’t buy into the one-minute elevator pitch.

Actually, I’m totally into the idea of a compact presentation of one’s self and one’s business. I just have three issues with the one-minute elevator pitch:

1. The one-minute
2. The elevator ride
3. The pitch

It’s too many words, for too long, and it’s trying to accomplish too much.

For your opener, I believe in the the Fifteen-Second Memory Dart – a single phrase with a vivid image that can be delivered before the elevator door closes.

Here’s an example:

Q: “Good to meet you, Michele Price. What is it you do?”

A: “I’m the Digital Media Splash Agent – I employ my on-line platform to amplify my clients’ promotional efforts during product launches and trade shows, so they can impact a much larger audience.”

BOOM! Vivid imagery. Concise explanation. Clear offering. One sentence summary; no forgettable monologue. Dart, meet bullseye. And, it certainly helps to have a reinforcing visual.

This opening verbal dart accomplishes three things:

• It makes you immediately memorable. You’re leaving an image behind via an effective word picture.
• It very quickly establishes if there is a potential area of need (not only with that individual, but with someone they might know).
• It opens the door to say more by invitation, at which time you can take 30-60 seconds to tell a condensed story.

I’m sure I have a lot of common perspectives with Chris Westfall, who is positioned as the elevator pitch guy. But I think introduction-by-pitch is one step premature. In the first 15 seconds, we need to capture attention, be memorable, and provoke an invitation to tell the story. That’s what a memory dart does.

I will warn you – it sounds easy, but creating your memory dart one of the hardest communications challenges you’ll ever face. Distilling purpose/offering/message to one sentence and wrapping it into an image or analogy takes tremendous creativity and hard work. But since this is your first foot forward in every professional introduction, where your goal is to cut through the fog and be remembered – nothing else is more important.

___________

Are you Memorable? Hire Steve Woodruff for Clarity Therapy!

Recent posts on Connection Agent:

>> Make Your Life a Story, not a List

>> Are You Standing Out in the Field?

MK12, Kansas City’s famous design and filmmaking collective, can proudly look back on 12 years of awesome work. Have a look at their Summer Reel 2012, uploaded a week ago.

I love the fact that they chose to originally compose the soundtrack instead of slapping on some current hit single.

Their other current video is this history of their own logos. If you are not familiar with their style and humour, this one gives you a pretty good indication.

And if you are still hungry for more, this their opener for the Opening Titles to ZeroFilm NYC Film Festival, a very clever piece on the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Website: MK12

The main attraction of any live event is (or should be) the content. At HubSpot’s upcoming event INBOUND 2012, for example, we have 60 breakout sessions and 6 keynote sessions designed to attract thousands of attendees.

But sometimes, it’s the little things that make an event go the extra mile. The special surprises the coordinators throw in. The prizes companies hand out. The contests that take place. You know, the free swag! Really cool event swag can make an event truly go that extra mile — but truly lame swag can make your attendees grumble and look for the nearest trash can.

So to help all the conference coordinators out there, we’ve collected examples of the best and worst swag we’ve come across at conferences to help inspire you to make an awesome swag bag, and leave behind all the lame trinkets that ultimately end up in the dumpster.

Good Swag: Mobile Chargers

Everyone is on their phone at conferences. Whether they’re tweeting, checking their email, or trying to meet up with other attendees, their phone is most likely going to be at 50% battery life by lunch time. Giving out mobile chargers as event swag is the best way to fix that problem, and make every attendee love you and learn your name. Not only will attendees be pleasantly surprised when they see such practical and thoughtful swag, but they will be able to engage even more throughout the conference via their mobile devices — something every conference coordinator wants. Furthermore, a mobile charger is something that will be used way after the conference is over. And what does that mean? That means your logo will be visible long after your conference ends!

Bad Swag: Keychains

It used to be cool to get a keychain in your swag bag. But then … well, everyone started to give out keychains. Pretty soon after that, it became widely accepted among event coordinators as one of the least effective ways to get attendees to remember your brand.

Some companies have adapted the keychain so that is has other functions, such as doubling as a bottle opener or whistle. Alright, I guess that’s a little better; but ultimately attendees don’t want a keychain with your company’s logo on it. If they like that adapted version of your swag, it’s because they need a bottle opener or a whistle (although I can’t imagine such a dire need for whistles sweeping our nation). Furthermore, if you are giving out keychains, so are the other conferences and vendors. Not a great way to stand out.

Good Swag: Seasonal Items

Everyone likes unique gifts in their event swag bags. What makes an item unique? Well, one way to stand out is using seasonal items. Most companies don’t give out seasonal items because they’re looking for gifts that can be used year round. But that fact alone makes these items even more special!

If you’re hosting a summer conference or an event in a beach location, for example, giving out items like beach towels, flip flops, and frisbees goes a long way, because they cater to activities attendees can partake in during the event. Think another step ahead, and consider when and where your items will be used, too. Beach items and outdoor sports paraphernalia will be used in public places where other people may ask, “Where did you get that?” or “What company is that?” That way, your company’s exposure will go far beyond the conference’s attendees!

Bad Swag: Pens

Sure you can always use a pen, but I mean … come on. A pen? Giving out a pen at a conference is the oldest of old school. First, we’re smack dab in the middle of a this giant mobile movement; people aren’t relying on pen and paper as much as they were 10 years ago. Additionally, the pens given out at conferences are known to run out of ink pretty quickly and be of very low quality. If you are willing to spend a substantial amount of money on higher quality pens, it may be worth it, but you could also put that money toward a more unique and memorable experience for your attendees with a better swag item.

Good Swag: Moleskines

That doesn’t mean all paper-related swag items should be out of the question, though. Whether you’re at a conference or back at the office working, it’s important to have something to write on. In a time when everything is done digitally, moleskines have still remained the most popular item for people to use when you just need to write something down on paper. They also aren’t the cheapest item, so if your company gives them out as event swag with your logo branded on it, you can be sure that it will be used by almost all of the attendees. When considering what swag to purchase, keep in mind that the more your audience will use it after your conference, the better the swag is. In this case, moleskines will be used way after the event is over.

Bad Swag: Large Items

This is a bit of a broad “item,” but critical to remember when purchasing your swag. A lot of conference attendees travel a long distance to come to conferences, many of them flying in to the conference location. When deciding on what event swag to purchase, consider the attendees who are coming from these faraway places. They may often not have a lot of extra room (or carryon allowance) to pack larger items of swag and, as a result, will leave them in the hotel room or throw them out. If you want your swag items to last and keep your brand top of mind long after the conference, make sure they’re a manageable size.

Good Swag: Reusable Water Bottles

It may sound like a simple idea, but a reusable water bottle is one of the most valued swag items to give out at a conference. With the recent emphasis on conferences going green, reusable water bottles are a great way to help the environment while also providing a lot of convenience to event attendees. Instead of grabbing a glass of water, having to hold onto the glass, or putting the glass of water on the floor risking having it spill, attendees can just fill up their water bottles and carry them in their bags. Plus, the water bottles will also be used long after the conference is over. When HubSpot went to Dreamforce last year, we gave out thousands of reusable bottles which were soon spotted all over the city!

Bad Swag: USB Flash Drives

USB drives are bad event swag? Seriously?! Well, a few years ago, I would have said this is the perfect item to give out at an event. You can put the session presentations on it. It’s small and easy to carry. It’s the perfect item! But not so much anymore. Not only do the reasonably priced flash drives not have a lot of storage, but they often break. Also, with the recent emphasis on storing documents in the cloud, there is less appeal to having storage on a flash drive. Using programs like Google Drive or Dropbox and sharing these folders with attendees at conferences is far more appealing and forward-thinking than handing out a flash drive.

Good Swag: Umbrellas

You can never predict what the weather will be. Trust us, we’re from Boston. Unexpected rain can be one of the most frustrating annoyances at a conference, but having free umbrellas for your attendees to take will make their overall conference experience better. It will also get your attendees talking about how amazing your company is for prepared for any given situation.

The other thing about umbrellas is that everyone needs an extra umbrella, so you can be sure your swag (with your logo on it, of course) will be used and seen long after the event ends. HubSpot’s orange umbrellas with the HubSpot logo not only stand out because of their bright color, but they have also started a bunch of conversations about what HubSpot does!

Bad Swag: Paper Weights

The one piece of swag that breaks every rule in the Good Swag Rulebook (note: not an actual book … that we know of) is a paper weight. Not only are they dated, but they’re heavy and bulky — two things that traveling conference attendees don’t want to deal with while going from session to session and traveling home. When thinking of what conference swag to purchase, pick out something that’s light, useful, and easy to travel with.

What’s the best or worst swag you’ve seen at a conference?

Photo credit: jalpeshc, tech_uber

Ever find yourself with your Mac or iPad power adapter, a bottle of beer, and nothing to open the beer with? Of course you have! Graphic designer Eva Giselle discovered that her iPad adapter—and from the looks of it, basically any Apple power adapter—makes for a great bottle opener. More »

Old movie buffs (and older readers) may remember a time when beer was sold in steel cans that were opened with a “church key.” Entourage star Adrian Grenier is tapping into that nostalgia, with a new beer startup he’s cofounding, Churchkey Can Co – with the support of some tech industry leaders.

The cans are the old-timey variety that you probably haven’t seen since the 60s. They’re made of fully-recyclable steel, and require a churchkey opener to get into. You puncture one corner of the top, then make a deeper puncture on the other side to drink out of. Ever noticed a triangle-shaped piece of metal on the other end of some bottle openers? It’s for these types of cans.

The packaging will not only win points for nostalgia. Steel cans are recycled more often than aluminum cans (66% v. 58%), and has the highest recycling rate of any food package.

Okay, right, so what about the beer itself?

It’s a pilsener, created by long-time homebrewers Lucas Jones and Sean Burke. True to its light-beer form, it’s 4.9% alcohol with a relatively mild score of 29 in International Bittering Units. Sounds pretty similar to my personal favorite, Trumer Pils, although I haven’t had a chance to compare yet.

The company, cofounded by former Nike designer Justin Hawkins, has just begun distributing the beverages to local stores across the beer-obsessed region. It’s got stiff competition because the Pacific Northwest is full of excellent microbrews. But the unique can, the quality of the beer, the local brewers, the celebrity founder (and investors?) should all give it a good push. Sources, who you’ll have to guess the identities of on your own, say that sales have been brisk so far. Look for it to head south sometime in the coming months.

There’s been surprisingly little press for Churchkey to date (which is what the company apparently wants). But they’ve raised capital from, among others, a number of tech leaders. We’ve heard that executives from Facebook and Zynga, as well as CrunchFund, have put money in to date.

The Swiss Army knife is the go-to multi-tool for all types of people, but it hasn’t seen much in the way of technological upgrades over the years. Instructables user dr_weidinger wanted to add a modern twist to his, so his grabbed an angle grinder and hacked a USB flash drive onto the knife’s can opener. More »

YouTube user LouieTheGamer shows us how to make a quick safe to stash valuables using any type of aluminum spray can with the sprayer integrated into the top of the can such as Axe (or Lynx in the UK) body spray. Simply pull off the lid and use a can opener to cut open the aluminum body of the sprayer. More »

Here’s the second of three rounds in the Economist debate on the benefits of sharing. This is my response to Andrew Keen’s opener.

Being public, I shall rely on the public to respond for me:

In a discussion on Google+, Google News creator Krishna Bharat writes: “The thrust of Keen’s argument seems to be that connectedness induces peer pressure for conformity which kills diversity…. This is a specious argument because connectedness/proximity does not induce commonality. Never has and never will. Otherwise, Jerusalem would be one homogenous happy culture with Palestinians and Israelis living in proximity…. What connectedness does induce though is a heightened awareness of how other people are and think, and ultimately empathy. That is certainly not a bad thing.”

Commenter Kevin Bonham goes the next step: “I think the ability to share actually increases the ability of radicals and new thinkers to flourish. In a world where innovators are dependent on traditional power brokers to spread their ideas, many great ideas could be lost for lack of exposure….”

But in the debate here at The Economist, commenter czlee raises a challenge: “We are only ever protective of privacy when we fear that someone else will pass judgment…. In order for the proposer to hold his line, I believe that he must also advocate a less judgmental society.”

That is indeed my hope and, back at Google+, Mr. Bonham presents the best exhibition for optimism: “For hundreds of years, gay people were in the closet, isolated and alone. As soon as they started being public, other gay people realized they weren’t alone, and that they had allies, and a movement got started.” No one should be forced out of a closet, but those who had the courage to stand out and challenge bigots and bullies used their power of publicness to disarm stigmas.

At Google+ Daniel McCully responds to the question I raised about regulating technology, arguing that doing so would “just hold back progress…. The cost benefit comes once the world has changed and people have discovered new ways to work in that world. Even the radio was once seen as a bad thing and a form of piracy. You don’t stop change, you adapt to it.”

Agreed. What we’re experiencing now is an effort to negotiate new norms for our new reality. It’s hardly the first time. The first serious discussion of a legal right to privacy in the United States did not come until 1890. The reason: the invention of the Kodak camera, which led to a similar moral panic about privacy, with The New York Times decrying “fiendish kodakers,” President Teddy Roosevelt outlawing kodaking in Washington parks, and legislators ready to require opt-in permission from anyone photographed in public. We negotiated our norms and cameras don’t scare us anymore. But now a new technology does.

“We are all in uncharted territory of openness,” Brit Koehnig writes, asking us to note that where “there is no Facebook, there is no freedom.” That’s not causation, of course, but it is correlation, revealing that fear of openness is a trait of tyranny.

Economist commenter Voice of Pragmatism points out that “this paper itself recently ran an article about the effect of blogging in the field of Economics, partially crediting the recent rise of heterodox views such as the Austrian School and Chartalism to increased usage of social media…. [T]o argue that unconventional thought is stifled, when it is far easier than ever before to connect with people who share your atypical viewpoint, is absurd.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.

As for the unscientific and thus quite meaningless voting here, my opponent attempted to marshal his meager Twitter forces to stuff the ballot box. I responded by asking my followers on the podcast This Week in Google and in Google+ and Facebook to vote their conscience–and my side. In minutes, a 37% vote in favor turned into 70%. There’s another benefit of being public and having a public.

Oh, and if you’d like to vote — for my side, please — you can do it here.

Here’s the second of three rounds in the Economist debate on the benefits of sharing. This is my response to Andrew Keen’s opener.

Being public, I shall rely on the public to respond for me:

In a discussion on Google+, Google News creator Krishna Bharat writes: “The thrust of Keen’s argument seems to be that connectedness induces peer pressure for conformity which kills diversity…. This is a specious argument because connectedness/proximity does not induce commonality. Never has and never will. Otherwise, Jerusalem would be one homogenous happy culture with Palestinians and Israelis living in proximity…. What connectedness does induce though is a heightened awareness of how other people are and think, and ultimately empathy. That is certainly not a bad thing.”

Commenter Kevin Bonham goes the next step: “I think the ability to share actually increases the ability of radicals and new thinkers to flourish. In a world where innovators are dependent on traditional power brokers to spread their ideas, many great ideas could be lost for lack of exposure….”

But in the debate here at The Economist, commenter czlee raises a challenge: “We are only ever protective of privacy when we fear that someone else will pass judgment…. In order for the proposer to hold his line, I believe that he must also advocate a less judgmental society.”

That is indeed my hope and, back at Google+, Mr. Bonham presents the best exhibition for optimism: “For hundreds of years, gay people were in the closet, isolated and alone. As soon as they started being public, other gay people realized they weren’t alone, and that they had allies, and a movement got started.” No one should be forced out of a closet, but those who had the courage to stand out and challenge bigots and bullies used their power of publicness to disarm stigmas.

At Google+ Daniel McCully responds to the question I raised about regulating technology, arguing that doing so would “just hold back progress…. The cost benefit comes once the world has changed and people have discovered new ways to work in that world. Even the radio was once seen as a bad thing and a form of piracy. You don’t stop change, you adapt to it.”

Agreed. What we’re experiencing now is an effort to negotiate new norms for our new reality. It’s hardly the first time. The first serious discussion of a legal right to privacy in the United States did not come until 1890. The reason: the invention of the Kodak camera, which led to a similar moral panic about privacy, with The New York Times decrying “fiendish kodakers,” President Teddy Roosevelt outlawing kodaking in Washington parks, and legislators ready to require opt-in permission from anyone photographed in public. We negotiated our norms and cameras don’t scare us anymore. But now a new technology does.

“We are all in uncharted territory of openness,” Brit Koehnig writes, asking us to note that where “there is no Facebook, there is no freedom.” That’s not causation, of course, but it is correlation, revealing that fear of openness is a trait of tyranny.

Economist commenter Voice of Pragmatism points out that “this paper itself recently ran an article about the effect of blogging in the field of Economics, partially crediting the recent rise of heterodox views such as the Austrian School and Chartalism to increased usage of social media…. [T]o argue that unconventional thought is stifled, when it is far easier than ever before to connect with people who share your atypical viewpoint, is absurd.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.

As for the unscientific and thus quite meaningless voting here, my opponent attempted to marshal his meager Twitter forces to stuff the ballot box. I responded by asking my followers on the podcast This Week in Google and in Google+ and Facebook to vote their conscience–and my side. In minutes, a 37% vote in favor turned into 70%. There’s another benefit of being public and having a public.

Oh, and if you’d like to vote — for my side, please — you can do it here.