Call-Back with Geoffrey Short: Twitter Marketing and the Emperor's New Clothes

Monday, May 11, 2009

Twitter Marketing and the Emperor's New Clothes

I know Twitter is the latest greatest thing and I certainly am a user and a believer in social media myself. But hasn't Twitter been "hot" for like 6 minutes now? How can anyone really be an "expert" at making it the best thing since sliced bread to reach customers? I've just grown a little skeptical since the onslaught of the get rich quick web infomercials that have hit my email box & RSS feeders lately claiming 1000's of followers & 1000's of dollars. One of the main Twitter strategies seems to be to "retweet" useful links we discover to position ourselves as good resources for relevant information. Seems to me Google had that market cornered long ago. And just on an aesthetic note, I'm having a challenge getting over basing a marketing plan on the verb "to tweet"! In our rush to be "innovative" and on the cutting edge, even more reputable recruiters and marketers are stuffing blogs with expert advice on something I'm not convinced any of us know all THAT much about! I just want to be sure that in our rush to praise Emperor Twitter's "new clothes", that we're not afraid to question whether or not His Highness might actually be naked. We can't take our eyes off other important balls like developing new and great ideas for our clients and continually developing our skills in selling those ideas - face to face - and making them work. I love discovering and learning about new marketing tools, but solid sales and marketing are not fads, they're skilled professions & I just don't like feeling like a lemming going over a cliff. All that being said follow me athttp://www.twitter.com/GeoffShort !

No comments:

Post a Comment

ABOUT GEOFF

Geoff produces and hosts the video series "CALL-BACK", focused on local community theatre.

Geoff is also the producer of STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theatre Program. "STAGES"is a documentary series that follows the stories of the students and teachers of the acclaimed Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theatre Program led by Victoria Bussert. STAGES gives viewers unprecedented access to this exclusive program that draws the very best talent from around the country to this small private college in Berea, Ohio (just southwest of Cleveland). Graduates of this program often go on to careers on Broadway. Learn more about Baldwin-Wallace College at www.bw.edu. See other theater video documentary series from Geoff Short at www.youtube.com/CallBackCleveland.

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program

Geoff has spent his career in television, radio, print and online advertising, sales and marketing. He has been responsible for the local advertising, branding and promotions for some of the biggest companies in the country including Wal-Mart, The Cleveland Clinic and McDonald's.

Geoff has also spent a lifetime in the performing arts. He is a singer, actor, director and songwriter who has performed in musical theater, pop groups and other performing groups since he was 10 years old. He has written music for radio and television as well as the stage and his jingles and parodies have been heard frequently on Cleveland airwaves.

In 2013, Geoff Directed Jesus Christ Superstar at Brecksville Theatre on the Square. In 2010 Geoff directed Gypsy at Brecksville Theater on the Square. In the 2009 season Geoff Directed the musical City of Angels at Brecksville Theater on the Square and Oklahoma! at Huntington Playhouse. In 2008 Geoff directed the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical revue Some Enchanted Evening at Huntington Playhouse in Bay Village, Ohio and Assassins with the Berea Grindstone Players at the Cassidy Theatre in Parma Heights, Ohio. Geoff also directed the musicals Violet and Dreamgirls both in 2007 and at the Cassidy Theatre. He has appeared in many area musical theater productions most recently in the musical revue The World Goes Round at Brecksville Theater on the Square. Other productions include Five Guys Named Moe (Big Moe, Beck Center) and Cassidy Theatre productions including Godspell, Carousel (Billy Bigelow), Ain't Misbehavin' ("Ken), Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.), Cats (Old Deuteronomy) and as The Voice of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors. Geoff also appeared in the 2007 Cleveland Playhouse Club cabaret Motown! and in 2006 developed his own musical cabaret act for Playhouse Square’s Cleveland Cabaret Project.

Geoff is proud to have served for two years as the Board President of Cassidy Theatre, Inc. and also served on the board of the Cooperative Alliance of Medina Entertainment Organizations.

Geoff has been the co-host of the weekly on-air television segment Cheap Date at seen on WKYC TV3’s Good Company program and is also currently one of the lead singers for the band The Avenue.