One thing I’ve realized in the last year is that online networking does not replace face-to-face networking. In fact, offline and online networking actually go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Rather than try and explain how it works, I’ll show you how it does with three examples:

Jill Whalen, SEO goddess — I first learned of Jill back in 2001 or 2002. I found her Website, High Rankings, and subscribed to her newsletter. I would catch glimpses of her at Search Engine Strategies conferences but was always too shy to introduce myself.

When she started SEMNE, I joined, and when I opened a Twitter profile, she was one of the first people I followed. We exchanged emails here and there and then met for the first time last year. We’ve since gotten to know each other more — in fact, I even follow her daughter, Corie Whalen, on Twitter.

What all of this networking online and off has resulted in is 1) a rewarding relationship with someone who is smart, out-spoken, and a personal inspiration to me and 2) a paying gig as Jill introduced me to someone at a company (that I’ve been trying to get into for a while now) at her last SEMNE meeting. Wow! I was rather blown away by this, to be honest, as it all happened so effortlessly.

Lois Geller, Direct marketing expert — I have “known” Lois since I started my business in 1998, although she never knew me. I used to read her Target Marketing column every month. Smart, funny and insightful, Lois always presented information I could use immediately.

I don’t remember how I found out about it, but I knew Lois had published a book, SOLD! Direct Marketing for the Real Estate Pro, and when I needed someone to interview for an article about direct marketing and real estate, she was the person I called.

Of course, she graciously gave of her time and expertise, and I ended up with a meaty article that pleased my client.

As with Jill, once I learned Lois was on Twitter, I started following her, and since then, she and I have traded DMs back and forth — and she’s even sent me brownies simply because . . . she’s a fabulous person. I’m sure I’ll meet her face-to-face one day and really look forward to it.

Matthew Nelson, Web Designer — I met Matthew while giving a presentation at the VT-NH Marketing Group meeting a few months ago. He started following me on Twitter (and I him) and just the other day left a comment on this blog as “Matthew Nelson.” Because I know him by his Twitter name, “nhwebdesign,” I didn’t “connect the dots” until I clicked through to his site.

Even better, I learned via a Tweet by Lois this morning that she had given him a scholarship years ago. On top of that, Lois and Matthew have connected on Google Wave and have invited me to connect with them. Is that cool or what? Not only do I now have a new connection with Matthew, but he also knows Lois!

These are just three examples of how I use online and offline tactics to expand my networking base — and this post doesn’t even address how I’ve been able to uncover relationships between people . . . Debra Helwig who knows Ardath Albee who knows Brian Carroll, Jill Konrath and Laura Ramos . . . whom Ardath told about my Smart Women on Twitter post, which then prompted Laura to write about me on her blog.

And Debra “met” me through Michelle Golden’s blog, started following me on Twitter and then hired me to speak at her IGAF Worldwide conference.

Do you see how this works? It’s about building relationships and trust over time, not posting “hit and run” Tweets or posts on LinkedIn Groups that say, “Hire me! I’m for sale!”

It’s about getting to know people, being genuinely interested in them and when possible, giving back in the form of quoting them in articles, books, or blog posts.

It’s about sending cookies just because (which is something I actually do myself), hand-writing thank you notes, meeting for lunch even when you’re swamped, and remembering to ask about spouses, kids and pets.

And yes, it all does take time, but trust me, it comes back to you in spades.

Why? Because people do business with people they trust.

So I just walked into a United Red Carpet lounge and watched while a gentleman next me handed the customer service representative his Member card.

She took one look at it and said, “Sorry, we’re not accepting these cards.”

The gentleman said, “But US Airways said it was good after October 31.”

“Sorry, sir,” was her reply. “US Airways mailed those cards out prematurely. Next!”

The gentleman said, “You guys really need to get your act together,” and stomped out.

Can’t say I blame him.

I had a similar experience yesterday when I tried to check in online. United conveniently allowed me to upgrade my seats (how nice of them!), so I dutifully entered my credit card info — only to receive a screen that read, “Sorry. We can’t process your request for this type of upgrade.” What?

When I tried to get back in to download my boarding pass, the United system said it couldn’t “find me.” Argh!

According to Kenneth J. Weiss, who wrote the new book, Slightware: The Next Great Threat to Brands, it’s this kind of technological snafu that really ticks people off — and that ruins your brand.

It doesn’t matter that US Airways mailed their member cards prematurely.

Instead of rudely turning customers away, US Airways should work with United and other carriers who honor these cards to graciously accept them — and thank customers for their business.

And United can easily fix its online check-in snafus by hiring IT people who understand how to simplify the online check-in process.

Hint: if I were the IT/marketing person at United, I’d study the Southwest e-ticket check-in process and make United’s work the same way. Just how hard can that be? Apparently, too hard.

While giving a presentation on social media at Margie Dana’s (@margiedana) 4th Annual Print Buyers Conference, I stressed the importance of asking for Recommendations via LinkedIn. One gentleman raised his hand to ask, “Aren’t Recommendations artificial?”

He based his assumption on the fact that sales people from other companies were asking for his personal Recommendation — and he felt uncomfortable giving it because he didn’t think they deserved a Recommendation.

He brought up a good question — one that we in room spent a few minutes talking about, with the consensus being that like testimonials, Recommendations go far in building credibility.

So what are the “rules” when asking for LinkedIn Recommendations? And, if you work in corporate, can or should you ask for Recommendations from co-workers and others?

Yes, you can ask for Recommendations no matter what your job. What follows are a few simple rules regarding asking for – and giving – LinkedIn Recommendations:

1. Don’t be afraid to ask!

The beauty of LinkedIn is that it has become perfectly acceptable to ask for Recommendations. In fact, I find it easier to ask for a Recommendation than I ever did asking for a testimonial. (Now I simply cut and paste Recommendations from LinkedIn to my Website’s testimonial page.)

2. Ask for a Recommendation anytime you finish a project

If you’re in corporate, ask your co-workers, vendors, and customers (if applicable) for Recommendations when you complete external and internal projects. Also consider asking former co-workers and supervisors for Recommendations, too.

The same advice applies to small business owners, consultants and freelancers. I will often connect with people on LinkedIn once they become a client. When the project is finished, I’ll contact the person via LinkedIn in order to ask for a Recommendation.

If you volunteer, don’t forget to ask board or committee members for their Recommendations -– and if you speak, ask conference managers (or whoever hired you) to give you a Recommendation. I even had a workshop attendee give me an unsolicited Recommendation!

3. Offer to Recommend others

If someone provides you with wonderful service or completes a project that exceeds your expectations, write a glowing Recommendation for this person. One, this person will be eternally grateful to you, and two, you’ll spread goodwill, which will return to you at some later time.

4. Ask for Recommendations regularly

Instead of waiting until you’re laid off to build out your LinkedIn Profile, do it now –- by asking for Recommendations. I’ve heard too many hiring managers say that one of the first things they do is look at people’s Profiles when perusing resumes. Having solid Recommendations placed on your Profile over time (versus all in same time period) shows you’re a team player, an active networker –- and someone who “gets” social media.

5. Don’t be afraid to say “no”

As I stated in my Print Buyers presentation, it’s ok to say “no” to requests for Recommendations, especially if you feel the person doesn’t merit a Recommendation or if you and the person doing the asking have a weak connection. You can simply write back, “I don’t feel comfortable giving you a Recommendation at this time.”

Whether you work for a company or for yourself, Recommendations are a great way to build credibility and trust with others. If you have other tips about LinkedIn Recommendations, be sure to add them in the comments section below!

Other articles about LinkedIn:

Using LinkedIn’s Groups to Build Community

Seven Tips for Getting More Out of LinkedIn

How to Be a LinkedIn Superstar by Larry Weintraub

If you’re a Twitter user, you either love or hate Auto DMs — those messages that people automatically send to new followers.

Sometimes people use Auto DMs to greet new followers or to say something along the lines of, “I’m looking forward to reading your insights.”

Other times people use them to promote their products or services.

Whether you love or hate Auto DMs, I’d like to know what you think. Please take my very fast (and simple) Twitter Auto DM Survey.

If you use Twitter Auto DMs, I’d like to know if you’ve found them to be an effective part of your social media marketing strategy.

If you don’t use them, I’d like to know why.

Please retweet this blog post and get the word out — I’d love to get some real data!

Thank you!

You hear the bell tolling every day regarding the death of print . . .

People no longer read print newspapers or books — with both industries in serious decline.

Companies have ditched their printed marcom materials and have moved online to e-newsletters, blogs, and PDF documents.

Our mail boxes are empty as direct marketers pull back on printing catalogs and mailers due to the high production and mailing costs.

The print industry is reeling as printing companies shutter their businesses, newspapers file for bankruptcy, and the post office continues to raise postage costs to offset its revenue loss.

Yes, the print industry is dying . . . or is it?

I’ve been thinking about this question for a few weeks now, especially since I’m giving a presentation on social media at Margie Dana’s 4th Annual Print Buyers Conference.

Like most everyone else, I’ve calmly accepted the fact that yes, print communication as we know it *has* changed. And like many people, I do get much of my information online.

However, once I started really thinking about it, I realized the print industry isn’t dying . . . it’s really undergoing a huge (and yes, painful) shift.

And most important, many of us still need and purchase print services, it’s just that we have so many options today than we did before.

Take me and my business, for example. In the last three months alone I’ve needed the following items printed:

1. Mailers — I send out articles and such to my in-house list as a way of keeping in touch and need to have these mailers designed, printed, and mailed.

2. Postcards — One of my clients is holding an event and thus needed postcards designed and printed.

3. Letterhead — I moved my office and needed new business cards and letterhead printed.

4. Marketing collateral — One of my clients developed an e-book and wanted hard copies printed in order to hand them out at a tradeshow.

On top of that, I continue to purchase books, newspapers, magazines, and other printed material. I continue to receive catalogs and mailers in my own mailbox from vendors and those companies trying to attract my business.

And, everywhere I go, from the doctor’s office to the car dealership where I have my car serviced, I see and read printed material.

(Not to mention that my son has figured out that while I won’t buy him video games, I’ll easily drop $20 or $30 on books and magazines for him — something he takes advantage of on a regular basis.)

Yes, the print industry is changing . . . but it’s far from dead.

And that’s why it’s really important that if you deal in any way with print and/or order print services for your business (large or small), that you attend Margie Dana’s Print Buyers Conference November 3 – 5, 2009 in Westford, MA.

It’s at this conference that you’ll learn the new trends happening in the print industry and how to use them in your business . . . green printing (which is HUGE), the online content explosion and the opportunities available in print, the changing dynamics of ad agencies — and a whole lot more.

Margie (@margiedana) has pulled out all the stops for this conference. She’s brought in some really smart speakers and has developed sessions that focus on the change print is currently reeling from and how to deal with it (versus sitting around complaining about it).

Even better, she’s priced this conference to make it easy to attend — no matter what your budget.

So take a minute and mosey on over to her Print Buyers Conference Website, poke around, and if you like what you see, REGISTER TO ATTEND.

I think you’ll be glad you did.

Julia Child and her colleagues, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, wrote Mastering the Art of French Cooking for the “servantless American cook” — re: the 1950/60s American housewife who had become dependent on her can opener, Jello molds, and Fluff.

Until I read Julia’s biography, My Life in France, I had no idea that Julia and her colleagues spent eight years testing recipes, ensuring French ingredients could be found in American supermarkets, and writing instructions that could be easily followed by anyone who wanted to cook French food but wasn’t sure how.

I’ve had a copy of the cookbook (second printing!) sitting on my shelf for close to 15 years and not once had I cracked it open. After reading My Life in France and becoming inspired by it and the movie, Julie and Julia, I decided it was time to start cooking.

It was while cooking (and eating) that I realized that the lessons I had learned from Julia could also be applied to marketing:

1. Read marketing books — Before MTAOFC, I had never made a hollandaise sauce. Reason? I thought it was too difficult. Nothing is further from the truth — in fact, it takes all of five minutes following Julia Child’s instructions. (Be sure to make poached eggs to go with it. Yum!)

It’s the same for marketing. Your landing page isn’t converting? Get the book, Landing Page Optimization by Tim Ash. Don’t know how to fully maximize Google Analytics? Read Google Analytics 2.0.

These days nothing with regard to marketing is a “secret” — all it takes is effort on your part to read and follow instructions in just a few of the hundreds of marketing books and blogs available.

2. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes — My first batch of hollandaise turned out perfectly. My second batch was a dud.

Marketing campaigns often follow a similar pattern. You send out a direct mail letter, for example, and get leads galore. A few months later you conduct another campaign that ends up costing you big bucks for little ROI.

Just because a campaign doesn’t do well doesn’t mean you’re a bad marketer or that direct mail is dead or whatever “wisdom” is bouncing around the Internet. What it does mean is that you tried something, it didn’t work, and you need to try again.

3. Make notes in the margins — After you cook a fabulous meal, take a few minutes to note in the recipe margins why it worked. For example, Julia Child says hollandaise can sit for a half hour or so on low heat, so I made it first, then made the poached eggs. Big mistake. My hollandaise fell apart in minutes. Note to self: make the eggs first.

When you conduct a marketing campaign, take the time to evaluate why it worked or didn’t. Write out your strategy, the vendors you used, or any challenges you faced during the design or implementation process. Writing notes “in the margins” will help you remember what to do “right” the next time.

4. Don’t stop testing — The glory of MTAOFC is that Julia and colleagues tested every single recipe, repeatedly. Then they tested variations. In fact, Julia even tested different methods for cooking asparagus. (The best way is to peel each stalk, bundle a half dozen peeled stalks together, and boil them until tender. Superb!)

One person who has the testing thing down is Anne Holland. Not only did she test, test, test while at MarketingSherpa, she’s now featuring people’s marketing tests at her new venture, Which Test Won. The results of these tests are sometimes surprising — which is why it pays to test, constantly.

5. Invest in the best tools you can afford — Nothing is more wonderful than super sharp knives that can cleanly cut meat, fish, bread, and veges. A dull knife leaves delicate fish ragged and makes it hard to skin and debone a chicken.

Lots of marketing tools exist, from free stuff such as HubSpot’s Grader tools to fee-based tools such as Yield Software’s Web Marketing Suite, that help you do your marketing job better. Whichever tools you use, make sure they provide the data you need to make informed decisions.

6. Invite your friends to dinner — The best part of cooking is sharing a meal with your friends and family. (You can make the meal even more special by including a cheese course. Hint: pull the cheese out a half hour or so before you eat it, especially if you’re serving brie cheese. Include some grapes and crackers and be sure to have plenty of wine!)

You can invite your friends to your marketing party by writing a blog, opening a Twitter account or hosting a Group on LinkedIn. Share your marketing triumphs and mistakes — your openness will show others they can share their insights as well.

7. Show your passion — Julia Child states in My Life in France that she was a “scientific cook.” All science aside, Julia was also passionate — about food, cooking, and sharing her joy with others.

Too often marketing becomes bogged down in numbers and ROI. We can all use a dose of Julia’s enthusiasm and joie de vivre — in our copy, our campaigns, and our lives in general.

So tonight, stop at the market and buy fresh veges, fish, really crusty bread, some gooey smelly cheese, and an excellent bottle of wine.

Bon appetit!

Just received a telemarketing call where the caller (a marketer) made the following mistakes:

1. The caller ID name didn’t match the caller’s name (nor even the gender!).

2. Caller assumed I knew who he was by announcing his name only — no company name.

3. Caller was surprised when I said I didn’t know who he was.

My friend Mac McIntosh has given me two great pieces of advice over the years: “Never believe your own press” and “Never assume everyone knows who you are.” I keep these top of mind constantly — and you should, too.

4. Caller had NO CLUE that I was a one-person company even though he had my first name, last name, and telephone number.

A two-minute Google search would have told him who I was, who I work with, and what I do for a living — all questions he asked me. I have a website, a blog, and Twitter and LinkedIn profiles where all of this info exists.

5. Caller used the word “gal.”

Listen people, I am a successful business woman. If you want to do business with me, do NOT call me “girl” or “gal.” (I can’t think of anything that irks me more than this.)

All in all, a typical telemarketing call made by a clueless marketer. “Fail!” as my son would say.

According to a July 30, 2009 post at Dental Blogs, the Pew Internet Project reported 75-80% of Internet users look for medical information online.

This data is right up there with B2B buyers and consumers who use the Internet to search / shop for products, so I wasn’t surprised by the number.

Dental Blogs went on to advise dentists about how to educate these searchers:

If you want to make sure your patients are getting the solid, accurate information they need so that they can make informed decisions about dentistry, consider expanding the education center on your dental website.

This is really great advice — and one any service professional should follow, be she a lawyer, accountant, dermatologist, or marketer.

However, the author of the post goes on to add that dentists can expand their learning center with canned content — and this is where I got my marketing knickers in a twist.

Part of this twist is due to the fact that I’ve been reading Dr. Bill & Carolyn Blatchford’s book, Blatchford’s Blueprints: The art of creating practice success. For those of you who don’t know, Dr. Blatchford is *the* coach for dentists — he helps them achieve practice profitability by focusing on developing their unique vision, leadership skills, and goals.

According to Blatchford, “Vision is a positive statement of what you see, how you believe and desire your life to become. Vision is seeing the future of what you hope to be. Personal vision is not about numbers and goals. . . . Personal vision is the bigger picture of you. It is the values and standards that cover you 24 hours a day.” (emphasis mine)

Remember, people do business with people they trust . . . and by communicating your personal vision, no matter who you are or the job you do, you attract people who instinctively resonate with your vision, whether or not they know it.

So, my question is: How do you communicate your personal vision if you’re using canned content that “dental marketing” companies are willing to sell to you — and that any number of dentists are also using?

In the last few years I’ve had the opportunity to work with three dentists: Dr. Helaine Smith, Dr. Steven St. Germain, and currently, Dr. Anne B. Filler. All three have had me write copy for their websites (Dr. Filler’s new site is still under construction).

What has struck me with each dentist is that while each one provides essentially the same type of service — exceptional dental care — each of these dentists is guided, and indeed driven, by their own personal passion and vision (which I hope comes through clearly on their respective sites).

Dr. St. Germain, for example, believes in educating patients about their dental options and providing the “gold standard” in dental care. In addition, he’s pretty passionate about helping others and regularly volunteers his time on mission trips.

Dr. Filler also believes in educating patients as well as helping them maintain healthy mouths for a lifetime. What I love about Dr. Filler is that she’s very active in her local community: she sponsors youth sports teams, donates her dental services to various community organizations, and hosts high school interns, via the New Hampshire Partners in Education, who are thinking of entering the dental field.

Dr. Smith is passionate about educating consumers about the connection between one’s oral health and one’s physical health as well as helping people transform their lives. She provides her patients an unsurpassed level of care (she once told Yankee Dental workshop attendees that she will visualize a cosmetic procedure from beginning to end before she begins any work). Like Dr. St. Germain, Dr. Smith gives freely of her time and has been on over a dozen missions to third world countries where she provides dental care to children.

Because each dentist took the time to actually develop a website based on their unique values, passion and vision, they come across as authentic, caring providers — something you’re just not going to get with canned content.

Bottom line: If you’re a dentist (or any type of service professional) and you want to create a website that basically says nothing and sounds like all the other dental websites out there, use canned content. (It’s also a whole lot cheaper than hiring someone to write it for you.)

However, if you’re passionate about what you do and want to stand apart from your local competitors, consider hiring a copywriter who can help you craft your unique message that will actually get people in your office door.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Does canned content have its place? Or should companies strive to create unique content throughout a website?

Since joining Twitter in October 2008, I’ve had the chance to “meet” lots of really cool women. Many of them are in marketing, some are not, but they all have one trait in common: they are very, very smart.

Herewith, my list of women you should be following on Twitter (in no particular order):

1. Anne Holland (@AnneHolland55) — After selling MarketingSherpa, Anne took a hiatus and spent three months sleeping. She’s now back in the entrepreneurship saddle with WhichTestWon.com and her blog, Anne Holland’s Ventures. Welcome back, Anne!

2. Sandy Carter (@sandy_carter) — Author of The New Language of Marketing 2.0, Sandy is a VP at IBM who writes about social media for technology companies.

3. Stephanie Tilton (@StephanieTilton) — Stephanie is an expert freelance white paper copywriter and one of the founding members of the way cool, totally hip Savvy B2B Marketing blog.

4. Jamie Wallace (@suddenlyjamie) — Like Stephanie, Jamie is a founding member of the Savvy B2B Marketing blog. She’s also got her finger on the B2B social media pulse and “gets it” like it’s no one’s business.

5. Lois Geller (@loisgeller) — Lois moved her highly successful direct mail agency from NY to Florida and never looked back. President of the Lois Geller Marketing Group, she’s also the author of SOLD! Direct Marketing for the Real Estate Pro. Be sure to check out her Joy of Direct Marketing blog.

6. Rachel Levy (@bostonmarketer) — Rachel just recently accepted a job as Director of Marketing and Social Media at Second Time Around. Hopefully she’ll keep up her blog. Congratulations, Rachel!

7. Ardath Albee (@ardath421) — Ardath writes about B2B marketing and sales. Read her fabulous insights at her Marketing Interactions blog.

8. Kellye Crane (@KellyeCrane) — Kellye, a PR consultant, is one person whose tweets I enjoy reading. She also writes the Solo PR Pro blog.

9. Beth Harte (@BethHarte) — Beth is the MarketingProfs Community Manager and publishes the Harte of Marketing blog.

10. Ann Handley (@MarketingProfs) — In addition to being being a terrific writer (she can write circles around me), Ann is the Chief Content Officer for the very popular MarketingProfs publication. Be sure to catch her on her Annarchy blog.

11. Allen Mireles (@allenmireles) — Allen, a social media consultant, is the Principal of Allen Mireles Marketing PR. She writes frequently about social media and PR on her blog and is frequently retweeted.

12. Jill Konrath (@jillkonrath) — Jill is the best selling author of Selling to Big Companies (a must read for anyone who wants to work with the GEs and HPs of the world). She’s also the SHeEO of Sales shebang, *the* Web resource for women in sales and provides training as well as an annual conference.

13. Laura Ramos (@lauraramos) — A VP and analyst for Forrester Research, Laura writes about issues pertaining to B2B marketing — including social media. Be sure to catch her insights at her B2B Marketing POSTs blog.

14. Helaine Smith, DMD (@helainesmithdmd) — Full disclosure, Dr. Smith is my client, but the longer I work with her, the more I learn — about business, working with people, and setting and achieving goals. She also has an “outsider’s” perspective on social media that is often refreshing. Learn more about dentistry and how it affects your health at her Successsful Smiles blog.

15. Kel Kelly (@kelkelly) — I met Kel at a Publicity Club of New England meeting and have been her fan girl ever since. She possesses two things I would kill for: daring and deadly wit. The founder of the “un-agency” Kel & Partners, Kel writes a blog that will leave you in stitches.

16. Leslie Poston (@geechee_girl) — A “social media enabler” Leslie helps social and entertainment businesses (think restaurants and artists) market themselves. I met her face-to-face at the last New Hampshire TweetUp — very exciting! She also publishes the UpTown Uncorked blog.

17. Kelly Parkinson (@copylicious) — Kelly is one of those copywriters who combines real creativity with business acumen to deliver copy that’s different, engaging — and that gets results. (Her Twitter profile reads, “I help companies fight robot invasions” — ha!) Be sure to read her fun and witty blog.

18. Jill Whalen (@jillwhalen) — *The* SEO goddess, Jill is a frequent speaker at SEO conferences around the world as well as the President of the SEO firm High Rankings. I met Jill for the first time this year — she’s smart, funny, and lives, eats, breathes SEO. Sign up for her popular High Rankings Advisor newsletter.

19. Sima Dahl (@simasays) — Principal of Parlay Communications in Chicago and founder of MarketingJobWire.com, Sima provides marketing that supports sales.

20. Ginger Burr (@GingerBurr) — Ginger is the person who helps me and lots of other women look good every day — she’s a wardrobe consultant, and a damned good one. Learn more about clothing, colors, and how to dress for the life you live at her website Total Image Consultants. She also has a new home study course — “Who Taught You How to Dress?”

21. Michelle Golden (@michellegolden) — I “met” Michelle online a year or so ago and am continually impressed with her insights and business acumen. President of Golden Marketing, Michelle helps lawyers and accountants grow their businesses. She also writes the terrific Golden Practices blog.

22. Debra Helwig (@dhelwig) — Debra is another person I’ve recently met and have come to know through Twitter and now phone calls. Smart and funny, Deb is the Marketing Communications Manager for IGAF Worldwide, an international trade association for accountants. She writes the pithy Service Minded blog.

23. Casey Hibbard (@casey_hibbard) — Author of the book Stories that Sell, Casey is the expert on writing case studies. She writes a blog by the same name.

24. Sandra Fathi (@sandrafathi) — Sandra is the president of Affect Strategies, a strategic marketing, communications and PR firm in New City. She and her team write the Tech Affect blog.

25. Michele Linn (@michelelinn) — Another Savvy B2B Marketing Blog founding sister, Michele is a freelance B2B marketing writer, blogger, and work at home mom. You can find her at the B2B Savvy blog (see link above) or her business site.

26. Margie Dana (@margiedana) — I groan when I see Oscar winners pull out a slip of paper to thank wonderful people in their lives. I needed a slip of paper when I made this list because I left off one the most fabulous women — Margie Dana, President of Boston Print Buyers. I’ve been a fan of Margie since before social media even existed. She is *the* goddess of all things relating to buying print (as in, you need that piece printed and whom should you hire?). She hosts monthly meetings, holds an annual conference and puts out a weekly newsletter. In short, she is a *must follow.*

I know I left out tons of other smart and successful business women. If you know of one who needs to be included on this list, please leave her name in the comments section (or DM me on Twitter @diannahuff) and I’ll start another list.

Additional Smart Women to Follow

27. Lilia Shirman (@B2BGuru) — Lilia is Founder and Managing Director of the California-based Sherman Group, a marketing firm that helps companies address complex challenges in growth and profitability.

28. Carla Clayton (@blondeaffiliate) — Carla helps Web newbies market their businesses via blogs, social media, websites, etc. Be sure to read her clever blog, Internet Marketing for Blondes.

29. Lisa Duhamel (@VirtuallyReady) — Ooooh! Lisa, President of Virtually Ready, does custom clickable Twitter backgrounds plus lots of other things to extend your reach online. Good to know!

30. Diane Hessan (@CommunispaceCEO) — Another very smart woman I follow but forgot to mention on the original 25 is Diane Hessan. Diane and her team help clients manage online communities. Be sure to subscribe to her Verbatim blog.

31. Kami Huyse (@kamichat) — According to Kellye Crane, Kami is a true pioneer in the social media / PR space. In addition to being the Principal of My PR Pro, she writes the Communication Overtones blog.

32. Rachel Kay (@rachelakay) — Another PR pro, Rachel’s firm, Rachel Kay Public Relations, is based in San Diego, California. Rachel writes the CommuniKaytrix blog.

33. Rebekah E Donaldson (@b2bcommunicate) — I met Rebekah about a year ago when she asked me to review her e-book about hiring a B2B marketing consultant. You can follow Rebekah via her blog, the red on marketing blog — great stuff.

34. Debbie Weil (@debbieweil) — Debbie is another smart woman I inadvertently left off my list — and one I’ve been a fan of before blogs and social media. (I subscribed to her newsletter way back when.) Debbie is the author of the Corporate Blogging Book and an all around smart woman. Be sure to check out her blog, BlogWrite for CEOs.

35. Penny Power (@pennypower) — Penny is the found of Ecademy, the online social networking site that is very popular in Europe. She coined the term, “Independent Capitalist,” which you can read more about in this February 2009 interview I did of her. She recently published a book about social media: Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me. A very smart woman, indeed!

Ambassador of Buzz for Grasshopper, Jonathan Kay, emailed me yesterday (July 27) to update me about the chocolate grasshopper campaign the company conducted in May 2009.

I’m really glad he did this because this campaign was a topic of discussion at our dinner table. My husband is in marketing/sales, too, and we spent a good half hour talking about how much each piece cost, including shipping by FedEx.

According to Jonathan, the campaign’s objective was simply to generate buzz and “spark a grassroots movement among the entrepreneurial community that would raise awareness of the brand, and get people interested in entrepreneurship” — not to get people to sign up for the company’s  Advanced Number service, which is something I originally posted about when I received my packet of grasshoppers.

Hence, the  campaign consisted of mailing out the chocolate grasshoppers and creating a video about “the power of entrepreneurship.”

The Grasshopper team spent months scouring the Internet looking for 5,000 of the most influential people with “buzz” around them — emphasis on “influential,” not entrepreneurs who might need the Advanced Number service.

Based on this simple objective, the campaign was a real success. You can read the full Chocolate Grasshopper case study for all of the numbers, but suffice to say, the campaign is a great example of how social media can drive awareness — and cost much, much less than one 30-second TV commercial:

Total campaign cost: $68,103

183,000+ page views for the Entrepreneurs Can Change the World video

51,700+ page views of Grasshoppers.com/idea

2,959 referrals from Twitter

1,664 referrals from Facebook

170 blog posts (according to Jonathan, I was one of the first people to post about the campaign)

Do note that the referrals from Twitter are higher than those from Facebook — Facebook may have more members, but Twitter, it appears, has greater reach.

One other thing to note — which the case study doesn’t cover: This is the second time (for me) that a company has followed up with me after I’ve written about them on this blog. (The first instance was when Brian Ellefritz, Cisco’s Director of Social Media Marketing, contacted me after I featured one of the company’s campaign videos.)

Follow-up with influential bloggers should be, if isn’t already, a social media best practice because you create good will, develop relationships, and increase the possibility for follow-up blog mentions.

Not only did I write an additional blog post about Cisco after talking one-on-one with Brian, but I’ve also have continued to use Cisco as a “what to do right” case study in presentations.

The same will now hold true for Grasshopper. You simply cannot buy that type of brand awareness — and it’s why social media is so effective. (And it’s also why companies must, must, must monitor what’s being said about them online because social media also drives negative awareness in the same huge way.)

One final note: because I was targeted as an “influential” (I’m truly honored!) and because I do consider myself an entrepreneur with vision, let me share my vision with you. It’s what drives me to get out of bed every morning:

I want to be a hands-on mom and give my son a great childhood while also helping my clients achieve their business objectives with results-oriented marketing communications consulting and copywriting.

What’s your vision?