Internet Geek Girl

I am very excited to announce my participation in the founding of The Conversation Group, a new global communications agency devoted to the art and science of participatory media – blogs, social networks, and other environments where people openly converse. Be sure to also check out Ted Shelton’s post (Managing Partner) and the full press release here.

I am writing this from Santa Barbara, CA where Commission Junction is hosting CJU 2007. At all of the affiliate marketing events I have attended this year, there has been a strong emphasis on understanding how new marketing channels like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter can increase sales and exposure for advertisers. Monetization of niche traffic sources has long been a focus in affiliate marketing. The Conversation Group will provide clients with products and services that help advertisers scale their ability to discover, engage and interact with their constituents, wherever they may be.

In other affiliate marketing news – CJU 2007 is off to a great start. As Shawn Collins reports, Commission Junction is breaking records for 2007! I’ll blog more later on the advertisers and publishers I”m meeting here in Santa Barbara. In a “relationship economy,” events like this are vital for enhancing all of our marketing efforts.

Why is it that CJ is winning business? What is it that makes this organization #1 right now in the space? What should an advertiser think about when evaluating the value of CJ, Performics and LinkShare? How will social media trends impact online sales and relationships with customers?

Stay tuned. Answers to those questions and many more, coming soon!

Greetings friends. First off my apologies for my lack of blogging. Nate was right, I need to just make it a daily task. I promise to work on that. InternetGeekGirl needs to get her groove on. I’m thinking I should twitter and blog at night while watching TV. Twittering is much easier.

My lack of writing is not due to lack of inspiration. Solely lack of time.

Since so many of you are asking, yes, I did watch The Soprano’s on Easter Sunday night. And since so many of you are also asking, here’s what I think:

This final season is off to a good start. In its typically ironic fashion, the episode began with Carmela asking, “Is this it?” Yes, Carmela, the beginning of the end. I’m not sure how I will feel at the end. This show has impacted me in a unique way. Yes, TV still impacts me. Twitter or no twitter – I still need, crave and LOVE my TV(s). The TVs per person ratio in my house is way too high.

As for Tony and his deep thoughts about his future – let us first look at the past. Catch the kick-ass7-minute series recap on youtube. This is my all-time-favorite-so-far video on YouTube. Thank you Paul Gulyas and Joe Sabia. I hope they have gotten tons of job offers. With almost 250,000 YouTube views, they deserve it.

By the way – What a great example of using copyrighted material in an appropriate way. I think they should win the cutter of the year award.

Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times so eloquently summed up why I love this show.

“The series lowered the bar on permissible violence, sex and profanity at the same time that it elevated viewers’ taste, cultivating an appetite for complexity, wit and cinematic stylishness on a serial drama in which psychological themes flickered and built and faded and reappeared. The best episodes had equal amounts of high and low appeal, an alchemy of artistry and gutter-level blood and gore, all of it leavened with humor.”

(April 8, 2007)

I gravitate toward dichotomy.

Where does this leave us? The cultural zeitgeist is changed forever.

What does it take to do that? In a big way? In a minor way? More on that later. For now I know that these next 8 episodes will be cherished. Like watching a sunset on Maui…like a slow, amazing kiss… like a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine. Actually, like all three at once.