Posts By Courtney Shelton Hunt

Blogging is So Misunderstood: 8 Things Everyone Should Know

I recently started working with two new clients on website projects, and both of them were adamant that they did not want to include blogging on their sites. They viewed blogs as too personal, informal, and unprofessional, and were concerned they would attract spammers and trolls. Their concerns have merit of course, and the negativeRead… Read more »

Hiring Social Media and Digital Expertise: A Hierarchy

Although social media can no longer be considered a novelty, many organizations (especially small- and mid-sized groups) are still trying to figure out whether and how to leverage it as part of their marketing, branding, public relations, customer service, and revenue-generating efforts. In conjunction with those determinations, they must also figure out the best approachesRead… Read more »

Improving LinkedIn Groups: Guidance for Group Managers

This is the second in a series of articles offering recommendations for how LinkedIn, group owners/managers, and members can improve the quality and value of LinkedIn groups. The initial article offered suggestions for LinkedIn. This piece focuses on suggestions for LinkedIn group owners and managers. The ideas can also be extended to other kinds of… Read more »

Can LinkedIn Groups be Saved?

Almost six years ago, practically on a whim, I created a LinkedIn group. My vaguely-defined goal was to create a community of people who shared my interest in the applications and implications of social technologies in organizations. Throughout the remainder of 2009, in addition to growing my own group, I was also an active participantRead… Read more »

Creating a Digital Transformation Plan of Action: A Guide for Leaders

In earlier SMART Articles, I discussed the evolutionary phases in becoming a digital organization, described how all business functions are being transformed by social and digital technologies, articulated the primary barriers to digital engagement, and offered a digital transformation framework (to read these and other related pieces, click here). This article extends those pieces by proposingRead… Read more »

Selecting Website Themes: A Guiding Framework

As I stated in Website Builder Platforms: Best Options for Small Businesses, I consider the WordPress content management system (which should not be confused with the WordPress.com platform) to be the best option for organizations that need to upgrade or build a website, especially if they want to be able to manage some content andRead… Read more »

8 (Cold, Hard) Truths about Social Media

I am an idealist at heart, but I also pride myself on being a pragmatist and strive to provide guidance that enables individuals and organizations to achieve their goals and objectives in the most efficient and effective ways possible. When it comes to social and digital technologies in particular, although I do believe, I’m notRead… Read more »

The Digital Transformation of Organizational Functions

No one would argue with the notion that social and digital technologies are having a significant – and sometimes dramatic – impact on societies and economies. And though most people may not yet refer to this as the Digital Age or Era, they would likely concede that we are indeed transitioning away from a worldRead… Read more »