Daniel Johnson, Jr.

My friend Carole Baker, who founded the New Media Dayton group, recently shared on Facebook:

I just want to say that I’ve been deeply involved in social media (for businesses and brands) for two years now and never once have I poked anyone. I do not understand why anyone would want to poke me, and I have no idea what it means. There I said it. I had to get it off my chest. And another thing…I have never thrown sheep. Why the heck would you throw sheep?

Now I’ve been using Facebook for about four years now, since 2007, and I have poked, been poked, and I think I’ve even been super-poked. I think back then Cliff Ravenscraft declared me the winner of an informal poking contest. I’ve often wondered what the metaphysical consequences of what happens when you poking yourself.

If I remember correctly, here’s the way it used to work: (more…)

I don’t like the prick of needles, and I certainly don’t like looking at them. I make sure to look away.

So I can only imagine what it must be like to go to the doctor every month and get pricked to offer some of your blood to be analyzed for anything bad in it. Or to have to receive blood transfusions every month. I can’t imagine what this is like because, thankfully, I’ve never had leukemia. (more…)

Geez. It’s October already.

For three years now, I’ve been organizing events for the in-person social networking community I founded called New Media Cincinnati. We actually have the October event coming up this weekend.

My approach in getting the word out about these events has changed over time, from sending multiple direct messages to followers, to using Facebook as the medium to plan and organize the events.  For awhile we even had a wiki set up. I thought I’d share some of  my current approach to getting the word out.

An approach to event marketing

In 2008, I began using Eventbrite to organize, plan, and run the monthly events, which have become known as New Media Cincinnati Second Saturdays (mostly because people always wondered when we met). I’ve enjoyed using Eventbrite, and I’m not ashamed to recommend them (and for you to use my affiliate link!). (more…)

Taste of Cincinnati is an annual tradition every Memorial Day weekend. The city of Cincinnati closes off several blocks downtown, and food vendors set up and offer a Taste of what they typically serve at their restaurants in the Greater Cincinnati area. It’s a chance for folks like me to “graze”.

I remember the first one I went to in 1993, when I later told my girlfriend Jennie that I loved her. We later married.

I’ve been to Taste of Cincinnati 4 out of the past 5 years since we’ve been back in town.

This year was interesting because I went by myself. It was great to meet up with some friends I know through New Media Cincinnati.

… I’ll be in Dayton.

I was laid off from my job in Dayton last year (through no fault of my own – company had been falling on hard times and was shedding employees – I was one of many to go). It was a bittersweet moment. On one hand, I didn’t have the hour-long one-way commute any more. On the other, I didn’t have a steady paycheck.

I also knew I’d miss the great relationships I’d been building with others in the social media community up in Dayton, like Rich Palmer, Carole Hicks, Mike Cornett, Teri Lussier, Jim Farley, Duane “The Preppy Dude” Myers, Gina Kay Landis, Jeff Long, Ralph Helm, and others.
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