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Lynn Maria Thompson

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President, Thompson Writing & Editing, Inc.

779 points

After 23 years of managing various marketing & communication duties for a major directory publisher, Lynn founded Thompson Writing & Editing in 2003. She has worked with industries as diverse as medical, real estate, waste/recycling, publishing, nonprofits, and retail. She has ...

After 23 years of managing various marketing & communication duties for a major directory publisher, Lynn founded Thompson Writing & Editing in 2003. She has worked with industries as diverse as medical, real estate, waste/recycling, publishing, nonprofits, and retail. She has ghostwritten three published books, all biographical in nature. Lynn is also an animated and informative speaker who has spoken at writers' and recycling conferences throughout the southeast. For others who'd like to follow a path similar to hers, she is writing a series of e-books entitled "A Professional Writer's Ladder to Success". Several are now available on her retail site, which primarily sells products for cats and their people, OldMaidCatLady.com.

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WEB: Old Maid Cat Lady

April 2, 2012

Lynn Maria Thompson and 8 other people answered this question

What are the costs associated with building an online store?

There's not really one answer to this question, as the choices are so varied. It cost me a couple thousand in actual cash outlay to start OldMaidCatLady.com, but I've invested countless hours of my time in building, stocking, and promoting the site. That is ongoing. ... more

Information Technology

Ecommerce Web Development

March 25, 2012

Lynn Maria Thompson and 8 other people answered this question

How do you use your LinkedIn account for networking and building relationships?

I've found that joining the groups has been most helpful for promoting my e-commerce site on LinkedIn. Through the e-mails I get summarizing activity in those, I've been able to find new suppliers for great new products that have given me a jump on my ... more

Information Technology

March 14, 2012

Lynn Maria Thompson and 6 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Top Tactics in Technology Marketing [3/8 @ 1 pm]

What is the biggest difference in your marketing approach today compared to five years ago?

Interesting question; my business has changed since then, so I market very differently. When I was only marketing my mainly B2B writing & editing business, I'd only begun using social media a couple of years earlier. My most effective method of marketing was to speak ... more

Feb. 26, 2012

Lynn Maria Thompson and 10 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Defining Cloud Computing [2/23 @ 11 am]

What is the difference between Cloud and SaaS?

My understanding of SaaS is what several users have mentioned, that you're merely "subscribing" to the software, analogous to renting an apartment vs. buying a condo. But I think the term "cloud computing" is more broadly used to refer to the file-sharing and backup solutions ... more

Information Technology

Cloud Computing

Enterprise Computing

Feb. 5, 2012

Lynn Maria Thompson and 7 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Social Etiquette: Everything I Need to Know About Social Media I Learned in Kindergarten [1/9 @ 11 am]

What are some in-person rules of etiquette that carry over to social networks?

I can give you five, just off the top of my head: 1. Don't yell at people (i.e., type in all caps). 2. Don't talk politics or religion in a business environment. 3. Say "please" and "thank you". 4. Don't air your dirty laundry in ... more

Feb. 5, 2012

Lynn Maria Thompson and 14 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Top Technology Marketers to Watch in 2012 [1/31 @ 1 pm]

Do social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter offer deep enough levels of engagement for B2B marketers?

It could depend on what you're selling to businesses. For example, I wouldn't want to know as much about the place I buy my office supplies as I'd want to know about my CPA. So if you sell something that doesn't require your customers to ... more

Jan. 25, 2012

Lynn Maria Thompson and 4 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Power of “Face-to-Face” in a Technology World [1/24 @ 11 am]

What approaches and/or technology do you use to make a personal connection with your prospect?

For my online retail site, Facebook and Twitter both still work pretty well. Since I sell all over the U.S., those allow me to reach the most people quickly and easily. I post links to articles of interest to cat lovers, news about cats, funny ... more

Jan. 25, 2012

Lynn Maria Thompson and 1 other person answered this question at this roundtable

The Social CMO in B2B: Lessons from Marketing Leaders on Social Media Marketing Success [1/18 @ 11 am]

Is the time for experimenting with digital marketing 'over'?

If by "experimenting" you mean "dipping a toe in the water without completely understanding what you're doing," then the answer is yes. Digital media have advanced beyond that. They should be a part of every marketing strategy. Every marketing manager should understand what opportunities are ... more

Jan. 23, 2012

Lynn Maria Thompson recommends this answer by Nick Rovisa

Which social website is best for business use?

I agree with most of the answers here in that it depends on your company and business goals. Before asking which social sites are best for business use, first ask why you want to utilize social sites in the first place?
Is the goal to ... more

Online Marketing

Jan. 22, 2012

Lynn Maria Thompson and 17 other people answered this question

Should salespeople drive marketing, or should marketing drive sales? Who should be at the wheel?

They must collaborate, and keep their focus on the customer. I'll give you an example. When I used to work for a yellow pages publisher as YP headings manager, it was my job to decide which new categories got approved for inclusion in our directories. ... more

Dec. 7, 2011

Chris Selland selected a best answer for at this roundtable

Optimizing Content Marketing - What, When, & Where? [12/1 @ 11 am]

How should LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other Social networks be used for content promotion? What purpose is most appropriate for each?

Dec. 7, 2011

Lynn Maria Thompson and 22 other people answered this question

What are your tips for social media business etiquette?

I've always been taught that you should refrain from talking about politics or religion in polite society, and this is likely a good piece of advice for when you're promoting your business online. I've been vehemently and personally attacked by other posters when I've answered ... more

Customer Service

Nov. 13, 2011

Lynn Maria Thompson and 22 other people answered this question

What's one simple thing that can improve projects and/or project management?

One thing, answered as an entrepreneur who was stuck in corporate jobs for the first half of her career, is for all team members to keep their eyes on the goal. Projects, especially those that involve a large team, can easily get sidetracked by meetings, ... more

Information Technology

Project Management

Nov. 13, 2011

Lynn Maria Thompson and 15 other people answered this question

What are the biggest do's and dont's when starting a new job?

All of the above is good advice. Trying to deliver a little more than is expected of you is always a good practice. I'd also add that you should find out about the politics of your new organization, while remaining above the fray where office ... more

Human Resources

Career Development

Personal Branding

Nov. 13, 2011

Lynn Maria Thompson and 67 other people answered this question

What do you consider the difference between a manager and a leader?

I think a simple difference in the two concepts is that a manager tells people what to do, while a leader inspires them to do what needs to be accomplished by the team. more

General Management

Human Resources

Oct. 3, 2011

Lynn Maria Thompson recommends this answer by Ed Cochran

How do you fight procrastination?

Let me get back to you on that.

Procrastination

Time Management

Oct. 3, 2011

Lynn Maria Thompson and 12 other people answered this question

Facebook can track what you do online, even when you're logged out. What is your reaction to this?

This is no surprise, as many have already stated. And if you have a website for your business, you should be using Google Analytics or one of the paid web analytics systems and realize that pretty much everything you do online is being tracked by ... more

Information Technology

Sept. 14, 2011

Lynn Maria Thompson and 38 other people answered this question

What do you think of President Obama's proposed American Jobs Act?

Oh, John...if you were a dog, you would be a Jack Russell Terrier, always wanting someone to keep throwing the ball for you again, wouldn't you? You just don't want to let this thing go.
I'm sorry, but obviously you and I have vastly differing opinions ... more

Human Resources

American Jobs Act

Economy Payroll Tax

Sept. 4, 2011

Lynn Maria Thompson and 16 other people answered this question

How do you decide what kind of content to post on each social platform: LinkedIn? Facebook? Twitter?

Some great responses to this one! I also use them all differently, and I'm amazed how many business people I talk to who have only dipped a toe into social media and are only using one. Each fills a different need in your total marketing ... more

Social Media Marketing

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