I'm only three degrees from Kevin Bacon. And I'm three degrees from Hillary Clinton. In fact, I'm only two degrees from Barack Obama. (Sadly, Cal Ripken, Jr. is out of my network.)

How do I know this? Because LinkedIn tells me so.

LinkedIn and other networking services like Facebook, Twitter, StartUp Nation, Qapacity, Classmates.com exist for one reason: to connect people with other people. The reason for the connection and the tone of the introduction may vary depending on the networking site, but the mission is still the same.

Since summer's soon winding to a close, it seems fitting to ask: how many former library geeks remember the Dewey Decimal System?

Bueller...? Bueller...?

The Dewey Decimal Classification (or "DDC" as it's called) is the basic system created in the late 1800s to categorize and organize public libraries. It uses an established structure to group information so it's easier to find.

In light of the recent occurrences of the H1N1 (swine flu), it may seem counter-intuitive to think that contagion is ever a good thing.

My friend, you could not be more wrong.

As marketers in a digital world, we seek to be ever-contagious so that our clients, friends and fans (Facebook and otherwise) willingly spread the word to all who may need our services.

With Apple's big announcement last month, there are now at least a billion reasons to be excited about the iPhone!

In late April, Apple celebrated their 1 billionth download — just nine months after the opening of their app store. What does this mean for marketers? 

Lots! The iPhone app market is incredibly valuable if you're looking

As postage rates continue to rise, it's more important for you to find less expensive ways to reach customers. So, why not join those businesses that are turning to e-communications to promote themselves?

The three most common e-mail communications are:

2008 has been a pivotal year in our world. Just think about it: in the course of 12 months, we've experienced the most incredible Olympics ever in China... the rebirth of Saturday Night Live with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin... a wave of Obama-mania which resulted in the first African-American president-elect in our history... and a huge economic upheaval that is [even now] redefining our entire economic structure.

Not only do these events impact our everyday world, but they also have huge ramifications for the digital world where we all spend so much of our time...

It happens every day.

You're going to the dentist/supermarket/PTA meeting and you run into someone you haven't seen in years. What happens next? Recognition, check-ins on one another's families and then, the inevitable question: "So, where are you working now?"

And just like that, you're on stage and have to demonstrate that (a) you know what you do for a living; (b) you can describe it to an outsider; and most importantly (c) you can sell it to this person who may be a prospective client.

With the prevalence of email, text messaging and IMs, it seems hard to imagine that conventional mail (a.k.a., "snail mail") could be an important marketing vehicle. And yet, millions of dollars are spent by companies each year to create direct marketing pieces that deliver an experience right to your door.

How do you know if you should reach out and touch someone in their mailbox? Just ask yourself three questions:

Walking down the aisles of your local supermarket, you've probably seen all the product packaging promoting the benefits of organic food. Everywhere we look, we’re taught that organic food is healthier, more nutritious, and free of chemical substances when compared to conventional foods. Some products even claim to protect consumers from cancer-causing pesticides. (I’ll take those in bulk, please!)

Here’s a question confronting our latest crop of graduates: is the value of education worth its cost? It depends on who you ask.

With a four-year degree at a private college averaging $100,000 many college students graduate with thousands of dollars in debt, and often no job in sight.