Friday Five: By the numbers

It’s been a while since we’ve posted a “by the numbers” Friday Five. Heck, it’s been a while since we’ve done any kind of Friday Five. So let’s get back in the groove. Here are five numeraltastic links for your consideration:

1. 5 reasons you should sign up for the .eduGuru summit. Get your ticket today. (Thank me later, gurus, for giving you top billing. I’m also bummed that I won’t be able to attend this year.)

2. The 6 habits of true strategic thinkers, according to Paul J.H. Schoemaker, one of Inc.’s best strategic thinkers and writers. “‘We need strategic leaders!’ is a pretty constant refrain at every company, large and small,” he writes. (The same goes for colleges and universities. – AC) “One reason the job is so tough: no one really understands what it entails. It’s hard to be a strategic leader if you don’t know what strategic leaders are supposed to do.” No matter if you’re a business leader, a middle manager or an artisan laboring in the fields of content creation, web design or creative services; Schoemaker’s advice is worth reading and heeding.

3. 20 phrases you can replace with one word, via PRDaily. I could go on and on about the time I got in trouble for editing a boss’s text from “we are now currently at the present time planning to …” to “we plan to …” but I won’t bore you.

4. The 6 most important ideas from An Event Apart Seattle, by Douglas Gapinski, an mStoner strategist. My favorite takeaway: In the future-friendly web, generalists rule, but most good generalists still have specialties.

5. 20 creative guerrilla marketing campaigns. These are pretty brilliant examples of creative thinking.

A good weekend to all.

Friday Five: Seth Godin, content marketing, social media lessons from the GOP and more

Recent picks from my ginormous Twitter favorites files:

1. Must-read: Seth Godin on higher ed. This post appeared earlier this month in Rob Zinkan’s blog University Advancement, but I don’t think it’s gotten enough attention. Godin, whose 2010 piece on the coming meltdown in higher education generated enormous chatter, digs a little deeper into this subject thanks to Zinkan’s great interview. If you read nothing else today, read this post.

2. 7 content marketing articles worth reading from the always insightful CopyBlogger. My pick of the seven is this piece on creating a content marketing plan.

3. Social media lessons from the GOP race. Great insights, as usual, from Marketing Profs. Learn how the front-runners have leveraged social media and what lessons you can take away from their campaigns.

4. Stress kills creativity and 14 other scientific facts about creativity.

And speaking of stress…

5. What makes PR so darn stressful? The post is actually a question. And here are the top five reasons, based on comments responding to that question.