About the Author

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit: I’m a Twitter addict! I have seen a lot of digital marketing ideas come and go over the years, but firmly believe that Twitter has staying power.

I have spent much of my career educating and inspiring business professionals to tap into the marketing power of the Web.  Back in 1998, I founded WebAdvantage.net, a specialized agency providing a broad range of strategic online marketing and advertising solutions, at a time when when “social networking” meant participating in Usenet groups, email discussion lists, webrings, forums, and message boards. My agency has provided consulting and tactical execution services, including social media marketing, to entities such as Nokia USA, Endo Pharmaceuticals, K’NEX, Johns Hopkins University, Visit Baltimore, Checkpoint Software, Starlight Children’s Foundation, and Connections Academy. Since 2005, I have also authored the bi-weekly ClickZ(.com) column, “Planning the Buy.”

Want to know some odd tidbits about me?

• I tweet about a lot of different subject matters, not just business or Twitter marketing – I try to be a good overall curator of news & information.
• I love and welcome CONVERSATION – if you start to follow me and I don’t tweet you first, please send me a hello!
• Sorry, but I’m opinionated.  I like a friendly debate now and again, so don’t say I didn’t give you fair warning!
• My #1 job is running my agency so I tend to break my own hour-a-day rule at times and go AWOL when I have fires to put out.  Mondays & Fridays are the hardest days for me.  Mea culpa in advance.
• I can get in a tizzy & tweet about bad drivers
• Please don’t call me a “guru” (though I do like the descriptor, “Yoda”!)
• I use a social media aggregator service called XeeSM so you can find all my links in one place
• I like exclamation points and emoticons (as if you couldn’t already tell!)

I’ve won a bunch of awards but I’m probably the most proud of one in 2007, when I was selected by the U.S. Small Business Administration as Maryland’s SBA Small Business Person of the Year.  I hold a B.A. in  Social Relations (are you surprised?) from Cornell University.  I have many interests but my passions run to people, wining and dining, and any kind of activity that gets the heart rate going…probably in that order.

I welcome you to tweet with me at @hollisthomases!

I Speak Too!

I am frequently invited to speak at industry conferences and trade events or by webinar or podcast.  To learn more about my speaking opportunities, please visit the Hollis Speaks page.