I know it's been a while. My wife and I found out we're pregnant and it's been a little bit of a whirlwind these last couple of weeks! It's an exciting time for us and we're just thrilled about starting a family.
But, life keeps moving and there is so much happening. This issue of Friday Blogwatch is dedicated the new and improved that is out on the market now. You should be checking these things out!
http://bit.ly/2dwEtV
Have you tried Windows 7?
The new Microsoft product is on the market, and, at least at the outset, people seem to be excited about it. Sales were 234% better than Vista at it's debut. Those are significant numbers. Microsoft needs the good press, too. With Apple really stepping up the Apple/PC advertising, there is certainly a point to be made in the Microsoft camp. We'll see if W7 is the product to make it.
http://bit.ly/3Bvh7K
Google helping out with Twitter Lists
Twitter's new List functionality is helpful, efficient, and smart. And Google, true to form, has stepped up to make it easier to use and manage. Google will alert you about activity in your TwitLists, allowing you to keep doing whatever it is your doing instead of constantly surveying your tweets in fear of missing something important. Good job, Google.
http://bit.ly/2hHOv8
Finally, Dislike in Facebook
How many times have we watched a stupid video, listened to a terrible song, or put up with our friend's annoying status, yearning for the opportunity to tell them what we really think. Well, if you're a Firefox browser, now you can. There is a new plug-in for Firefox that allows you to Dislike any item on the News Feed. One major drawback is that other users must also have the plug-in in order to see your unfavorable opinions, but the plug-in does work within Facebook and not a separate party program, which many FF plug-ins have been known to do.
Have a great week-end everybody!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Getting Back What You Have In
Remember the days of books and pencils and graphing calculators and stressful group projects that was business school? Remember the endless lectures and charts and situational problems that gave us nightmares and made us wonder why we hadn't just chosen an art major instead? It was there amidst the dark halls and windowless classrooms and dreams of power suits and corner offices that we were instructed, nay indoctrinated, with the search for the grail of ROI.
The catalyst of success. The denominator of power. The fascinating and elusive factor that would make or break our fragile careers.
But the game has changed, has it not? The rules are different now. Somehow, the world of structure and order that gave us so much security while we dreamed of it in our dorms and studio apartments has been over-run by a society that relies on word-of-blog advertising and social networks for news. People don't care as much about the ads we spend millions to create as they do about what their favorite blogger has to say. They figure that if Mashup! isn't talking about it, it must be passe'.
So we changed out game. We built our Facebook pages and started our Twitters and launched our blogs and it was all exciting and fun and new and wonderful.
But then...silently and ruthlessly, a thought crept into our minds. We ignored it for a moment, tried not think about it for another. But we could not shut out the voice, the nagging fear in our minds. In a world where communication is the agent of marketing, where we build and cultivate fluid, non-contractual relationships, how will we track our ROI? How will we know if this, this juggernaut of change, is working? Where are the numbers? How do you put Twitter into a spreadsheet?
Quiet your worried minds and silence your irrational, community college-driven fears. I believe that we are looking at the problem from the wrong angle. It is not investment that we are gaining a return on. Much of the new media is free. The investment made is time. And time, like furniture and telephones and carpeting, is not an item we expect an ROI figure from.
The calculable factor is relationship. We have to start finding our Return on Engagement. As we invest time into building relationships with our consumers and their networks, as we build our brand and create an atmosphere and an expectation around that brand, as we make it easy and productive for people to engage us, we begin to see profit, we begin to see a return.
Ask the right questions. Has my social media straetgy over the last six months grown my virtual networks? Has user-generated contribution risen since my latest addition? Has my brand awareness grown in the extended networks of my consumers?
Change your glasses, open the windows, and leave the halls of lower learning for the open fields of the New Social Market.
Return on Investment.
The catalyst of success. The denominator of power. The fascinating and elusive factor that would make or break our fragile careers.
But the game has changed, has it not? The rules are different now. Somehow, the world of structure and order that gave us so much security while we dreamed of it in our dorms and studio apartments has been over-run by a society that relies on word-of-blog advertising and social networks for news. People don't care as much about the ads we spend millions to create as they do about what their favorite blogger has to say. They figure that if Mashup! isn't talking about it, it must be passe'.
So we changed out game. We built our Facebook pages and started our Twitters and launched our blogs and it was all exciting and fun and new and wonderful.
But then...silently and ruthlessly, a thought crept into our minds. We ignored it for a moment, tried not think about it for another. But we could not shut out the voice, the nagging fear in our minds. In a world where communication is the agent of marketing, where we build and cultivate fluid, non-contractual relationships, how will we track our ROI? How will we know if this, this juggernaut of change, is working? Where are the numbers? How do you put Twitter into a spreadsheet?
Quiet your worried minds and silence your irrational, community college-driven fears. I believe that we are looking at the problem from the wrong angle. It is not investment that we are gaining a return on. Much of the new media is free. The investment made is time. And time, like furniture and telephones and carpeting, is not an item we expect an ROI figure from.
The calculable factor is relationship. We have to start finding our Return on Engagement. As we invest time into building relationships with our consumers and their networks, as we build our brand and create an atmosphere and an expectation around that brand, as we make it easy and productive for people to engage us, we begin to see profit, we begin to see a return.
Ask the right questions. Has my social media straetgy over the last six months grown my virtual networks? Has user-generated contribution risen since my latest addition? Has my brand awareness grown in the extended networks of my consumers?
Change your glasses, open the windows, and leave the halls of lower learning for the open fields of the New Social Market.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Friday Blogwatch
Here's a new staple for The Socialosophy. These are the things I think you should be reading this week! Enjoy!
http://bit.ly/U366t
Digital Tonto
- Great article on why companies fail. Worth checking out. We all need these kind of reminders now and then. Tonto has good information on a variety of subjects.
http://bit.ly/13zBVy
Elainegantzwright
- Elaine explores how non-profits and charity organizations are using social networking to promote social change. In this article, she explores Seth Godin's condemantion of non-profit's resistance to social media and the new methods of communication we see springing up all around us. A very introspective article. Kuddo's, Elaine.
http://bit.ly/2zv4CB
NuReach Global
- Good article on "social media netiquette". Do's and don'ts for the noobs.
http://bit.ly/hCrvs
Jennifer Van Grove on Mashable!
- Really practical article on social media policies. Having problems with your employees and their Facebook? Read what she has to say, and see what you can steal! ;)
http://bit.ly/6uuOp
Michael Brito
- Michael talks about new search engine LeapFish. Apparently, he likes it...
http://bit.ly/U366t
Digital Tonto
- Great article on why companies fail. Worth checking out. We all need these kind of reminders now and then. Tonto has good information on a variety of subjects.
http://bit.ly/13zBVy
Elainegantzwright
- Elaine explores how non-profits and charity organizations are using social networking to promote social change. In this article, she explores Seth Godin's condemantion of non-profit's resistance to social media and the new methods of communication we see springing up all around us. A very introspective article. Kuddo's, Elaine.
http://bit.ly/2zv4CB
NuReach Global
- Good article on "social media netiquette". Do's and don'ts for the noobs.
http://bit.ly/hCrvs
Jennifer Van Grove on Mashable!
- Really practical article on social media policies. Having problems with your employees and their Facebook? Read what she has to say, and see what you can steal! ;)
http://bit.ly/6uuOp
Michael Brito
- Michael talks about new search engine LeapFish. Apparently, he likes it...
Monday, September 28, 2009
How to Create a Group in Facebook
(Reposted from WikiHow)
Have you just joined Facebook and discovered the wonder that is a personalized group? Follow these easy steps to create your own piece of Facebook reality.
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Create a New Facebook Group. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Create a New Facebook Group
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditHave you just joined Facebook and discovered the wonder that is a personalized group? Follow these easy steps to create your own piece of Facebook reality.
Steps
- Come up with an original idea for a group.
- Login to Facebook or create an account if you don't have one yet.
- Type some key words for your group idea in the "Search" box in the left hand column. You'll want to see whether or not you've actually had an original idea before you create your group.
- Click Profile at the top.
- Click Info from your profile.
- Scroll to the bottom and to the right of Groups, click See All.
- Click "Create a group" at the top of that page.
- Give your group a name.
- Choose a network.
- Will your group be accessible only to those in your region or school? If so, choose the region or school from the drop down list of networks to which you belong.
- Will your group be accessible to everyone on Facebook? If so, choose "Global."
- Will your group be accessible only to those in your region or school? If so, choose the region or school from the drop down list of networks to which you belong.
- Describe your group in the "Description" area. Be specific, as keyword searches will match anything you have written in this text box.
- Choose a category and sub-category. Once again, be specific, as those who are browsing will find your group only if it is in the correct category.
- Fill out the contact information such as a street address, country and website.
- Choose your privacy settings.
- Click "Create group".
- Click "Browse" to upload a group image. Keep copyright rules in mind when doing this.
- Click "Upload picture" or "Skip this step" if you prefer to add a photo later.
- Invite your friends by selecting them from your current friend list or typing their name into the box that is provided.
Tips
- Be original, invite your friends, and have fun !!!!
- Inviting friends to a group is okay once in a while. Beware of "spam-viting"--that is, creating many groups a day and inviting every friend to each one. Instead, take your time and think about who might actually want to join your group before you send them an invitation.
- Only fill out personal information if you are SURE you want the group to see personal information - like your street address.
Related wikiHows
- How to Make a New Facebook Account
- How to Quit Facebook
- How to View Your Facebook Notifications
- How to Check Your Message Inbox on Facebook
- How to Avoid Getting Caught on Facebook
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Create a New Facebook Group. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
North by Northwest
I met with Tom Fulmer of Space Coast Entrepreneurs this morning to record a podcast for his show, "Extra Mile Radio". It was a really great time with a lot of good insights and information. We discussed social media, its role in the modern marketing mindset, and the affect it is having on the new way we do business. He asked me an interesting question, "What do you feel is the greatest need of small business owners in today's economy?"
The answer, to my way of thinking, is simple.
Direction.
Our world is full of ideas. I find that most business-people I come into contact with are doing everything they can just to keep their head above water in the deluge on information, technology, and applications. They have all the tools, many times without even knowing what they are for. They just have them because someone has told them that they ought to.
But what they need, what will really allow them the freedom and security and confidence to plunge ahead with their new-found armament is direction. When my wife and I got married we took our honeymoon in the mountains of Tennessee. For a beach boy like me and an L.A.-born city girl like my wife, the winding roads and rolling hills of that beautiful state were fairly daunting! Fortunately, my parents were nice enough to loan us their Garmin for our trip, and we found our way. That little gadget, with its monotone, female voice and brightly-lit LCD screen, gave us something that, without it, would have made our trip just terrible. It gave us direction. It guided us through unfamiliar territory, taking the pressure of left and right turns off of our shoulders and allowing us to focus on enjoyable things like where to eat and what shows to see!
It today's technological wilderness, we often need a Garmin to guide us. What so few people realize, however, is that often they have it within themselves to find that direction and guidance. Proper planning and goal-setting coupled with a little education on how new technologies are being used will help clear the smoke and allow you to find your path. If you already know where you want to end up, and the achievements you want to make along the way, you simply need to learn how those goals and plans sync with the tools you have aquired, and suddenly you will find that all of this "Internet stuff" isn't as hard as you thought!
The answer, to my way of thinking, is simple.
Direction.
Our world is full of ideas. I find that most business-people I come into contact with are doing everything they can just to keep their head above water in the deluge on information, technology, and applications. They have all the tools, many times without even knowing what they are for. They just have them because someone has told them that they ought to.
But what they need, what will really allow them the freedom and security and confidence to plunge ahead with their new-found armament is direction. When my wife and I got married we took our honeymoon in the mountains of Tennessee. For a beach boy like me and an L.A.-born city girl like my wife, the winding roads and rolling hills of that beautiful state were fairly daunting! Fortunately, my parents were nice enough to loan us their Garmin for our trip, and we found our way. That little gadget, with its monotone, female voice and brightly-lit LCD screen, gave us something that, without it, would have made our trip just terrible. It gave us direction. It guided us through unfamiliar territory, taking the pressure of left and right turns off of our shoulders and allowing us to focus on enjoyable things like where to eat and what shows to see!
It today's technological wilderness, we often need a Garmin to guide us. What so few people realize, however, is that often they have it within themselves to find that direction and guidance. Proper planning and goal-setting coupled with a little education on how new technologies are being used will help clear the smoke and allow you to find your path. If you already know where you want to end up, and the achievements you want to make along the way, you simply need to learn how those goals and plans sync with the tools you have aquired, and suddenly you will find that all of this "Internet stuff" isn't as hard as you thought!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Socialosophy
Ever hear of a paradigm? Stephen Covey's book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People covers the paradigm principle in wonderful detail, and in that book, Mr. Covey relates the concept of a paradigm shift. A fundamental change, due to circumstances or previously unknown information, in the way we look at the world. It is a phenomenon that occurs every single day in each of our lives.Have you ever driven past a fast food establishment with no intention of a purchase, until you noticed the marquee that advertised 2 for 1 of your favorite snack? Suddenly, you're hungry and ready to eat! Your perspective has been completely altered, and you make a choice based on that persepctive.
In most cases, these shifts in our views happen involuntarily and with no thought or planning. They sneak up on us, take us by surprise, and force us to adjust our thinking and decision-making accordingly. However, the prepared and intelligent individual takes stock of the world around him or her, sees the trends that are growing, and self-adjusts his world paradigm to match the situation he will find himself in. In this way, he is ready for the challenges that will come his way and is able to meet them head on.
The world we live in has changed fundamentally. It is not changing. It is not going to change. It has already happened. People in today's economy work, act, react, and think differently than they ever have before. Before the introduction of the printing press, the concept of widely disseminated information was myth and dream. Mr. Gutnberg, however, could never have imagined the speeds at which we communicate today, nor the volume of information we pass along to one another.
This video, by Socialnomics.com really illustrates the effect that today's method communication, social media specifically, has affected our mindsets:
Times have changed. This sensation is not going to go away. It is not a fad. It is the way the world now works. You have the opportunity to fundamentally change your philosophy of communication, or you will have it changed for you.
The Socialosophy is a mindset, a paradigm for communication, marketing, networking, and building relationships. It is embracing the revolution of social media and making it work for you. I want to help you do that. I want to show you how to not just make money or increase revenue, but how to communicate effectively across a medium that is largely new and untested. If you're willing to jump in now, you will be miles ahead of the pack when the rest of the boys and girls finally realize there is a party going on.
So, here's the question: Are you ready to embrace The Socialosophy?
In most cases, these shifts in our views happen involuntarily and with no thought or planning. They sneak up on us, take us by surprise, and force us to adjust our thinking and decision-making accordingly. However, the prepared and intelligent individual takes stock of the world around him or her, sees the trends that are growing, and self-adjusts his world paradigm to match the situation he will find himself in. In this way, he is ready for the challenges that will come his way and is able to meet them head on.
The world we live in has changed fundamentally. It is not changing. It is not going to change. It has already happened. People in today's economy work, act, react, and think differently than they ever have before. Before the introduction of the printing press, the concept of widely disseminated information was myth and dream. Mr. Gutnberg, however, could never have imagined the speeds at which we communicate today, nor the volume of information we pass along to one another.
This video, by Socialnomics.com really illustrates the effect that today's method communication, social media specifically, has affected our mindsets:
Times have changed. This sensation is not going to go away. It is not a fad. It is the way the world now works. You have the opportunity to fundamentally change your philosophy of communication, or you will have it changed for you.
The Socialosophy is a mindset, a paradigm for communication, marketing, networking, and building relationships. It is embracing the revolution of social media and making it work for you. I want to help you do that. I want to show you how to not just make money or increase revenue, but how to communicate effectively across a medium that is largely new and untested. If you're willing to jump in now, you will be miles ahead of the pack when the rest of the boys and girls finally realize there is a party going on.
So, here's the question: Are you ready to embrace The Socialosophy?
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