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Real help for Hotel Reputation Management, Trip Advisor Blackmail Tool for Lodging, Hotels, Inns and B&Bs

Ever have a guest tell you that if you don’t do ‘x, y or z’ that they will write a bad review about you or your property? Now there is help for hoteliers, it’s the Trip Advisor Blackmail Tool for lodging owners and managers! While helping small hotels manage their online reviews, this question has been asked more than once during Social Energizer’s lodging-specific social media coaching sessions. Trip Advisor is finally addressing these concerns of property owners by providing a proactive means of . . . → Read More: New Trip Advisor Blackmail Tool for Lodging Managers

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Drastically increase reservations by making the most of your Hotel Facebook Page. Using a few of these ‘secrets’, focus your Facebook Page efforts to relate better with potential guests and ultimately produce more bookings.

Still not . . . → Read More: Make The Most of Your Hotel Facebook Page

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When it comes to online hotel marketing, Social Energizer can help you tackle the tough parts. Each solution has been researched, tested and chosen for features that will quickly help you make the most of getting online. You’ll be amazed at our focus on choices that let you work less, not more!

• Online Booking Engine on your website

• A Smart Website that gets found in Google searches, connects to Facebook, is dynamic and changing each week, is informative with easy-to-find answers, and integrates with your property management system.

• Social Media integration and automation -social media is a lot . . . → Read More: Online Hotel Marketing

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Moving your hotel to an automated, online integrated system is a big step.

Here are 15 Trending Travel Terms to help you with some of the new lingo.

Property Management System (PMS)

The application used by the hotel to control onsite property activities such as check in/out, folios, guest profiles, room status, requests, etc. PMSs can have interfaces between other applications such as the hotel point-of-sale (POS) or central reservations system (CRS)

Central Reservation System (CRS)

The application used to manage a hotel’s distribution and hotel room bookings. Typically will be used to reach guests via multiple distribution channels . . . → Read More: 15 Trending Travel Terms

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Today, we look at how travelers increasingly use online media and mobile technology throughout the various stages of travel. The art of travel has changed and the Travel Decision Cycle has evolved. The former model that usually included a travel agent and resources like the OAG (Official Airline Guide) no longer fits. Today’s model includes much more depth and social interaction in the ‘Planning’ stage, more automaton of the transactional ‘Booking’ stage and once again, more depth and social interaction in the after-travel phase of ‘Sharing’.

Travel Decision Cycle 

The stages of the Travel Decision Cycle are: . . . → Read More: Today’s Travel Decision Cycle [TRAVEL INFOGRAPHIC]

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Facebook Nearby is picking up momentum. It raises some important questions for hoteliers.

Below are a couple of excerpts on a post from Revinate (via Are Morch) on new features from Facebook that will be vital for hotels.

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Catalin calls this hotel strategy The Catwalk Concept. It is fundamentally an additional revenue model for hotels that uses the concept of sponsoring brands that may be used within the hotel.

Excerpt from Catalin at Cain:

“A branded hotel can take three specific steps to capitalise on this opportunity:

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Lynn Rasmussen, Owner of Social Energizer

Social Energizer would like to congratulate Dawn Byczek, of the Adams Inn (formerly Adams Super 8), Adams, WI as the prize winner of our Hotel Web Services Giveaway at the WH&LA Convention and Trade Show on Oct 22, 2012. Dawn was among the nearly 200 participants who attended the convention and trade show at Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Hoteliers from all over the state converged to learn new techniques in hotel management, to discuss recent hotel trends and to partake in a broad spectrum of presentations and exhibits.

This was Social Energizer’s first . . . → Read More: WH&LA Hotel Web Services Giveaway from Social Energizer

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Ever wonder where Road to Success really is? I’ve been working a lot lately with people that I like and respect. It’s actually a choice I made a couple of years ago and at times I have questioned that decision, as I walked away from certain business opportunities, because of the people connected to them. I’ve learned that when you get those certain warning sounds going off in your head to TRUST IT and walk away.

So when I read Seth’s blog, added in full below, it struck a chord. It’s not as much about getting those people to . . . → Read More: The Better Road to Success

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A great article and infographic on the nature of online hotel reviews. I find these statistics interesting and feel likely that they are accurate.

The most interesting points here are that 81% of travelers find reviews important and 49% of travelers won’t book a hotel without reviews. This means that an important part of any hotels marketing strategy needs to pay attention to the amount and quality of incoming reviews and have a plan in place to keep reviews positive and accurate.

It came as no surprise for me that women were the most likely to leave a review (53% . . . → Read More: Naked truth about online hotel reviews [INFOGRAPHIC]

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When I was young, my grandmother and grandfather owned and ran a small resort in Northern Wisconsin. I remember her notifying the nearby Visitor’s Information Center on Friday evenings when they had open, unsold cottages. It was a friendly conversation that was often repeated just before the cottages ‘turned-over’ for the next weekly rentals. These phone calls often resulted in new guests and increased occupancy for the resort. 

The days of putting up a sign and then advising the local Visitor’s Center of your hotel’s availability just isn’t enough anymore. To survive you’ll need to realize that hotel marketing . . . → Read More: Your Guide to Selecting a Hotel Property Management System

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You may not know this, but while you were surfing the net you may have downloaded a piece of malware called DNS Changer. If so, then tomorrow you may not be able to log onto the Internet.

Here is an article from KVUE.com that explains why and how this happened quite well. Basically, there are some hackers that figured out a way to hijack those browsing the Internet. This malware changes the DNS settings in the infected computer. The FBI created some temporary servers to allow users time to safely remove the malware. As KVUE says, “time runs out . . . → Read More: DNS Changer Malware Alert

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Recently, Chris, from Design4Real.net, and I ventured down to Posada Yum Kin Hotel in Tulum, Mexico to work on their next web update. It has been a little over a year since images and content throughout the website have been updated, so once again, it is time to refresh everything.

Our trip went smoothly with a nice flight down, easy transfer over to our rental car and a fun, but relaxing 2-hour ride to Tulum, Mexico. Chris and I love working with Dan and Balvina, the owner’s of Posada Yum Kin. They are creative entrepreneurs that have stuck their . . . → Read More: Keeping Your Website Real

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It’s been a little over a week since returning from Mexico where Chris from Design4Real.net and I worked at Posada Yum Kin Hotel in Tulum, Mexico on a fun little website update. It feels like a lifetime ago and in some ways it has been for me. This is kind of a weird story for me to write and you’ll find that it is unlike my other posts, being personal in nature. The lesson is simple, life is a balancing act.

For those of us engaging in social media promotion the pressure is on to openly share so many details of our . . . → Read More: Life is a Balancing Act

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Are women leading the growth of the next big Internet thing? The answer is an enthusiastic ‘yes’.  Pinterest is catching on fast among women. And why not? Haven’t women always been the ones to cut recipes out of magazines, save pictures for wedding planning, and pass on their favorite sayings? Internet sensations all have one thing in common. They take advantage of long-standing habits and interests of things that people do offline and find a way to automate it online -in a very appealing, often addictive way. With a good setup and a lot of luck, it turns viral. . . . → Read More: Interest in Pinterest

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You all know that I’m a great Packer fan. My friend, Judy, sent this to me and I couldn’t help posting it. EVERYONE THAT IS A WISCONSIN PACKER FAN! THIS IS FOR YOU! GO PACK GO!

BTW- be back soon -on assignment. -Lynn

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In the spirit of Christmas, Journey of Faith of Manhattan Beach, California gathered at a local Galleria Shopping Mall to lead a flash mob in the best possible way. Enjoy! This has been Social Energizer’s Saturday Morning Post, a less business oriented, more personally related edition than our blog that is offered during the week. Social Energizer’s purpose is to help companies develop lasting relationships with their customers and increase their visibility online.

In addition to building dynamic and affordable websites, we integrate inbound marketing techniques into each business’ current marketing plan and utilize digital channels and strategies like Blogs, . . . → Read More: Have a Merry Flash Mob Christmas

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Travel sites like Trip Advisor, have become one of the most essential social networking and travel planning sites for travelers and for businesses in travel, leisure, and restaurant industries. Monitoring and participating to keep Trip Advisor reputations as favorable as possible may be the most vital online function any travel and leisure-based business can practice. Smart businesses tap into what their customers are telling them to improve their product and neutralize negative experiences. Stay Tuned! In a future blog, I’ll review how businesses can use Trip Advisor to make their business soar, but let’s start today with simply planning a . . . → Read More: Tips for Planning a Vacation via Trip Advisor

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Placed in non-descript buildings, evolved from early communication companies- these are the physical things that make up the Internet. Here is a fascinating look at the backend of the Internet.  

This video by Ben Mendelsohn, a documentary filmaker, starts out in New York and expands across the globe to take you on a tour that shows you what makes up the Internet.  

After watching this video mystic words like “cyber-space” will lose some of their mystique and concepts that seemed awesome, will now be almost ordinary. Enjoy!  

This has been Social Energizer’s Saturday Morning Post, . . . → Read More: A Tour- The Backend of the Internet

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Article first published as StringHub –Where Educators, Students and Startups Meet on Technorati.

As a guest writer, Technorati published my first article last week, which is shown below. I found it a great compliment to be asked to write for Tehnorati. After all, Technorati, the very first search engine for blogs, is considered the gold standard, with an index of more than one million blogs. Let me know what you think…

I always get excited about finding cool new ways to help small and medium-sized businesses solve one of their greatest challenges – lack of resources. Introducing… StringHub.

StringHub is . . . → Read More: StringHub –Where Educators, Students and Startups Meet

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So much of being safe in life is about just being smart and using common sense. While traveling would you leave your purse sitting openly in the front seat of a locked car? Would you venture out in an area that you don’t know after midnight?

These same rules apply with new technologies like smartphones. Several of the major networks have been running stories on privacy issues resulting from new GPS ‘smart’ technology known as ‘geotagging’. Geotagging is the type of technology that smartphones use to track people’s locations. It is the technology that sites like Foursquare use . . . → Read More: Be Smart with Smartphones

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Can you really save your company money with an accountant? Quite simply the answer is yes, if you take the time to find the accountant that best suits your company’s needs. When you find the best accountant for your business you will be saving your company not only money but also time.

photo credit: alancleaver_2000

The ideal accountant for your firm should be familiar with all of the in and outs of the financial side of your business. It is an accountant’s job to be an expert on tax legislation and to be able to successfully pinpoint areas . . . → Read More: Do Accountants Really Save You Time and Money?

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I love Halloween, it seems to be a holiday many countries celebrate, and overall, can agree on. Here are few of Halloween’s other names -wordwide:

Even though it may be named . . . → Read More: Top 3 for Halloween

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It is always tricky envisioning how the various pieces of a startup business will fit together and interact. Cacoo (https://cacoo.com/) is a cool cloud-based application that can be used for project envisioning, flow charts and mockups. Cacoo offers free and reasonably priced product tiers that will fit into those very tight budgets. For entrepreneurs that think ‘visually’ this may be the right tool to add to your small business toolbox. Another great feature is Cacoo’s online collaboration tool for projects ‘on-the-fly’ and for times when the team just can’t meet.

Here’s what they say:

“Cacoo is a user friendly . . . → Read More: Cuckoo for Cacoo, Free Flow Charting for Entrepreneurs

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The Angry Bird phenomenon isn’t over. Mobile, iPod and other hand-held device owners have made Angry Birds the hottest game of 2011. Apparently, being the most popular Halloween costume of the year isn’t enough to satisfy Angry Birds.

Move over Charlie Brown, here is Angry Birds’ Ham’o'ween. Just in time for Halloween, they have put together a short video announcing the newest update for Angry Birds Seasons and also introducing the newest Angry Bird. This Angry Bird might be small but it packs a big punch! Pursue the pigs through 30 levels filled with pumpkin patches, exploding jack-o-lanterns, and . . . → Read More: Angry Birds Take Over Halloween

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Social Energizer’s blogging goal is to bring attention to trends and issues that matter to small and medium-sized business owners. Although our intent is to be non-political, matters of national interest affect small and medium-sized businesses far more often than we’d like. That is why last month, in “The Coffee Party Anyone? Howard Schultz of Starbucks”, we covered the story of CEO Howard Schultz of Starbucks asking fellow business owners not to contribute to national political campaigns “until a ‘fair bi-partisan long-term fiscal plan’ is created and in place.”

Guess what? Today, I’m happy to report, it seems to . . . → Read More: Howard Schultz’ Conversation With America -An Update

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I have a busy weekend planned with the girls, so I needed to be a lazy blogger for today’s Saturday Morning’s Post. What does a blogger do when they want to provide great content to their community, but do it quickly? How about the top 5 posts from the past year in this category, Saturday Morning’s Post? This is our category that’s just for fun. It’s a great opportunity for us to share some of the great things online that we come across on a day-to-day basis.

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Running a small business can be a lonely thing and getting good advice is key. Sometimes just knowing what’s worth pursuing or not is all you need. Sometimes it’s just getting started.

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Look at these ads created by AT&T. This clearly shows that they are attuned to creating ads that have the ability to go viral. This one was sent by a friend in my social network via email. The email was titiled “Very, Very Cleverly Done”. I think so, too. Not only was the fabulous art done well and cleverly, but also the bigger idea. That of an ad campaign that is embraced by its audience. It strongly supports the brand of AT&T and is an innovative way of getting across their message. The only thing I think they could . . . → Read More: Thumbs Up If You Like Creative Design

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It’s sunrise on a Saturday. Get your coffee, sit on your deck and watch the sun come up. Too cold? No deck? Here you go…

First Light by *SoberDreamer on deviantART

2- Looking out over the vast sunrise leads one to consider the stars. Here’s the picture of the day from NASA. Cool new pictures from the solar system and galaxies near you, everyday.

3- From our friends at Stumbleupon, we bring you an interactive image of the earth. What’s so cool about that? Check it out! Moving around it is addictive.

4- Time to get your geek . . . → Read More: 5 Cool Sites To Help You Get Close To Your Inner Planet

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Small and medium-sized business owners, you know how vital it is to the health of your business that you make a great impression with all of your customers, who then, of course, tell their friends. Plain and simple that’s word-of-mouth advertising. Undeniably, it’s the best way of introducing your business to potential new customers and bringing in new sales. Customers as advocates, what could be better than that? Maybe multiplying that advantage? Take your word-of-mouth techniques online and you can do just that. Quite simply, you will then have created the essence of inbound marketing and social media dynamics. . . . → Read More: Word-Of-Mouth Marketing Online –Equals Healthy Sales

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Did Facebook make you angry this week? Are you afraid of Google becoming the Walmart of the Internet?

How dare they change things on what seems like a whim, right? Like Netflix, I think they forgot about the Number One Rule in Social Media. What is that rule, Mr. Zuckerberg? It’s about them, not you! I think you will soon be learning this lesson well… and very soon at that.

Facebook users were outraged this week when Facebook arbitrarily and seemingly without notice changed the Newsfeed, Privacy settings and Apps area. Get ready because there are more changes on . . . → Read More: Social Networks in Turmoil Check Out Your Options!

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This just in… Herb Kohl’s office released this press release yesterday. Below are excerpts from his Opening Statement Of U.S. Senator Herb Kohl For The Of Hearing, “The Power Of Google: Serving Consumers Or Threatening Competition?”

“The basic premise of Google at its founding was that it would build an unbiased search engine — that consumers would see the most relevant search result first, and that the search results would not be influenced by the web page’s commercial relationship with Google. Its goal was to get the user off Google’s home page and on to the websites it . . . → Read More: Wisconsin’s Herb Kohl on Monopoly-Busting Google

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I’m predicting ‘plus one’ will become 2011’s new noun-to-verb crossover.  A few years ago, it was ‘I googled it’. Today, it’s +1 –as a verb. Pretty soon you’ll be hearing, “I read that and ‘plus one’d’ it.”

It is sort of like the Facebook ‘Like’ button, but with a few little Googly quirks. Instead of ‘Liking’ a page while you are browsing on that page, Google +1 allows you to tag it right from your browser window. It’s the old location, location, location again. Google seems to have just one-upped Facebook.

Here is . . . → Read More: I Plus-one’d That Story, The New Verb

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I have a confession. As a social media enthusiast, I should have been biting at the chomp for my Google+ invite. Like many, I was not.  But finally, a friend passed along an invite and I took a look inside. Kicked the tires and still wasn’t that impressed. Then I attended a local Social Media Breakfast in Appleton, WI, which featured an open group discussion on Google+, where it’s going, and why it’s important to me, and will be, to the small and medium-sized businesses that I work with. Very helpful stuff!

Google+ actually . . . → Read More: Google+ for Everyone!

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Today we’re a bit off-topic from our usual coverage on the impact of social media and how it can be easily and affordably integrated into small and medium-sized businesses. We’re talking politics. Oops. And even though we’re not really talking about politics –we are sort of talking about politics. Or maybe we’re talking about citizenship. Why? Because as a social media website that fundamentally supports small and medium-sized business, it is time. Small business owners need to pay attention. Let’s start with a cup of coffee.

Howard Schultz has done it again. The master of brand awareness and Starbucks CEO . . . → Read More: The Coffee Party Anyone? Howard Schultz of Starbucks

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A few weeks ago my contest-loving, contest-winning hubby ‘won’ a contest on 1iota.com for the Green Bay Packer Pre-Game Kickoff Concert for the NFL Season Opening tickets! Yeah! Right?

You KNOW I’m a Packer Fan AND a country music fan. Yes, it was great fun. Saying he ‘won’ them though is a bit of a stretch. As we’re both Facebook fans of Green Bay Packers, Tom found a post that let us enter a contest for VIP Priority seats.

The only stipulation? You needed to be among the first of 3,000 people to sign up. So of course, he entered . . . → Read More: The Social Media grade for the Packer Concert for NFL Season Opener

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I was recently asked by Murray Newlands to support the World Media Awards coming up February 25, 2012 in San Francisco. I am often quite a skeptic and I try to look things over carefully (maybe it’s my german heritage upbringing and living in conservative Appleton, WI. And getting spam-scammed online recently). So I took a good look at the whole project and the people involved. All I can say is, the more I look things over on this subject the more excited I get. This is going to be BIG!

Here’s what Murray had to say about . . . → Read More: The World Media Awards: Why YOU Must Enroll

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As we come into this long Labor Day weekend, I thought I’d share something that I found on CreditDonkey of all places. I love these graphic pieces – so full of fun. The only thing missing is in the title. I would have liked it to say “Celebrate the American Worker on Labor Day”. It says it down below in the copy, but on Labor Day, I feel a little bit more patriotic than most days.

So here is Credit Donkey’s tribute to the American Worker with various facts and figures about our workforce. I’m sure they’re hoping that . . . → Read More: Social Energizer’s Salute to Labor Day

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As you know, your website is your online basecamp. It conveys the essence of your brand to your community and is the heavy-lifter for all of your online communications. If it lacks appeal, is unorganized, or just doesn’t work properly, it can lead to lost business opportunities, perhaps even business failure.

photo credit: felixtsao

So what have you got to lose? Maybe a lot. It’s time to open your browser to your webpage and evaluate it using the checklist below. It will only take a few minutes, I promise (yes, I’m talking to you).

By the way, . . . → Read More: It’s Self-Evaluation Time for your Website

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Family and friends send some of the best material for the Saturday Morning’s Post to me. My niece, Heidi, in an email, initially sent this one. That’s how social media works, right? People you know, talking about things you find interesting –and then sharing it. I also find it interesting how many ways great Internet content is disseminated email, Facebook, You Tube. It’s countless!

To get started on this post, I wanted to make sure I was crediting the right source; I googled it. Here is what I found.

After a bit of research, I discovered . . . → Read More: If Facebook Existed… A Mashup

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Hi Everybody!

Just a short little TGIF Friday Freebie for you today. I love working at home -most of the time. This morning was one of those times when you can’t help, but appreciate it, take the time to smell the roses and all that jazz. (Even though I do have five blogs that need to be written today.)

We have a family of Wild Turkeys living in our backyard. This is not really that uncommon in Appleton, WI (near Green Bay, WI), but it is funny when they come in to your birdfeeders -with their babies! They brought . . . → Read More: The Perils of Working At Home

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Hopefully last week’s post didn’t make you stay awake at night wondering if you, too, were a spammer. When you leave comments on someone else’s blog how do you know it’s not spam? You can rest easy if you are leaving thoughtful comments on blogs that match or at least have something to do with your blog’s topic. In fact, commenting thoughtfully on someone else’s blog is a great way to get people to visit your own site and create backlinks. If you are cutting and pasting from one blog to another then you just may be.

White hat . . . → Read More: Part Four – How do I know I’m not ‘spamming’? I’m just trying to promote my blog

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Choose a cool TedTalk this way…

I feature Ted.com online video podcasts quite often on Saturday Morning’s Post. As a social media coach, these talks often provide me with new insights into trends and differing viewpoints on countless topics. As they say, TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Ted.com started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, and Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. I think TedTalks simply feed your mind.

Since June 2006, TEDTalks have been made available online on the TED website, YouTube, and . . . → Read More: TedTalks. Better Than Redbox

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What a thrill it is to get people commenting on your blog. That’s how it works, right? People from all over the world will discover your writing talents, appreciate your knowledge on a certain subject and leave comments. That is what all of us engaging in the social media world have all been promised, right? Well, good comments will happen, but I hate to tell you that here, too, spammers are lurking in the background.

Usually these spammers are trying to get into your site by adding links where you may not even realize it. This is called link . . . → Read More: Part Three – Sorting Out Spam Comments in your Blog

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The original article, The Wealth of the Web Runs Deep, posted as a Saturday Morning’s Post in March received some of our best response ever. So, as a blogger, what do you do with that information?  You find out what’s hot and repeat it.

Using web analytics, a.k.a. stats, you’re able to find out so many things. For instance, you find what your audience likes or doesn’t, you find what days and times get the most response, and find what your average response is to each blog. Careful web analysis is worthwhile and critical to success.

Enough with the shop . . . → Read More: The Wealth of the Web Runs Deep, A Sequel

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Recently I got scam-spammed on Facebook by reposting an entry on Amy Winehouse’s death stating that it was getting more media attention than several soldiers who were killed in action. I should know better, right? Maybe you saw it, too? Oops. Sorry! How did I find out? Shortly after I posted, I received an email from a friend that said it was an inaccurate message. The exact same message had circulated about a year earlier using Lindsay Lohan’s name. That got me mad enough to write this blog. People need to know how insidious spam has become.

Chuck . . . → Read More: Part Two – Spam on Social Networks

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My husband, Tom, and I start our vacation this weekend. We’ll be exploring the Mississippi River area with my sister and her husband in a 32-foot motor home. Yeah! Fun here we come!

Packing will be tricky. But, as unofficial Queen of Lists, I will take this challenge head on. I have a camping list dating back about ten plus years from when our family camped regularly. Everything but the kitchen sink is in there.

It’s been awhile, but the secret to happy camping is in the planning. So… being married to the Internet, as I am, what do . . . → Read More: Vacationing with the Queen of Lists

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Do you always know if and when you’re being spammed? Sometimes, it’s hard to tell. It has become so prevalent in our daily lives that I am writing a 4-part series, starting this week on spam, what it is, how do you recognize it and what are the best ways to manage it.

First, what exactly is spam?

We experience spam everyday, but what is it? According to Wikipedia, Spam is the use of any electronic messaging system that sends bulk messages indiscriminately. In 2011, the estimated figure for spam messages is around seven trillion. Fraud and lost . . . → Read More: Spam, Not The Ham. How Do You Recognize It?

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Today is Saturday. Let’s have a little light entertainment with our own dark roasted blend. Today’s article comes directly from the awesome website of Dark Roasted Blend. It is the home of “all things weird and wonderful, updated daily” and describes themselves as a highly visual online magazine. I’ll say. One look around and about five mouse clicks later and it’s easy to be addicted. I simply do not know how they have kept this up since 2005.

Here are my 3 top picks from this site:

In honor of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) in Oshkosh, WI . . . → Read More: Keeping it Light with Dark Roasted Blend

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Here’s a short story on innovation from Seth Godin that I’d like to share. It brings home what we do and why it matters.

The sad, true tale of Otto Rohwedder

Otto Rohwedder invented sliced bread. He focused, like most inventers did, on the patent part and the making part.

The thing about the invention of sliced bread is this- for the first 15 years after sliced bread was available no one bought it, no one knew about it. It was a complete and total failure.

And the reason is that until Wonder came along and figured out how . . . → Read More: Make People See Your ‘It’, A 5-Step Approach

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Social media has impacted life in so many ways and become entwined in almost everything we do. Sometimes it’s very obvious and sometimes it is almost indiscernible. Let me share an example. My husband and I are self-proclaimed foodies. We love trying out new recipes, new foods and creating our own recipes.  Many evenings you’ll find The Food Network or some type of food show on our TV.

The Foodie Movement is a big one, estimated at over 53 million, and growing daily. The growth of this phenomenon would have been impossible without the advent of niche programming on television . . . → Read More: How Shrimp Tacos Moved Our Social Media World

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I am often asked what cloud computing is. Most people know the buzzwords: working in the cloud, move to the cloud, life in the cloud, etc. Technically speaking, Wikipedia says cloud-computing means using multiple server computers via a digital network, as though they were one computer. Cloud computing, like regular computing, can be broken up into three layers: infrastructure, platform and application. Each layer has it’s own issues in cloud computing. For the most part this blog discussion is about the application side of cloud computing –consumer and business applications, but the principles pertain to the other layers, too.

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Many of you might have seen the amazing 3D wrench video that has recently circulated in email and social networking sites like Facebook. It is about the “next great technological disruption” and talks about revolutionaries tinkering on machines that “turn digital bits into physical atoms”. Basically, they downloaded plans for a wrench into a 3D Printer and recreated it as a ‘new and improved model’.

For this week’s Saturday Morning Post, I decided that even though quite a few people may have seen it, it still fits well for this blog. On Saturdays, I like to have something fun . . . → Read More: Technology, 3D Printers and Chocolate

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Here are the 5 things every business must do to build a community online and bring in clients via social media. 1. Website

It’s your web basecamp, start here. photo © 2006 Grant Kwok | more info (via: Wylio)

I have a few clients that really do not want to blog. They know they should to get the best online results, but they do not have time to create a post daily, weekly or sometimes even monthly. Hmmm, what to do? Well, number one, you can try NOT . . . → Read More: 5 Social Media Must Haves

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My favorite ‘reset switch’ is watching a Rube Goldberg machine and here’s one that is really unique. It’s called Melvin the Magical Mixed Media Machine or Melvin the Machine for short. This four minute chain reaction craziness will grab your attention and leave you laughing. I like the fact that the people from hey, hey, hey have done it one better by video-taping the audience as they watch it. They have ‘branded’ Melvin as a a non-identity identity as set forth in the terms of the contest they participated in. Pretty clever.

Melvin The Magical Mixed Media Machine . . . → Read More: Lazy Summer Days Mean It’s Time for a Rube Goldberg Machine

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Many entrepreneurs and startups would never have been formed if it weren’t for partnerships –as in dual ownership of a business entity. Many depend on one partner contributing capital, while the other contributes intellectual capital; some depend on complementary skill sets, some depend on sharing time spent working on the business and multiplying what working together can do. No matter your reason, think long and hard before going into a partnership with someone. photo © 2010 o5com | more info (via: Wylio)

The reality of a partnership is that they are just like marriages, but many times, without the . . . → Read More: The Pluses and Pitfalls of Partnerships

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Summer is here in Northeast Wisconsin and it looks like it should be a sunny and warm weekend. That’s why I think the Independence Day Holiday is the happiest of all holidays. Endure one of our winters and you’ll understand why. Oh, I know it’s about the celebration of our freedom, honor to those who envisioned this great nation and set up a strategy to build a nation that endures far into the future. A strategy that other countries will try to copy. I know that and truly appreciate it. But more simply, I think this holiday breaks down . . . → Read More: 5 Online Ideas for a ‘Happy’ Independence Day

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I posted this article late last fall and today I think it needs repeating. Since posting, I’ve come to realize that small and medium-sized businesses have difficulty understanding the need of developing a recognizable brand. Why would Harry’s Garage in Green Bay or The Little Doz’ Inn in Appleton, WI need a brand? Because it pinpoints what you provide in images, words and actions. It helps your customers understand why and how you are different from your competition. It gives you a chance to stand out from the crowd. In today’s tough economy, how can that NOT be important?

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Happy Saturday Morning Post, everyone! With the dreary weather in the midwest this month, I think it’s time to look at something enlightening. Something that is sure to get you out of any weather-produced funk.

Yes, I’m back to Ted Talks with a video presented by Dr. Daniel Kraft, inventor and innovator. He is a Stanford- and Harvard-trained physician-scientist with over 20 years of experience in clinical practice, biomedical research and innovation. He is now chairing the FutureMed program at Singularity University.

In the video below (click here if video does not launch), he speaks on how rapidly developing . . . → Read More: The Future of Medicine, Could You Live to 150?

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This week in Singapore, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which is the Internet body that oversees domain names, voted to open the control of domain suffixes a.k.a. gTLD (generic top-level domains) like .com, .net, .biz, etc. In the past they have allowed a total of only 22 suffixes. Going forward, companies will be able to apply for their own “vanity” suffixes or top-level domains.

Mom and Pop, hold on! Don’t get too excited, this is probably a little bit out of your league and whether that’s a good thing or not will likely be a . . . → Read More: Vanity Suffixes For Your Domain, Small Businesses Need Not Apply

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Have you noticed lately who is getting hacked? Here is this month’s short list: U.S. Senate, Citigroup, Sony and Google. It has to make you wonder how anyone’s info can be really safe anymore, but there are things you can and should do. For this week’s Saturday Morning Post, let’s talk about protecting yourself online. photo © 2007 Rupert Ganzer | more info (via: Wylio)

Using a recent ABC News article, a blog from Attack Vector (a self-proclaimed ex-hacker) and Creditorweb.com, I’ve compiled a list of 15+ things that are critical to your online safety. I’m sure there are . . . → Read More: 15 Tips for Protecting Yourself Online

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“So I have a website –now what?” That is the question I often get when a client is asking why the website they either made themselves or ‘had a friend’ design isn’t getting any results. And I mean it –ANY RESULTS. So many small business owners are not getting the point. A website is only one piece of the online marketing puzzle but its potential to help your business is the secret to solving that puzzle. Your website is not the place to CHEAP OUT. photo © 2005 mikael altemark | more info (via: Wylio)

Many entrepreneurial business people . . . → Read More: Who Should Be Your Next ‘Go To’ Employee?

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I am excited to be attending today’s Lambeau Field concert, their first major concert event -ever. People are actually coming from all over the country for this concert. That is the pull that Kenny Chesney possesses. Add in the Zac Brown Band and you know it will be an unforgettable concert. Then just for fun, add in  other major performers like Billy Currington and Uncle Kracker -FUN. Make it a SIX HOUR concert, with a FOUR HOUR tailgate and you have an event fit for Green Bay, Wisconsin. In Northeast Wisconsin, it will be a great day.

In terms of . . . → Read More: Social Media – Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown get it right

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I found this BNET blog article interesting. BNET interviewed Ceriac Roeding of Shopkick and he discussed the ‘Catch 22′ facing many entrepreneurs. How do you establish that first base of business? Credibility struggles with success. You have to make someone actually BELIEVE. He cited examples he learned through his startup, Shopkick. These examples are transferable to many small business situations. They will even help me as I continue to establish my first year’s ‘base of business clients’ and as I help some of my small business clients address this same issue. I think its good stuff and I hope you like it.

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Pick a color, any color. That’s what’s fun about ColorJack.

I have found ColorJack works great for finding color palettes that really pop! When choosing color palettes it’s easy to find just the right jewel tone or pastel combination in the blink of an eye. ColorJack was created for web designers, but the uses extend far beyond. I used it to pick the right combo of flowers in my mailbox planter this year and that’s why I chose it for this week’s Saturday Morning Post.

The Sphere tool works simply. Select a ‘dot’ in the sphere and move . . . → Read More: Pick A Color With ColorJack

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Social Energizer is an advocate to small businesses and their owners. I feel that America’s heart and future lie within the people. The same people that built America through hard work and the creation of many, many small businesses. Small businesses that many times became large businesses that are widely recognized today. Small businesses that provide much of today’s employment. What if we lose our ability to nurture those small businesses? Joe’s article below outlines some of the challenges facing small businesses, their employees and their owners.

I believe this should be a daily part of our national conversation . . . → Read More: You, Me, Small Businesses and the Economy

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Only in the world of social media can things like this be shared and become viral. If you haven’t seen this wonderful Merengue Dancing Dog yet then you need to take a few minutes right now. It’s great! I just got back from Mexico and never saw anything like this there!

This has been Social Energizer’s Saturday Morning Post, a less business oriented edition than our blog that is offered during the week. Social Energizer’s purpose is to help companies develop lasting relationships with their customers and increase their conversion rates by adding proven online marketing techniques to . . . → Read More: Dancing Merengue Dog

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Scribd is a social networking community for readers and authors founded in 2007. It has quickly become one of the most popular websites on the Internet. More then 70 million individuals from around the world visit the website on a monthly basis. Scribd is a file sharing website similar to Wylio and YouTube except that individuals share text documents and presentations instead of images and videos.

As YouTube is to videos, Scribd is to ebooks, articles, resumes, recipes and online magazines. Scribd’s patent-pending document conversion technology allows articles to be discoverable by search engines, shared on social . . . → Read More: Get Scribd Today

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photo © 2009 Marcy Kellar | more info (via: Wylio)

I’m on vacation at the beautiful boutique hotel of Posada Yum Kin in Tulum, Mexico. So while I’m whiling away my time walking the pristine beaches or snorkeling in one of the numerous cenotes in the area, I think you should take it easy, too.

Here are 10 things you could be doing instead of working. Ditch the job, just for the day!

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I came across this little booklet online and am wondering how well it would work in Appleton, WI. This area has its share of free shoppers, but I found the checklists provided within to be very useful. In particular check out page 14, Ten Steps to a Beautiful Garden. Do all women love lists or is it just me? Ladies from Northeast Wisconsin! Let me know if you find this useful. EveryBusyWoman – Home & Garden 2010(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

This . . . → Read More: Every Busy Woman

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There are a lot of people out there suggesting that a small business owner can create their website overnight. And you can. But will it do what you want it to do? photo © 2007 Ben Zvan | more info (via: Wylio)

What exactly do you want it to do? Are you happy with a simple online brochure, one that can be visited by existing customers to find what you offer and where you are located? What do your customers expect?

Or do you want it to open doors? Maybe to attract new customers with a site that gets . . . → Read More: Dynamic Websites and What They Mean For Your Small Business

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Saturday Morning, kick back, just relax… and enjoy this week’s Saturday Morning’s Post. Sometimes it’s okay to check out for a while and just have fun.  Dr. Suess, my favorite psychologist, even says it’s okay; in fact, he encourages it. photo © 2008 Daniel X. O’Neil | more info (via: Wylio)

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”

And…

“If you never . . . → Read More: Top 5 FUN Websites

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do not click here, not the video

Frazzled? Me, too. Leave it to Chris Brogan to help us find our ‘center’. Check out his short video entitled, “What Has Your Attention“. He sure set me straight. I think this is something that all entrepreneurs and small business folks struggle with. Sometimes there are so many choices of what you COULD do that you lose track of what you SHOULD do.

Now, it’s time to get down to work. I will do something that will make me profitable and happy. (Repeat 3 times softly)

Here are five things . . . → Read More: Attention, please

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Laughter is one of the best things you can do for yourself, not only for your mind, but also for your physical well-being. . . . → Read More: Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh

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from http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/

For basic tips on using images online, please see our blog, Image Basics for Bloggers, from last week.

What is Creative Commons?

In the past, buying photography was expensive and complicated. Royalties needed to be paid and photos were limited to many restrictions on how they could be used. Then along came Creative Commons in 2001, and everything changed. This non-profit corporation started with a cooperative effort between MIT and Harvard Law professors (among others) who realized that the digital revolution altered many past concepts on copyright theory. The ability to work collaboratively, globally, decentralized and . . . → Read More: Free -and Legal- Images for Your Blog

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Saying there has been a lot of hubbub in Wisconsin between the Governor Scott Walker and the Teachers Union would probably be the understatement of the year. It’s been in the news and in social media networks everywhere. In mid-February, it was all people in Wisconsin were talking about. No matter what side of the argument you are on, this video from Ted Talks featuring Bill Gates may change your mind –or at least open it.

I really don’t believe that Bill Gates coincidentally decided to speak at Ted Talks on this subject. Do you? I think perhaps . . . → Read More: Our Schools Are Breaking, How Do We Fix Them?

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if you click here for video, you're wrong!

Remember the old saying “I once thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken?” That pretty much sums up the subject of this short 18-minute video from Ted Talks entitled, “On being wrong; by Kathyrn Schultz on Ted.com.”

This TGIF Friday Freebie is a go-along piece with tomorrow’s Saturday Morning’s Post. It’s simply about being wrong. As you go through life, you tend to believe many things are true. Sometimes you believe in them more strongly than others. Could you be wrong?

Kathryn Schulz, wrongologist, makes a compelling case for . . . → Read More: When Wrong is Right

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Attract their attention

When it comes to blogging, we all know that it takes great content to attract attention. Part of this is the written content, but just as important part are the visuals you find to support your words. Yes, the secret is in the pictures. Adding just 2 images can increase the time someone stays on your blog by up to 300%. This happens because a person’s eyes are drawn to the photo and they study it. If the photo is good enough to attract their attention, then they are more likely to read the content.

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Art Spiegelman wrote the only comic book ever to have won a Pulitzer Prize. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale is a memoir of his father, Vladek, a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. In Spiegelman’s comic book, Jews are depicted as mice, while Nazis are depicted as cats.

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I just read Seth Godin’s “Poke the Box” and learned a valuable lesson. It’s okay to fail, actually it’s a good thing. I have to admit, I have been embraced by a “trying to be perfect” mentality from time to time in my life. Maybe even a little bit everyday. As usual Seth helps me open up my mind and see new ways to do things and recognize opportunities.

If you’re not failing often and repeatedly you are being remarkable in a way that is going to make a difference. Making incremental changes and doing what everyone else is . . . → Read More: Five Ways to Poke the Box

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In light of the recent Mid-East turmoil, I came across this video that I consider a new perspective, and wanted to share it with you. The assumption has been that the Internet helps promote democracy. That’s what the Buzz Leaders tell us. You’ve probably heard the stories of bloggers and Twitter users helping to protest against evil dictators or unfair governments. In an effort to ‘keeping it real’ in this newly transparent world, I think opposing views should also be considered within today’s social media networks.

Does the Internet actually inhibit, not encourage democracy? That is the hypothesis of Evgeny . . . → Read More: Digital Democracy or Friendly Fascism

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During a recent ‘work session’ with a client, an important discovery was made. Many people do not use their computers as efficiently as they could. Really.

Today’s blog may be a bit passé for some of you and you’re welcome to join us back on another day. Thanks for stopping by (you’re still allowed to peak –just in case there may be a tip that you don’t already know). BUT for the group that feels like they’re ‘quickly getting nowhere’ when they work on the computer, welcome! Let’s get into some tips that may help you out of that . . . → Read More: Computer Tips and Tricks for Cool Social Media Moves

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This past week, Facebook relaunched its Facebook Questions service. I’d say it’s a hit. I just checked my Facebook page and more than 25 of my friends have invited me to take various polls. Dare I say it? It seems a bit viral.

Of course, I had to take it for a test drive. With my partnership in Swenson Book Development and a very active interest in books, I polled “How do you like your books?” with options of hardcover, paperback, e-book or audio. In just over 18 hours, I received 23 responses. I’d say that is amazing. So . . . → Read More: New Fun with Facebook Questions

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Whether you’re climbing Mt. Everest in the heart of the Himalayas, like adventurers Rhys & Nicky, or leading your company into the world of inbound marketing, your success depends on having a solid base camp.

Your website should be well designed, up-to-date and represent your brand at the highest level. This will be the place where people come for deeper nourishment; be sure you provide the information clearly and detailed enough to truly answer their questions. The top 7 mainstay pages for websites are: Home page, About Us, Contact Us, Product and Services, . . . → Read More: Your Website is Your Base Camp, Is It Solid?

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Isn’t it amazing when you find something cool on the web, and then find that it is only a small piece of a larger whole? This week for Social Energizer’s Saturday Morning’s Post that is exactly what I’ve found. Terje Sorgjerd has published a video called “The Aurora”. After I watched this breathtakingly beautiful video on Vimeo, I noticed that there are several others from Terje and they are just as good, if not better. I have shared them below.

Since the “The Aurora” aired on Discovery Channel it has moved rapidly into all levels of social media. Over . . . → Read More: The Wealth of the Web Runs Deep

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SXSW 2011 has wound down for this year, but they’ll be back next year and I plan to be there. SXSW has something for everyone, especially in social media or inbound marketing. So many of the heavy hitters are there that it makes ones head spin.

It has taken a bit of searching around, but I found several short videos that really share the SXSW experience. These are all worth watching –sometimes more than once. Let me know what you think. It’s almost like being there.

Phylise Banner, . . . → Read More: Top Five SXSW 2011 Videos

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This week in Austin, Texas a crucial community comes together. The SXSW (South By South West) Film Conference and Festival is a productive, inspiring convergence of talent, smart audiences and cutting-edge thought leaders. As they celebrate their 25th Anniversary, their focus has moved from concentrating on simply music to including other creative channels like film, writing and interactive, which includes web, social media SEO, etc. A large portion of next year’s creative content in TV, films, advertising and online in America and even abroad will originate from SXSW.

Photo- Bob Metcalfe interview at SXSW, Austin, Texas

SXSW has . . . → Read More: Can The Energy Problem Be Solved By SXSW?

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If social media were a three legged stool, then a business website, Facebook site and Twitter account would be the legs of that stool. For businesses wanting to master the art of social media marketing, these sites must be professional looking, elegantly managed creating a seamless brand appearance. They also need to be balanced and leveraged between one another.

This week at Social Energizer, we are focusing on helping people get up and running with Twitter. As mentioned in our earlier blog, Rule 1 for Social Media Measurement, Twitter’s purpose is to generate excitement and rapid discussion. The important . . . → Read More: Twitter – The art of tweets, follows and hashtags

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Increasingly when there are emergencies worldwide, the first responding aid is provided by today’s social networks: Facebook, Twitter, and, in this case, Japan’s own Mixi. Though Japanese TV reported ‘Live’ almost immediately, during this week’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan, personal communication was another matter. Most communications were down and cell phones were often jammed. Social media powerhouses once again proved themselves as critical communication tools during a natural disaster.

Devices that are text-driven were the first to support communication. Adding to that capability is the nature of how social networks are structured. They are . . . → Read More: Emergency in Japan; the First Help to Arrive

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Increasingly our world favors BIG. BIG Companies. BIG Stars. The next BIG thing. Big business seems to favor other BIG businesses, like during Christmas when ABC’s GMA seemingly supported only the online BIG Box stores, leaving small online entrepreneurs in the dust as reported in our December 8th blog, “Scrooge Strikes e-Commerce Small Business.”

What is the key to small businesses getting ahead? Many believe it is innovation. But it’s not that simple. Innovation tailored to the unique position and qualities of a small business propel it forward. Small business owners have certain advantages over their BIG business counterparts. . . . → Read More: Right-Sizing Innovation for the Small Business Owner

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Welcome to Saturday Morning’s Post. Are you sick and tired of commercials that eat at your sanity? Provide nothing imaginative? And can only get your attention by turning up the volume? Try a few of these ads gathered together by TED. Enjoy “Ted’s 10 ads worth spreading” a video list of commercials that provide nourishment for the soul.

Which ones do you like best? I’d love to hear.

Social Energizer’s purpose is to help companies develop lasting relationships with their customers and increase their conversion rates by adding proven online marketing techniques to their marketing mix.

We do this by . . . → Read More: When is a Commercial Worth Watching?

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I came across a great quote today while reading “Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne (Harvard Business Review Press, 2005).

Samuel “Roxy” Rothapfel, previously a nickelodeon owner, started up Palace Theaters. By using the low-cost, lower-quality nickelodeon style of entertainment, he reinvented this experience for more elaborate, extravagant affairs that played upscale at an affordable price. In so doing, he changed the entire industry.

The Palace Theaters, between 1914 and 1922, opened four thousand new Palace Theaters across the US. During this age of . . . → Read More: Don’t Give People What They Want

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What trends will arise, perhaps even merge, and continue to change and then further impact our lives? . . . → Read More: Top Three Trends Likely to Upset Your Social Media World

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It’s Oscar Weekend. Everything on network TV and buzzing in social media circles this weekend seems to be a lead up to the Oscars. Of course, I must find the opposing story, I’m just that kind of girl. So, who did not win an Oscar? What movies should have won, but didn’t? . . . → Read More: Nothing Is More Social Than The Oscars

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If you’re going to participate, you must measure! That is the first rule in social media measurement otherwise known as web analytics. Your website is your basecamp and that is where most people start and end with social media measurement. It’s simply not enough. One of the strengths of social media is that it is inherently measureable. It allows you to adjust what you’re doing and do it better each step of the way.

As you set up your online presence strategy (will you use Twitter, Facebook, Wikipedia?) keep in mind how you will keep track of how you’re . . . → Read More: Rule 1 for Social Media Measurement

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I’m heading down to Chicago tomorrow for a quick lunch with my daughter and a side trip to IKEA (I HAVE to visit IKEA whenever I get near one and I’m not necessarily the world’s biggest shopper). Winter Shopping Therapy, here I come. It promises something special.

What I just heard though is that Chicago is quickly becoming known as Couponland. Brandchannel just recently featured a story on how the Windy City hosts 43 daily-deal groupbuying site headquarters. Two of the oldest are FatWallet and MrRebates and two of the largest, Groupon and CouponCabin.com. Who knew?

It all starts, according . . . → Read More: Couponland, here I come!

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Watch “A Day Made of Glass” and take a look at Corning’s vision for the future with specialty glass at the heart of it. It’s difficult to wrap your mind around all this new technology. It feels like you blink and suddenly there appear new devices that you would have never dreamed of before.

How will this change our lives next? What do you think?

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Authors are expected to have their own blogs today. Not just after the book comes out, but before. Publishers look at the visitor statistics to your blog as the potential market for your book. So before you send in that brilliant book proposal, build a platform for your publication.

If you have never done any blogging before, the place to start is with reading and observing what others are doing. Robert Brewer at Writer’s Digest has just put together a wonderful blog entry about the best blogs for writers to follow.  Click on this link below to help you . . . → Read More: So if I have to blog, where do I start

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Just how are small businesses using social media? What level of online presence should you have? One way to start is to review what other small business owners are doing and model it after them.

Once again our friends at Mashable! have provided some insights in their latest Infographics report.

In a nutshell, here’s what they have found.

Twitter: 78%

Facebook: 75%

LinkedIn: 30%

WordPress: 22%

Flickr: 13%

Tumblr: 11%

Blogger: 10%

Facebook: 31%

Twitter: 10%

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iPhones are kid magnets. Go ahead. Try to take an iPhone away from a toddler.

Think again.

Leave it to a mother of three who studied literature in college to figure out that this new electronic gadget can teach kids to read. Lynette Mattke started her publishing company less than two years ago.

PicPocket Books offers picture story books that allow kids to enjoy the iPhone touchscreen; and see the pictures and words and hear them spoken aloud. Picture books as literacy apps.

Lynette Mattke, founder and publisher of PicPocket Books, is particularly proud of Round Is a Mooncake, by . . . → Read More: Kids Learning to Read by iPhone

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Why do you need Keywords? They lay the foundation for Search Engine Optimization  (SEO). And SEO is how you get visitors to your site. It lets people know you exist. Keywords are used by search engines to find a product or service like yours and match it to the customer looking for that.

Close your eyes. Step into your customer’s shoes. Think. If someone were looking for the product or service that you offer, what words would they type? Write down your top ten words that you think they would use. Then write down the top ten phrases that . . . → Read More: SEO Basics: Get the Most from Keywords

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SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can be daunting stuff. It’s the sort of topic that makes one’s eyes glass over and can put the worst insomniacs to sleep. BUT it is one of the four most important elements to Inbound Marketing and is often not understood.

Many consider it the magic behind the curtain. It is not magic –not really. It’s the logical process of improving visibility of a website or web page in search engines without paying for it. When done correctly it can work like magic and is the key to getting found online.

I always like to . . . → Read More: SEO Explained through Analogies

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Click on above link, not image for video

For this Saturday Morning’s Post on Social Energizer, I’m back to the Ted Talks assortment of nourishing online experiences for the mind. Ali Carr-Chellman: Gaming to re-engage boys in learning focuses on why so many boys are tuning out of school. How modern culture has changed and simply left boys behind. A correction is greatly needed to restore the balance. Girls are moving far ahead of boys in every scholastic area. But that is not the focus of this discussion, girls need help, too. The issue at hand is finding . . . → Read More: More Help to Parents – Focus on the Boys

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I found this article to hit the nail on the head. Take a look at where you are and what lies ahead. Introspection is always good. The right mindset is better. And I’ll add Action is vital.

The ‘close’ to this article is worth repeating, here’s an excerpt.

Mindset is what lets you turn tactics into an actual thriving business. It’s what lets you pay the price, to act when you’re scared out of your pants.

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Have you ever been asked to create a large-scale sales campaign, but NOT given the budget for delivering it into everyone’s hands?

Or maybe, you own a small business and you wish there was a way to pool knowledge among other small business owners who share issues similar to yours.

Check out Facebook Groups

It is an often-overlooked tool, which businesses can readily use to bridge the gap in communicating between various audiences in many ways. It can provide an efficient, affordable and interactive means of content distribution. No more USB drives or CDs to deliver to your business’ . . . → Read More: How to Use Facebook as a Meeting Platform and Intranet

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Our post a few weeks ago on the Wilson Sporting Goods football factory in Ohio was met with great enthusiasm. Because of that popularity, I couldn’t resist this follow-up for our community. Manufacturing of this year’s Super Bowl XLV footballs is underway at the time of the writing of this article. Click here to see what they look like and pictures of the how they are made. They look magnificent! The only thing missing are the autographs from my favorite Green Bay Packer players.

To view the original full-feature video, see Social Energizer’s Saturday Morning Post from January . . . → Read More: Wilson Footballs go to Super Bowl XLV

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Hello everyone, I usually don’t post on Fridays, but I came across this cute story and I couldn’t resist. It doesn’t exactly fit into the Social Energizer social media plan, so I decided to make another category – TGIF Friday Freebies. A place for the real light stuff. Everyone needs ‘light’ by Friday.

I’m not able to cite the author on this, so let’s just say it’s from ‘Author Unknown’. It’s probably better that way.

It all began with an iPhone…

March was when my son celebrated his 15th birthday and I got him an iPhone.

. . . → Read More: TGIF Friday Freebie The iPhone iPad Touch and more

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1. Writing improves with practice.

2. Blogging allows you to hone your rewriting skills with its many editing functions.

3. Blogs attract readers; and the more readers the bigger your audience.

4. Blogs generate important feedback from readers.

5. Blogging connects you with other authors, readers, and book lovers.

6. A blog is a low cost way to market yourself as an author and promote your books.

7. A blog creates a community of readers who are invested in your publication success.

8. Writing blog posts is not enough. You need to read what others are writing too and . . . → Read More: Top 10 Reasons Authors Should Blog

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Described in the subtitle as “a travel guide for the modern blogger,” Suzanne Stefanac’s book, Dispatches from Blogistan, is worth reading whether you are a blogger or not. This is not so much a how-to book as it is a why-to-blog book.

The first two chapters offer a new take on the history of communications. And the book really begins with the introduction of the internet as radicalizing the way communications occur. Instead of pushing messages (from advertising to propaganda), the shift is to pull the audience to the message. Instead of one-to-many or one-to-one channels of communication, the shift . . . → Read More: Dispatches from Blogistan, A Book Review

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Click on link, not image for video

Without a doubt my favorite online nourishment comes from TED Talks. TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. It grows larger and more worthwhile everyday.

For this Saturday Morning’s Post on Social Energizer, I have found a video that I would have loved to have seen years ago, when we were raising our children. I am posting this today to help several of my friends that have small children. They seem to . . . → Read More: Help to Parents -A Social Media Solution

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Just a short post this morning. I found this interesting from our friends at Mashable. It’s a story of how the Army has created and is distributing a handbook to all army personnel and their families on how to handle social media.

Mashable says that, “The new social media handbook provides additional tips and best practices, along with information on operations security tips, branding information, checklists, regulations and frequently asked questions.”

I bet they would have liked to have had this before WikiLeaks came into . . . → Read More: U.S. Army Launches Social Media Handbook

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I was digging through some of my archives and came across this article from Chris Brogan, one of my favorite thought leaders in the social media arena.

Chris starts by suggesting that you, “Ask yourself that question: what is the focus and the purpose of my blog? Is the purpose of your blog easy to define? What are you aiming towards accomplishing with it? How are you testing whether or not you’re reaching your desired effect?”

Next, he tells the story of his blog history and brings you up to date.

“When I started my blog many years ago . . . → Read More: Chris Brogans- What is the Focus and Purpose of Your Blog

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To view video, click on link below

Henry Ford once said, “The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.” In today’s inbound marketing terms, this could be the new Holy Grail. Business owners successful at providing the right balance of FREE online content and services are most likely to entice and solidify their customers. This strategy is called a pull strategy and means you are pulling customers, not pushing them to buy . . . → Read More: Online FREE, the new Tchochtke

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This ‘making footballs’ video shows how a small assembly plant in Ada, Ohio makes Wilson NFL balls, the official football of the NFL. Wilson supplies 100% of all footballs used in the NFL and always has. They offer lifetime employment for about 40-50 dedicated, hard-working people and earn $25 million in annual revenue. You can tell from this video that Wilson is truly dedicated to their American workers and understands the value of having a skilled, high-quality workforce. American workers, American jobs, and American pride: that’s what this video is all about.

Kudos to this American business owner, who . . . → Read More: US Small Business Scores Big With The NFL

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Blogging is a great way to converse with your customers. Your website, many times your main point of initial contact with your customers, appears more human with a blog. It allows potential clients to get to know you. It is a conversational way of answering questions about your product or business. Blogging helps you get found by making your SEO results soar. Want some Google Fame, maybe even the first page?  That’s what blogging can help you achieve.

Here are two things to remember before you sit down to write anything on your blog.

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Before meeting with a new client, I often hear “this is like a date” from my team. How true… and obvious, actually. Creating a great sales relationship is much like dating. They both begin with uncertainty and require a mutual interest that may result in a leap of trust and, if successful, a closer relationship. So here’s the secret to matchmaking in sales.

The post Dating, Sex and Sales! appeared first on Social Energizer.

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I came across an interesting article on The Huffington Post today. They note that, “Since 2000, we’ve gained iPods and iPads, Travelocity and Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare, BlackBerry smartphones and Android devices, Xboxes and Wiis, among many other new services, sites, and electronics. We’re now poking, tweeting, Googling, and Skyping.”

Just as new things become popular and mainstream, some things eventually fade as society and technology changes. Here are 20 things that are now considered obsolete. See the full story for their explanation and to vote for your favorite ‘obsolete’ item.

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Attribution to Christine Jump (Flickr)

One of the basic principles of customer satisfaction is to know and understand your customer’s customer. It is something so simple, and yet sometimes, marketing professionals overlook this. Instead they create campaigns that fit the marketing person’s profile or fancy better than they do the customer or the customer’s customer.

Whether you’re selling to a company that makes and sells stuff or selling to Moms whose main customers are her three kids, you need to recognize who the customer’s customer is. If you want to create compelling programs and assess if they are . . . → Read More: Know your customer’s customer

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During this busy holiday season I came across this story that may be one of the most intriguing underreported stories of 2010. The reason I feel it’s important to mention is the potential threat it poses to your identity in the coming years. This story from WREG in Memphis, TN. tells how the new RFID (Radio Frequency Indentification)chips embedded in new passports, credit and debit cards are susceptible to identity theft. Armed with a $100 credit card reader and a notebook computer, thieves can simply walk past you in the mall or along the street and swipe your information. Although, . . . → Read More: RFID enables new Pickpockets for 2011 and beyond

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In 1977, one year after Lake Superior State University Public Relations Director W.T. (Bill) Rabe released the first “banished words list,” he said that the international reaction from news media and the public told him “it would go on forever.”

Forever may be stretching it, but the annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness has been going strong since New Year’s Day 1976 and shows no signs of stopping. People from around the world have nominated hundreds of words and phrases such as “you know,” “user friendly,” “at this point in . . . → Read More: Salute to Lake Superior State University 2011 List of Banished Words

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Crunch time? Does it always seem like you are wondering what to write? How do you build buzz needed to pull people to your site?

No doubt about it, blogging takes time and dedication. The pay-off comes when you find a good-size community that interacts with your site regularly and when you notice your website and blog are steadily gaining in the battle of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) rankings. Here are ten tips that can help keep copy flowing smoothly.

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With a little luck, and maybe planning, during the holidays everyone gets a little time for reflection, time to think and to ponder. One of the best things I’ve ever read is written below. This is what I think of as the ‘social’ before social media. Do we keep these things in mind as we build our communities? I think we should.

Merry Christmas, everyone. -Lynn

An 85 year-old woman wrote this by the name of Nadine Stair. Some of you may have come across it before.

At age 85, she writes:

“If I had my life . . . → Read More: Merry Christmas, to my wonderful Community

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Have you dreamed of owning your own business, but don’t know where to start? Have you started planning for your new business, but keep wondering if you’ve forgotten anything important? Check out the basic steps below to be sure you’re on the right track.

Evaluate and Develop Your Business Concept

1. Do you feel passionate about this idea? Will it be something you can do every day –- and night?

2. Jot out a quick break-even analysis. Can you make money at what you’re planning to do?

3. Figure out how you . . . → Read More: 10 Steps to a New Business

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It’s got to be good if Santa likes it. The phenomenon of social media continues into a Christmas-decorated living room near you. Social media are now part of celebrating Santa’s annual visit to children near and far.

Mashable has just posted “9 Ways to Connect With Santa on the Web” so kids can get in touch with Old Saint Nick. Services range from Santa emails to tracking his sleigh in the skies as he delivers presents around the globe. It’s just one more instance of how Social Media pervades our private lives and provides businesses with ways of engaging . . . → Read More: Even Santa likes Social Media

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Here’s the top watched YouTube video mashup from this year. There is no doubt about the power of video in social media… and it’s fun, too.

Viral videos are what many business people dream of when beginning their Inbound Marketing strategy, sometimes with unrealistic expectations. Ensuring that a video of yours goes viral is impossible, but understanding their makeup, allows you to set it up for the possibility. By their nature, viral videos follow the pattern of a rapid increase of views, a couple of days with a very high number of views, and . . . → Read More: YouTube Rewind 2010 – The Top 10 List in Links

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The typical definition for the initials RSS is “Really Simple Syndication”. This is simply a method of broadcasting your blog or other frequently updated content across the internet or, by subscribing, following multiple sites with one easy tool.

By supplying an RSS feed, readers of your blog can quickly and easily access your blog in an RSS reader, like Google Reader, without the need to navigate to your blog whenever they want to see a new posting. The importance of this is it makes it easy for readers who are interested in your blog to know when it is updated . . . → Read More: What is RSS and How it is Addictive

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Today, there are more than 500 million active users, 50% of these users log in daily. Every average user has 130 friends. People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook.

With those kinds of statistics Facebook is a natural for B2C businesses trying to build a loyal following: businesses like restaurants, hotels, sporting establishments, services and so forth.

Best of all: It’s free and easy.

First step: you will need to establish your own personal page. The personal info you provide for this page is also your registration with Facebook for your . . . → Read More: First Steps to Successful Marketing on Facebook

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So, you’ve watched Socialnomics newest 2.0 and now you ‘get it’. Traditional marketing will never be the same. If you want to move your B2C business forward, then you will need to focus on what you’re doing online.

Location, location, location! My recommendation is first things, first. Can people find you? If you’re a restaurant, hotel or auto repair shop, then start by registering your address and details on Google Places. This will literally, put you on the map.

Google Places http://www.google.com/help/places/index.html

Get Found Make it easy for others to find your website (you do have a website, right?) . . . → Read More: First Steps to Successful Inbound Marketing

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Is Network TV the Scrooge? This Christmas season, it seems like every network TV news personality is reporting that online sales are booming. On Cyber-Monday, Becky Worley of Good Morning America said that online sales are up significantly this year. Technically, that’s true. That is, if you are Amazon, Walmart or Best Buy.

e-Commerce: Not for the Little Guy Unfortunately, small to mid-size e-tailers have actually lost ground according to ComScore’s latest Cyber Monday report. Although, they reported a 12% overall increase in total consumer online spending, when you break it down the big box stores increased their sales 20%, . . . → Read More: Scrooge Strikes e-Commerce Small Business

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Facebook Profiles update

Facebook is implementing some changes that affect your personal profiles again. In the past, they have taken some criticism that their abrupt improvements were questionable. This time around, it seems Facebook has learned and improved on how they go about the update. They’ve added a wizard that helps and walks you through the process. In a nutshell, the changes to Facebook for personal profiles are:

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Have you ever noticed how the commercials on television are louder than the programs? Do you have a used car salesman who screams on TV?

Very soon, you will begin hearing less of “turn that #@&! thing down!”  in living rooms across America. This week Congress will pass the Commercial Advertising Loudness Mitigation (CALM)  Act, that will set standards on broadcast volumes for commercial advertising. I join many Americans in saying that it comes none too soon.

“Your average human today is inundated with over 2000 outbound marketing interruptions per day and is figuring out more and more creative ways to block . . . → Read More: Outbound Marketing takes yet another hit

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By everywhereisimagined/flickr

Companies that market today by extolling the benefits of their offerings will increasingly be unsuccessful.  Today’s consumer is smart and savvy. They often research online for products and services they intend to purchase and increasingly avoid sales calls, TV ads, advertising, etc.

From Push to Pull

Changing the approach from a push to a pull strategy is the core reason Inbound Marketing is proving to be so successful. Customers today choose the companies they want to buy from after researching and becoming voluntarily involved in the sales cycle, usually via online channels.

Buyer Persona Development

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Hi Everyone!

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day with friends and family. Keeping it on the lighter side today, as everyone runs out for Black Friday shopping or whatever you do on a ‘free’ day like this one.

Sometimes it’s nice to look behind what’s going on in our world, things we often take in without too much thought or analysis. One of those is the use of symbols. It ‘s a great story that our friends at Dark Roasted Blend wrote and is woven into everyone’s life, even the life of a Social Media maven.

Thank you . . . → Read More: Fun Facts about Symbols

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It’s hard to handle everything during the launch of a dynamic inbound marketing strategy, but don’t forget your brand along the way. It’s at the top of the marketing priority list of every successful business. Take Apple, for example. When a person buys an iPad or Mac they are buying the appeal, design and support of the Apple brand. They know it will be trendy and cutting edge. It will make them feel cool. That is the power of good brand creation and alignment.

Every marketing dollar you spend should support your brand. It’s how you stand out. It . . . → Read More: Wait! Don’t forget your brand!

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First things, FIRST, as they say. Keep these guidelines in mind when putting your business… out there.

Do your online networks work together and support each other? You’ve chosen the online networks you want your business to network with: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others. You’ve created a website and a blog. Now, are they integrated? Is the “Like” button on your blog page? Is your blog address on your Facebook page? There is usually simple code to insert, or a plug-in to be added.

Can people find you? Remember- Location, location, location! Where does your page rank? If you . . . → Read More: 5 Easy Inbound Marketing Tips to get you FAST results

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One of my favorite comedians was George Carlin, who in one my favorite stand up routines said “Actually this is just a place for my stuff, ya know? That’s all, a little place for my stuff. That’s all I want, that’s all you need in life, is a little place for your stuff, ya know? I can see it on your table, everybody’s got a little place for their stuff. This is my stuff, that’s your stuff, that’ll be his stuff over there. That’s all you need in life, a little place for your stuff. That’s all your house . . . → Read More: New and Cool Places for your Stuff

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Okay everyone, Jimmy Kimmel has declared that facebook is irrelevant and that tomorrow is National Unfriend Day

Are you with him?

Ironically, facebook is attempting to make Jimmy K. irrelevant by announcing, today, that it will be launching facebook messages, This will add messaging similar to Google’s gmail to its mix. Watch the video to see how it will work. This will be BIG.

Facebook’s New Messaging System Explained [VIDEO].

Jus’ sayin’ Life’s interesting, isn’t it?

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Surrounded by dumb asses? This is a great article explaining the “dumb ass syndrome” by Dave Logan of BNet.

http://bit.ly/cVDHA0

A summary of the steps are:

1. Recognize how common the dumb ass syndrome is in the world of business.

2. Ask yourself the question: “Do you know-really know-why you are getting the results you’re getting?”

3. Do the opposite of what comes natural.

4. Look for many causes.

5. Run low-risk experiments to test your explanations.

6. Allow for the fact that most people are victims of the dumb ass syndrome.

Was this useful? What type of articles help . . . → Read More: Strategy Problems? Six ways to know if your business is failing.

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