Via Scoop.it – Carpe Diem – Productivity & Organization
Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.
A. A. Milne
Via www.evernote.com
Via Scoop.it – Carpe Diem – Productivity & Organization
Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.
A. A. Milne
Via www.evernote.com
Social Media has made us lose our minds!
I was at the Zora! Festival earlier today and was taking a photo of a someone as they were conducting business. She said to me exactly what I say “Don’t put my picture on Facebook“. I’ve got to warn you, I am one of those people who doesn’t like having their picture taken either. There are lots of pictures with my hand in front of my face. If you take a photo of someone (code for “me”), just give us a heads-up before you post it and no one will get hurt.
Back in the day, BCC (Before Cell phone Cameras) when pictures were taken, you had time to strike a pose before someone yelled “Say Cheese”. Fellas had a minute to adjust their tie or pat their afro to make sure it wasn’t lopsided. Sisters (yes, I mean you. Aren’t we are all sisters?) could make sure there was no lipstick on our teeth, fix our ponytail or put on a little lipstick. Nowadays you come home from an event, evening out or hanging with friends and there you are, plastered on someone’s Facebook wall with your wig lopsided or one side of your collar up for all to see. (I admire Oprah sitting in front of millions of people in her bathrobe with no makeup, a headband and her fuzzy slippers. When I get my own network, no pun intended, I’m with ya girl.) For the rest of us, it can make you feel like you need to have a stylist with you at all times (hair, makeup and wardrobe). I mean, do we have to be camera ready – all the time?
That happened to me a few years ago. I picked up my nephew from the airport (sometimes, I miss New York) and had a great time catching up with him on the ride back to my house. By the time I got home and flipped open my computer, there I was . . . on Facebook . . . mid-gesture with no make-up, looking half-crazy!! Needless to say the photo was down in 10 minutes with a stern lecture about taking my picture AND posting it without my knowledge. A few months ago, it happened to my friend. She went to a class reunion and someone posted a photo of her – mouth wide open – just about to take a bite out of a big hamburger. I thought about the person who posted the photo and wondered ”Does he/she even like her? LOL
On the flip side, as a business owner or professional, here is where it can work for you. When you’re networking, out with a client or someone snaps a photo of you “doing what you do” and mentions your name or “tags” you, it’s great publicity. Think about it . . . if that person has 1,000 Facebook friends and/or 500 twitter followers, you’ve got exposure you couldn’t pay for. If they mention what you do along with it, they have just promoted your business.
How do you feel about having your picture taken? I would love to hear your story about a photo someone posted of you that you wish they hadn’t (or vice versa). Anyone ever ask you to take one down?
If you’re anything like me and most of my friends and family on Facebook, the dizzying changes over the past year by Mark Zuckerberg and company have left you in a love/hate relationship with Facebook. On the personal side, I have friends and family in New York that I see once a year and love to see photos of my godchildren growing, seeing them play or enjoy the holidays or hearing that my nephew’s band just recorded their album. I’ve connected with relatives I never met and am back in touch with my classmates from elementary school – shout out to P.S. 179!!
On the business side, I enjoy connecting with other small business owners and providing great articles and information I know they need. I have found invaluable resources that have helped me create the business I have today and met some great people online. On the flip side, at times I feel like I can hardly keep up with the changes. My beef: Facebook changes happen without notice, like they’re trying to sneak something by you.
I found two articles worth sharing:
Balloons. Streamers. Champagne for everyone. It’s about time!!
My favorite part of this article: “From now on, all privacy changes have to be opt-in for users, instead of Facebook changing it for you.” I mean the Feds had to get involved??? Come on, Facebook. You couldn’t come up with this by yourself? For the rest of article, read here.
Mark Zuckerberg, the beloved founder of Facebook responded by writing an article on The Facebook Blog. Sounds more like justification, but I think it should be an apology. ” . . . In the last 18 months alone, we’ve announced more than 20 new tools and resources designed to give you more control over your Facebook experience. Some of the things these include are:
• An easier way to select your audience when making a new post • Inline privacy controls on all your existing posts • The ability to review tags made by others before they appear on your profile • Friend lists that are easier to create and that maintain themselves automatically • A new groups product for sharing with smaller sets of people • A tool to view your profile as someone else would see it • Tools to ensure your information stays secure like double login approval • Mobile versions of your privacy controls • An easy way to download all your Facebook data • A new apps dashboard to control what your apps can access • A new app permission dialog that gives you clear control over what an app can do anytime you add one • Many more privacy education resources . . . “Thank you for reminding us that of the more than 20 tools we were notified in advance of practically none of them. To read the rest of what I believe should be an apology, check it out here.
Do you have a love/hate relationship with Facebook? Please share what your love (great moments) and hate (no need for me to elaborate) in the comment section below:
I’m off to Facebook to what my friends are up to.
Bullies: Be Warned.
It’s against the law. Find positive ways to channel your emotion: Journal. Turn off your computer/phone. Call a friend for support and talk it out.
Victims: Be Empowered.
Take Action. Save the evidence. Block the bully online. Tell an adult. If you’re threatened, notify the police.
Bystanders: Be A Hero.
Stand up to a bully. Be a friend to the victim. Take screenshots of the abuse. Report it. Don’t pass it on.
I had the privilege of addressing middle school and high school students this weekend on the topic of cyberbullying, sexting and protecting themselves online. Congratulations to Zeta Phi Beta Sorority – Epsilon Epsilon Zeta Chapter and thanks for the hard work you put into your Zensational Youth Conference, Empowering Youth To Achieve Great Potential.
One of the things I learned in preparation for the event was the difference between:
Cyberbullying - involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others.” Refers to intentional and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. (minors bullying minors).
Cyberstalking - is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, a group of individuals, or an organization. It may include false accusations, monitoring, making threats, identity theft, damage to data or equipment, the solicitation of minors for sex, or gathering information in order to harass. (adults involved)
Cyberharassing - pertains to threatening or harassing email messages, instant messages, or to blog entries or websites dedicated solely to tormenting an individual (adults involved)
I knew I could give them head knowledge about the laws and make sure that when they left that day, they would know exactly what was considered cyberbullying, sexting and sharing too much information online. I also knew that I wanted to talk to their hearts. Sadly the statistics and real life stories of teens who took their own lives after being subjected to cyberbullying weren’t hard to find.
The Message:
In preparation for my presentation, I found many resources that I know will be helpful to students, educators and parents alike. They can be found by following this Cyberbullying Resource link.
I’ve been missing in action on my blog. My last blog post was January 28th. I was in a car accident on the 30th of January. Thankfully I have no broken bones and didn’t end up in the hospital. The back of the insurance company card says not to discuss the accident, so all I will say is I was incredibly blessed. I am grateful to my chiropractor and medical massage therapist.
Life happens.
Even when you blog. I had to stop stressing about it. I didn’t want my blog to look abandoned, but hey . . . looks can be deceiving. Between doctor visits, dealing with both insurance companies, the rental car, dealing with the old car, searching for a new car, handling my client load, being a caregiver for my disabled brother . . . added on top of all that goes with life and living, I had to let some things go. I was more mad at the young girl that drove into the back of my car while I was stopped at the light because of all those time consuming activities. (I’d bet my last dollar she was texting, since there were no skid marks to suggest brakes were used.)
Car Shopping
Does anyone really like car shopping when you need a car as opposed to when you just want one? Looking for a car proved to be almost as painful as being in the accident. I was going for a “previously loved” vehicle. I found out quickly that when you’re looking for a specific car, that makes it even more challenging. Since I use social media, I was so hoping that the company I purchased my car from would provide me with such a wonderful experience that it would warrant me shouting how wonderful they were from the social media rooftops of Facebook, Twitter, Google Places and Yelp. It was not to be so.
Here’s why I couldn’t.
Lies of Omission -
I am well aware of Caveat Emptor . . . Buyer Beware. After looking over the car and taking it for a test drive, the salesman shook my hand. Is it a deal? “Yes,” I said, “It’s a deal”. He kept shaking my hand. He shook my hand about 3 times before I signed the paperwork, which I felt was kind of odd. At the end of the test drive, he had me pull the car up in the “buyer’s circle”, a spot in front with stripes painted on the pavement, a way to announce to the showroom that he sold a car. Whateva.
As he walked inside to start the paperwork, I decided to walk around the car one last time to marvel at my find, and discovered two cracks on the lights in the back. I called him back to the car to ask him about them and he started going on about how we would have to start back over from the purchase price and re-negotiate our way back down, and that it might be more money, yada yada yada. Then he started talking to the guy who was taking the car to detail it and let it slip that he had a discussion with the previous owner who told him it would cost $170 to replace each one and he decided not to. You even know how much it cost? Oh yea? Ya don’t say?!
A few days later, it hit me. He was trying to hide the cracked tail lights.!!! While he was showing us the car, he kept the trunk open the entire time we walked around the car. On top of it, the trunk had soil in it, as if someone bought plants or sod. I thought it was so strange that he never closed the trunk, that I whispered something to my mechanic about it.
Forgot to mention
Just as he was about to bring the paperwork to be signed, he stops to tell me that there is still a lien on the car and that I would have to get temporary plates until the lien was satisfied. Forgot to mention that earlier, did ya? OK. No problem. Mind you, it was 5 days including numerous emails and text messages between the time I test drove the car and picked it up.
About three weeks later, when I realized we didn’t get the new registration, I sent an email to the sales guy. I haven’t heard back from him yet. A couple of days later, I called the office and was transferred to the correct department. Of course, when I was purchasing the car, he answered every email, phone call and text message right away. At this point, even if it was no longer his responsibility, he could have sent an email back saying who I should have contacted or forwarded my email to the right person. They ended up having to overnight a new temporary tag.
Not only did this salesperson ask me to refer my friends and family, but to add insult to injury – I received an email from the company asking me to “like” their Facebook page.
Fact is I knew it was good car. I had to remove the salesperson from the equation – imagine that. I did my due diligence – saw the Carfax, brought my mechanic with me, took it for a test drive it and searched online for reviews about the year, make and model.
BACK TO MY POINT - People may not remember what you did, but they remember how you made them feel.
I felt like I had been taken for a ride. I felt like I had been duped. What else was he hiding from me? This wasn’t one of the cars I found on Craigslist or off some “no name” used car lot. This was a major dealership, whose brand is about cars that retain their value, great on mileage, repairs, etc. I was so uneasy about the deal, that I started looking for another car to buy and wanted to cancel everything. But by now I was worn out. The thought of driving miles and miles to look at another car, almost brought me to brink of insanity. I had another car in my sights, but lacking the time and stamina, I reluctantly gave up the search.
To all you business people and sales folks out there . . .
One of your greatest assets is a returning client. Treat us well.
This blog post could have been all about you!!
Photo credits: Missing
Confused about marketing your small business on Twitter? You are not alone.
I’ve seen it a hundred times. I’m always searching for targeted followers on Twitter and it never fails. Screening the results from Twellow or a Twitter search, I am left to look at Twitter profiles with no activity . . . crickets. No tweets. Maybe, the last tweet was a year ago, or all the tweets are the same. Or their page is filled with tweets that they posted. No interaction. No retweets. No replies. Nothing. Squat. No conversation. Crickets. What image does that portray?
My conclusion: They don’t know why they’re on Twitter
So many business people I talk to can’t seem to figure out how to use Twitter to help their company grow. That’s how I felt when I heard about Twitter. I thought Twitter was totally ridiculous and one more fruitless distraction being pushed by this generation. Boy, was I wrong. Fortunately, I made a deal with myself years ago, that I wouldn’t dismiss anything until I’ve looked into it enough to know if it’s for me or not. I’m always afraid of being stuck in the past, because I don’t embrace new things. Like one of those 50 year old ladies still wearing blue eye shadow like they did in junior high. Outdated and not knowing it – one of my worst fears. Yes, you guessed it. I don’t like change. Thankfully, I was wrong about Twitter. And, luckily, you don’t have to be a social media expert or a marketing guru if you’re thinking about including Twitter in your overall marketing strategy.
Lets Define Twitter
Twitter is a social networking web site. Some call it one of “The Big Three”, which include LinkedIn and Facebook. If you’ve ever updated your status on Facebook, then Twitter will be a breeze. Status updates are called “tweets” and are limited to 140 characters. Type in your message and hit the “Tweet” button. The people you connect with are called “followers” who can be acquaintances, family members, friends, or any of the 174 million people on Twitter.
Here is the link for Twitter’s Help Center.
Common Uses For Twitter
What people get hung up on is not knowing how they will use Twitter. Figuring that out is half the battle. There are countless ways to use Twitter, but the main uses include sharing news, instant updates, and communication with friends and family. You can share links to articles, blogs and news or share photos and videos. For example, a New Jersey mayor used Twitter during their last snow storm and showed up at the homes of followers who tweeted with a shovel to dig them out. LA Fire fighters employ Twitter to keep the community abreast of potential fires and other emergencies. You just have to think back to the latest natural disaster, and you can see how Twitter has changed how journalists give up-to-the-minute news updates. While companies and public services are beginning to use Twitter more and more, most Twitter users use the web site to keep family and friends updated on their current activities.
7 steps to take before you abandon your Twitter account or use it in a way that doesn’t project the image and brand you want:
1) Use Twitter Search or Twellow to locate targeted followers
2) Follow those people and observe (what they respond to, what interests them, etc.)
3) Take a look at what your competition is doing (they’re on Twitter too)
4) Do some keyword research. It’s important to know what keywords and phrases your target market is typing in Google, when looking for the products and services your sell.
5) Defining your Who, What When Where, Why & How: Who is your Target Audience? What information do you want to share? When will you schedule time to tweet? Where will you get information to share (news articles, blogs, quotes) ? Why is Twitter good for your business? How will you communicate your brand? (as an expert, authority, a resource, friend, confidante) You’ll be better able to answer these questions after you’ve gone through steps 1 through 4.
6) Using those keywords and phrases, write about 20 tweets. Remember the 140 character limit (keep to 120 characters if you won’t people to retweet to their followers).
7) Schedule an hour or two with a Social Media Consultant (and you don’t have to look very far 
. We can either take care of all of this for you, or you can present the information you’ve gathered. Having someone with knowledge and experience in Social Media is invaluable. The recommendations, tips and tools given to you will save you both time and money.
Social media has become a marketing platform that no business professional can afford to ignore. Whether you work for a Fortune 500 company or yourself, social media content can also nicely complement your SEO initiatives if you engage regularly.
Choose a small group of important keywords that you will use time and again in all your social media content postings. Link these keywords to the URL for which you want to improve your search rankings. Links increase your website’s credibility and thus, its ranking.
Do not use all ten words in every posting. Use only one or two per posting and control your urge to hyperlink. You should never sacrifice clarity or readability for SEO efforts!
One of my favorite coffee shops (with free Wi-Fi, I must add) has closed its doors. The obituary as it appeared on Facebook.
XYZ Coffee Shop closed its doors yesterday, December 1, 2010. We would like to sincerely thank all our patrons and friends for all the support!!! We just wish more people had been as supporting as you. We do this with a very heavy heart and wish all of you a Wonderful Holiday Season with all your loved ones!!! Auld Lang Syne to XYZ Coffee Shop.
This place was what you think of when you think of a coffee house. A red chaise lounge, leather club chairs, new local artwork featured monthly . . . bohemian, great vibe. Not something you expect to find in Orlando, so as a New Yorker, I thought of it as my second home. Besides remembering your name, the person behind the counter brought your food over on a nice plate, or beverages in a nice mug, without you leaving your seat. Service was off the chain.
Me and my trusty laptop, Thor, would be there for hours on end (too embarrassed to say how many), and most times I was the only one there. As a person who knows the power of Social Media, it frustrated me.
In New York, when you ask someone to recommend someone, you’ll hear them say “I have a guy”. Everyone had a guy. For car repair, jewelry, tailor, you name it. Location Based Networking can work on the same premise. Imagine this conversation “Where do you go for coffee? I like to go to XYZ Coffee Shop, because I get a free shot of “espresso” in my coffee every other time I check in on Foursquare”
Then imagine a customer going to check in to their favorite local spot only to find out that someone else is the Mayor and getting the free espresso. Don’t you think there’s a possibility they will visit more often in the attempt to dethrone the Mayor? Whatever the reason, they’re visiting more and buying more coffee. Click here for great examples of Foursquare check in specials
Like it or not, your customers are checking in on Foursquare, putting reviews of your store on Yelp and tweeting about you. Do you know how many establishments I’ve been in where I’m checking in on Foursquare and the manager has no idea what I’m talking about?
1. Educate Yourself. It can be a lot to keep up with, so just take one social network at a time and study what it is and how to use it.
2. Set up a profile on each network. In some instances you’ll have to “claim your business”
3. Decide what discounts or freebies to give, if any. (Don’t let this jam you up. You can always add later.
4. Have a staff meeting and make sure your employees know about Foursquare, Yelp, Facebook Places. Gather them around the computer and show them how people are checking in and what they’re saying.
5. Have an index card or notes by the front desk, cash register or employee area, so that if someone says “I’m the Mayor on Foursquare”, or “I just checked in”, everyone from the manager to the bus boy, knows how to respond. List discount/freebie for each site and how it’s claime
6. IN THE STORE: There should be no doubt to anyone walking by, driving by or visiting your store, where to find you online. From window stickers to, menus to, business cards and flyers make sure that once they leave your store they know where to connect with you online
7. ONLINE: All your sites (including your website, Blog, Facebook , Twitter, Yelp) should have links to all your sites. Some people like Facebook, others are in to Twitter. Make sure they can connect with you wherever they like to hang out online.
Feel free to post your questions in the comment section below.
And if you need help setting up your profiles, understanding how they work or just have questions, click here and see how I can help.
photo courtesy of Flickr
Not sure what to do once your Fan page is up? My motto with social media – Always start with a strategy. Get out the pen and paper, pull out the laptop and brainstorm. Organize your ideas and implement. Here are some strategies to help:
Knowing your customers interests is vital to keep them coming back. What information do they need? By posting articles and links to useful information on your wall, your Fan page also becomes an opportunity to showcase yourself as an expert. Provide these things for your customers and they will return to your page time and time again. Resist the urge to make every status update about you, your product/service and how wonderful they are. It can cause customers to “unlike” your page or hide you from their newsfeed.
Interact with customers. Make use of all of the Facebook tools. Ask questions. Respond to comments. Be cautious about listing your entire product line or list of services. A sample on your fan page could lead new customers to visit your website for more information. Spamming or is always a bad idea, but targeting offers to customers who show interest can lead to increased customer loyalty. Remember the 80/20 rule – 80% of status updates should be informational, with the remaining 20% mentioning your products/services.
Pictures and personal information put a face on a company. As long as you present an image that enhances your business, personalizing your Fan page is a great way to get followers. There’ s a fine line between sharing personal vs private information. Remember that everything you post on your Fan page is indexed in the search engines and is public, so use discretion. You can mention a hobby, a pet or mention the milestone in your child’s life (graduation, birthday, awards,etc).
Fill out your profile completely with links to your website and other social networking accounts like LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogs, Flickr, etc.. Keep article, photo andvideocontent current. It’s not enough to throw up a page and be done with it. Make sure to respond to customers who become fans. (There are settings that hide customer comments, so make sure you check those settings.) Another think you can do is in groups and other Pages related to your business.
You can use your Fan page as a mini-website, but Facebook moves fast. Don’t be afraid to try the latest thing. Explore webinars, and other interactive media as options to improve business relationships. You can sign into YouTube and search ‘Facebook tutorials”. Here are a few of my favorites:
Creating a Facebook fan page is just the first step toward integrating social media into your marketing plan. Don’t forget to provide links from your website to your Fan page. There are no hard and fast rules, but updating your page more than 2x a day may cause customers to “unlike” your page or hide it from their Newsfeed. Be sure to connect your Facebook fan page to other social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, Blogs), so your network will grow. In no time your Fan page will be the central hub of your successful online marketing campaign.
*Facebook Fan pages” are sometimes referred to “Facebook Business pages”
Please feel free to use the comments section to ask questions.
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