If you don't know Jay Berkowitz you may think, "Oh - Great a new guy hawking his wares on Ning" - Think Again!

• Beg for links from everyone you know (how long is that list? people you know with ranked websites that are relevant to your own website?)
• Cruise the Internet chat rooms and discussion boards, posting messages and creating links back with your signature in these posts (Most likely marked No Follow by the discussion board webmaster)
• Offer a link exchange - Ok if you know the other website or blog owner, but not usually too effective with ranked sites with any real Google Juice and Google will actually deduct from your ... ]]> Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:58:15 +0000 http://tradingassistantjournal.com/forum/marketing-news/internet-business-initiative-2009-customer-service-is-paramount/#p13 Marketing News http://tradingassistantjournal.com/forum/marketing-news/internet-business-initiative-2009-customer-service-is-paramount/#p13 Customer Service is the Difference The winners of 2008 include companies like Amazon.com, Zappos.com and Apple.  These outstanding companies have one thing in common, the perception (at least) that they provide outstanding customer service to their customers.
  • I can say that I have personally done business this holiday season with all three of these high quality merchants and they all provide outstanding service from the buyers perspective.
  • I was pleased with each and every transaction and in each incidence I felt as if I had gotten the better part of the deal.  Is that because I got a discount?
  • No, Apple made me pay what everyone else pays, so did Zappos and in most cases Amazon.  The difference was that I received what I bargained for and more... I felt good about the transactions in each case, people like to feel good.
  Some of the key features of this high quality customer service first approach include:
  • Clean, well organized websites with easy checkout procedures, fast shipping options and full disclosure of product availability
  • Great telephone or website support and service before and after the sale.
  • Free shipping options - in the case of Zappos, free shipping for returns up to 365 days after the sale.
  • Liberal return policies - well spelled out and unquestioned - no ambiguity, either the customer is happy or they get their money back - period.
  • Under promise and over deliver - in each case these companies estimate shipping times longer than usual so the customer is pleasantly surprised when the item arrives at the door early.
  • Online account access - see where your shipment is, access previous orders, track your own purchase habits and save items for purchase at a later date. All great features in an ecommerce environment.
  Zappos really rules the roost with their liberal 365 day return policy, no questions asked, including free return shipping.  I just signed up for the free VIP membership at Zappos (special deal for Twitter followers of Zappos - Do a search in Twitter for Zappos VIP) The VIP membership offers me free overnight shipping on all orders, it also almost guarantees that when I think of buying shoes, I will think of Zappos.com.  Amazon.com has a similar service with the Prime membership but in Amazons case the customer pays a yearly prime membership fee ($79.99).  Apple just kills you with quick, uncompromising service and delivery and a top of the line product.  There are no deals at Apple, but then they have no need to offer discounts - people just keep buying.

  The big customer service losers of 2008 include:

  • eBay - Constantly changing the platform and rules, alienating the sellers, collecting bad press like a skinhead organization, eBay just has really seemed to been on a mission to kill the golden goose.  In an effort to provide better CS for buyers they have alienated the best of their sellers who have made the move or will make the move elsewhere in 2009.  I really have no idea how eBay will recover from 2008 yet somehow I sincerely hope that they do. One wonders however when the very people who built eBay into a cult like merchants organization have left the building. ebay customer service on the phone or in email, heck in any way you can imagine has to be the very worst on this planet we call earth.  I can not say how frustrating it is to deal with "Trust and Safety" Billing, or any other eBay department.  ebay has been king of the roost for a long time and as such they have become blinded by success and immune to requests for better CS and a possible change where it counts.  If ebay does not start treating the people who use the platform and pay the fees better in 2009, look for a further drop in stock price and other less than happy changes.
  • Cell Phone Companies - It does not matter which carrier you have, the public at large is getting fed up with the entire cell phone industry. 2 year contracts tied to discounted phones is just not a good deal for the consumer. Especially when the cell phone companies seem to provide less service to each customer in the process. I have read and heard complaints about each and every cell provider with the result being that the customer is forced to break a contract and pay a fee to get away from the service provider.  This should be illegal in my opinion, if the service is not pleasing the customer, then allow the customer to go on his or her merry way.  Bad Bad Customer Service Cell Phone companies!
  • Brick and Mortar merchants attempting online operations -Circuit City, Barnes & Noble, The list goes on - Poster Child = Sears.com
  I have shopped at Sears.com and from within the mall store version a many times this holiday season.  The experience has been enlightening and frustrating all at the same time.  The most glaring problem I noted is the differential in pricing between online and at the store, and not the way you may be thinking... Across the board it seemed to me that the prices on major items was less in the store than on the website at Sears.com.   Sears has decided to put a premium on convenience which just drives the online shopper elsewhere. In every case where I checked prices on the Internet, I always found the lesser price at another merchant, usually at Amazon. Additionally the online shopper is very limited in what they can do with their account online. There is no way to track completed orders, no way to save items in the shopping cart for later purchase, items placed in a shopping cart can change price virtually while the customer continues to shop the site and the general navigation of the site is slow and clunky. I placed an order for a very nice point and shoot camera from Sears.com in plenty of time to get the item before Christmas.  8 days later I get an email from Sears that my item is out of stock, will not ship and the entire order of 6 items was canceled.  No explanation, no we will tell you when these items are in stock again, no offer for a similar item - Bad customer service! Brick and mortar needs to study what and how the best of the best do ecommerce in 2009, they need to provide high quality customer service that companies like Zappos and Amazon provide.  Our world is quickly changing from a get it quick only competition to a get it quick and give me service mind set.  The customers will still shop online if they know the service is there backing up the order.  They will leave in a heartbeat if any one function related to customer service is ignored or not addressed.

  How do I apply these lessons in my small business you ask?

  Make Customer Service the most important part of your entire marketing budget.

  Give customer service the attention it deserves in your own company. If you excel or even perform adequately with your customer service department (even if you are it) then you will stand out in the dismal landscape of customer service experience the average US consumer is presented with.  Outsourcing the CS tasks to foreign countries or hiring workers who can only read a script is not the way to win customer loyalty.  Every company in America wishes it had the fanatical following of consumers that Apple has, yet no one seems to step up to the plate and do what it takes to earn that trust.  Do what it takes, make the right moves, think about what your customer wants, and give it to them.  People will buy again and again, bull market or bear, if you treat them with respect and give them more than they expect elsewhere. Be a Customer Service Oriented Business in 2009! You will certainly reap rewards beyond anything you may expect. ]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:49:27 +0000 http://tradingassistantjournal.com/forum/organic-social-marketing/twitter-tool-for-business-twitter-tools-for-you-how-i-use-twitter-and-why-you-should-too/#p10 Organic - Social Marketing http://tradingassistantjournal.com/forum/organic-social-marketing/twitter-tool-for-business-twitter-tools-for-you-how-i-use-twitter-and-why-you-should-too/#p10 Twitter - Twitter - Twitter [caption id="" align="alignright" width="400" caption="Thinking About Twitter?"][/caption] Twitter is now mainstream and big time, if you have not heard of Twitter yet you must have been hiding in some deep dark cavern. Oprah Winfry, Regis Philbin and Ellen DeGeneris are all talking about Twitter. Nearly every local television news department in the USA has a dedicated Twitter specialist and all your friends with iPhones or Blackberrys are using it, but what the heck is it and how does it help your life or business?
  • Twitter is communication on a global scale in 142 character mini messages.
  • Twitter is Niche building at its best - Twitter about your niche and your audience will find you
  • Twitter is a way to learn what the thought leaders in your industry are thinking and doing
  • Twitter is the most productive and possibly the most time consuming social networking application you may ever use
  • Every Twitter "Tweet" is indexed by Google - Content you control with your business name
  • Twitter can be a customer service tool, a prospecting tool, an advertising vehicle or just a personal messaging interface - you choose one or all
  Twitter basically is the worlds largest chat room only you decide with whom you chat and who's messages you see on your twitter application of choice. Each message is called a "tweet". Colloquialisms such as Tweeps (Twitter speak for another slang word Peeps or People) have sprung up around the culture that is Twitter. Twitter can be used directly from the twitter.com website or by downloading any number of different desktop or cell phone applications. I use an adobe air application called Twhirl and sometimes a more advanced tool called TweetDeck (TweetDeck takes up more room on the desktop than Twhirl. On my blackberry I use TwitterBerry but because of the huge popularity of Twitter there are new and exciting applications and tools launched every day (see below).

  Follow me - Follow Who?

  You can follow anyone on twitter, yet that person may or may not follow your account back. This is OK because say... if you were President Barak Obama and selected "follow" for everyone who followed you on Twitter, the messages would buzz by on the screen at blazing speed. President Obama has almost 1/2 Million followers on twitter yet he has submitted only 264 updates to his twitter followers mostly during the campaign. (Barak should update more - to be of value to his followers, but I digress....). Some popular or influential people have tens of thousands of followers, these people have the power to shut down unprepared websites with a single tweet if they include a url or domain name in the message. Gaining followers is the name of the game on twitter.

  Twitter for Business

  Twitter is a very interesting tool for business use. Remember though that Twitter is a Social Networking tool, not a Television ad placement. Posting Tweets with simple product information or hawking your wares in an old fashioned marketing manner will gain you little in the way of influential followers. Your goal is to inspire curiosity and trust, not sell a widget with each tweet. Smart twitter users keep seperate twitter accounts for different interests such as business and personal. (You don't want your business followers reading some of those personal tweets - now do you?). I maintain several Twitter accounts under different names for business and personal reasons.
  1. iBusinessLogic - Is my web development business twitter account - This is also tied in with my iBusinessLogic Blog and will tweet new posts.
  2. Scott_Pooler - Is mostly my personal account but I do tweet about business there as well (Tied in with the Trading Assistant Journal)
  3. GlobalLinkUSA - Twitter account of MerchantRun GlobalLink in the USA - This account is used to update users of the software as well as promotion of the Software as a Service eBay Marketplaces management tool.
  4. BonanzleStore - BonanzleStore is not yet launched but this account is tied in with Bonanzle-Webstore.com to promote the new BonanzleStore platform providing Bonanzle merchants with an enhanced experience for eCommerce sales.
  5. BonanzleUp! - BonanzleUp! is the Twitter account of BonanazleUp.com a central location for Bonanzle Meetup event organizers to plan and discuss localized Bonanzle merchants conferences around the country.
  As you can see, I believe in the use of Twitter for many different reasons and applications. I do not see it as a time waster or simply a fad or passing tool kids use. Twitter is used regularly by Corporate executives and housewives alike, it can be whatever you want it to be yet for business and Internet business in particular it has become the most valuable relationship building tool I have ever experienced. I converse regularly with people who I have met on Twitter and these people have not only been helpful but they have also sent me referrals and business. Jason Calacanis of Mahalo.com and formerly Weblogs Inc has said that every follower on twitter could be worth a dollar in your pocket. I can state that Jason is absolutely correct in that statement if not possibly understating the value, becuase I have personally seen the Twitter income effect add to my bottom line.

  Twitter Tools

  Whether you want to achieve your Twitter goals, or just use it as a tool to achieve others, these tools will help you get there. Twitter Analysis If your goal is to be popular and influential on Twitter, be sure to check out these tools that will tell you how you’re doing.
  1. Twitter Grader: Learn your Twitter grade, your localTwitter Elite, and find new people to follow through Twitter Grader.
  2. Twitterholic: Check out the top Twitter users and find out your Twitter stats on Twitterholic.
  3. TweetStats: TweetStats offers a graphical analysis of your Twitter stats.
  4. TwitterFriends: Carefully measure your Twitter conversations using Twitter Friends.
  5. Twinfluence:Twinfluence will measure your Twitter influence based on reach, velocity, and social capital.
  6. Tweetwasters:Find out how much time you and other users waste on Twitter.
  7. Tweet-Rank: Learn about the quality of your tweets by finding out which ones won or lost followers.
  8. Mr. Milestone: Get a tweet when you reach various milestones using this Twitter tool.
  9. Retweetrank: Find out how many retweets you and other Twitter users have through this service.
  Information Gathering With these tools, you and gather information for market research, blog posts, and your own simple curiosity.
  1. Tweetbeep: With Tweetbeep, you can set up alerts that will help you keep track of keywords on Twitter.
  2. @myflightinfo:Use @myflightinfo to stay updated on your flight’s status.
  3. Twitterverse:Check out archived timelines and tweets through Twitterverse.
  4. Twitscoop:Twitscoop shares what’s hot on Twitter at any given moment.
  5. Twitbuzz:Twitbuzz tracks the latest conversations as well as popular Twitterlinks.
  6. StrawPoll:Use StrawPoll to make sharing your opinion as easy as sending an @reply.
  7. Retweetist:This service ranks the hottest links being retweeted on Twitter.
  8. Monitter:Get real time keyword monitoring on Twitter from Monitter.
  9. TweetNews:TweetNews ranks stories based on the amount of related tweets.
  10. TwitterBuzz:TwitterBuzz will tell you what’s being linked to the most onTwitter.
  11. Tweetscan:Set up Tweetscan to make sure you don’t miss any @replies,and to get alerted of your search queries.
  Network Building & Management Find more relevant Twitter users with the help of these tools.
  1. Twitter Local: With this service, you can see tweets from Twitter users in a specific location.
  2. Twubble:Twubble will expand your Twitter bubble, picking out people you may like to follow.
  3. MyCleenr:Sort your friends by their last tweets, and you can get rid of the inactive and useless accounts you’re following.
  4. Follow Cost: This tool will tell you how much effortit takes to follow someone.
  5. Tweepler:Use Tweepler to organize your tweeps based on whether you’re following them or not.
  6. Just Tweet It: Find Tweeple, tools, Twitter botsand more through this directory.
  7. TweetWheel:TweetWheel will help you discover which of your Twitter friends know each other.
  8. SocialToo:SocialToo will help you keep track of all of the people who have followed or unfollowed you.
  9. Twitoria:Reduce your clutter on Twitter by finding your friends that haven’t tweeted in a long time.
  10. TwitDir:With TwitDir, you’ll be able to search for people, and exploring categories including top followers and updaters.
  11. Who Should I Follow?: Using this site, you can get good recommendations for Tweeps to follow.
  12. Nearbytweets:Learn about all of the Twitter users in a specific area with the help of Nearbytweets.
  13. Twellow:Find Twitter users in a specific industry using this service.
  14. Mr. Tweet:Mr. Tweet is a personal networking assistant for Twitter, helping you find relevant followers.
  15. Qwitter:Qwitter will help you manage your network by sending an alert when a person unfollows you.
  Twitter Management Save your time and cull your Twitter list with the help of these tools.
  1. Summize:Retrieve information on Twitter quickly to search Twitter in real time.
  2. Tweet O’Clock: Trying to reach someone? Tweet O’Clock will help you find the best time to get theirattention.
  3. Just Signal: Set up a filter using Just Signal toget only the tweets that discuss the keywords you’d like toread about.
  4. TweepSearch ut your Twitter network to good use and search your followers forspecific parameters.
  5. Friend or Follow: Manage your Twitter contacts andfind out who’s not following you back through Friend orFollow.
  6. TwitResponse:TwitResponse makes it easy for you to schedule the delivery of yourtweets ahead of time.
  7. TwitterSnooze ut the pause button on a particular user for a while with TwitterSnooze.
  8. Twitterless:Get notified when someone stops following you with Twitterless.
  9. Twilert:Track specific keywords to receive alerts for using Twilert.
  10. Tweetdeck:Tweetdeck has a groups function that will help you more efficientlyfollow the people you really want to listen to.
  11. Twalala ut the mute button on certain people and topics for a while if you arereceiving lots of updates you’re not really interested in.
  Sharing Tools Promote your business, share photos, and more using these Twitter tools.
  1. Tweetburner:Use Tweetburner to share links, and you can track their usage.
  2. Twitpic:Twitpic makes it easy to take mobile phone photos and share them usingyour Twitter account.
  3. TwitterHawk:Get targeted marketing on Twitter through TwitterHawk.
  4. Acamin:Acamin makes it easy to share files on Twitter with your followers.
  5. Glue ost links to books, movies, restaurants and more on Twitter throughGlue.
  6. Ping.fm:This service will update all of your social networks at once.
  7. TweeTube:TweeTube makes it easy to share videos on Twitter.
  8. twiggit:Use this automated service to share the articles you digg on Twitter.
  9. Twisten.fm:Share what you’re listening to on Twitter through Twisten.fm.
  Organization & Productivity These Twitter tools will make your life a bit more streamlined.
  1. Twittercal:Link your Twitter account and Google Calendar to easily keep up withyour events and appointments.
  2. Timer:Use Timer to get reminders about tasks through your Twitter account.
  3. TwitterNotes:Organize your notes using Twitter with TwitterNotes.
  4. Remember the Milk: Use Remember the Milk on Twitter toupdate your to do list.
  5. Tweetake:Tweetake will back up your Twitter timeline for archiving and more.
  6. Nozbe:Nozbe makes it easy to add and update your to do list on Twitter.
  7. Toodledo:This popular to do list app integrates nicely with Twitter.
  8. TrackThis:Send TrackThis your tracking number, and you’ll get Twittermessages every time there’s a change in location.
  9. Joint Contact: Get project management productivityon Twitter using Joint Contact.
  10. Tempo:This time tracking tool allows you to send in updates from Twitter.
  11. Tweet Later: Tweet Later offers a great way to setup alerts, schedule tweets, send thank you DMs, and more.
  12. OutTwit:OutTwit will make it easy for you to use Twitter inside of Outlook.
  13. Jott:Jott makes it easy for you to tweet without ever having to type,transcribing your voice message to Twitter.
  Life Tools With these tools, you can work on relationships, life tracking, and more.
  1. MyMileMarker:Keep track of your mileage with info sent via Twitter every time youfill up.
  2. 21Tweets:21Tweets offers personal coaching on Twitter.
  3. TwtTRIP:Organize your travel plans and find other Twitter travelers on your waywith TwtTRIP.
  4. Tweet Answers: Twitter Answers makes it easy to askquestions and get answers on Twitter.
  5. Twtvite:Twtvite is a simple event organizer that will help you create a tweetup.
  6. Vacatweet:Set up an autoresponder for your Twitter account with Vacatweet.
  7. plusplusbot:Share when someone goes out of their way to help you, or otherwise makeyour feelings known using plusplusbot.
  8. TrackDailyGoals:Use this site and the #dailygoals hashtag to keep track of your goalsevery day.
  9. ConnectTweet ut the voices of your group or business together through ConnectTweet.
  10. Tweeteorology:Find tweets about the weather in any location through Tweeteorology.
  11. DreamTweet:Keep a reminder of your dreams and nightmares, and follow the dreams ofothers through DreamTweet.
  Business & Finance Use these tools to improve your business and finances through Twitter.
  1. Chipin:If you’re raising funds on Twitter, make use of Chipin to seta goal and let your supporters track the progress of the campaign.
  2. Xpenser:You can Twitter your expenses to Xpenser and they will be recorded foryou.
  3. Twittertise:Schedule your tweets and track their clickthroughs with this appdesigned for Twitter advertising.
  4. TwtQpon:Create simple Twitter coupons for your business with TwtQpon.
  5. CheapTweet:Get all of the deals, sales, coupons and more being discussed onTwitter through CheapTweet.
  6. Tipjoy:Like Chipin, Tipjoy offers a way to create social payments for yourcause, content, or people.
  7. SalesTwit:Get contact management for Twitter with the help of SalesTwit.
  8. Tweet What You Spend: Track your cash in a reallyeffective way using Tweet What You Spend.
  9. StockTwits:StockTwits shares the investment discussions on Twitter in real time.
  Health Track your health using these Twitter tools.
  1. Qwitter:Update Qwitter to shame yourself into quitting smoking.
  2. TweetPlot:Use TweetPlot to chart your food and fitness statistics.
  3. Tweetwhatyoueat:Keep a food diary to track what you’re eating every day usingTweetwhatyoueat.
  4. gtFtr:Use the gtFtr tool to record your exercise activity on Twittr.
  5. SugarStats:Track, monitor, and share your blood sugar through Twitter withSugarStats.
  6. FoodFeed:This Twitter-based food log makes it easy for you to track whatyou’re eating.
  Blogging Bring your blog life and Twitter life together with these tools.
  1. Add to Any: Get your posts shared on Twitter byusing Add to Any on your WordPress blog.
  2. TwitThis:Make use of this plugin to send Twitter messages about your blog post.
  3. MyTwitter:Use the MyTwitter plugin to display your Twitter status on WordPress.
  4. Twitpress:Twitpress will send out a Tweet every time you post a new blog entry.
  5. TwitterCounter:With this plugin, you can display the number of followers you have onTwitter.
  6. TwitterFeed:Announce your blog post on Twitter with a customized message usingTwitterFeed.

  Additional Twitter Applications

  
  Category: Browser Plugins

  • BigTweet
  • CloudBerry TweetIE
  • DashBlog
  • DM Whacker
  • ffwd
  • Friendbar
  • Glue
  • Instant Tweets
  • Mahalo Share
  • Power Twitter
  • Tw-autocomplete
  • TweetStalk
  • Twippera
  • TwitBin
  • TwitKit
  • Twitlet
  • TwitSnip
  • Twitter Auto Replace URL with bit.ly URL
  • Twitter Friends Bio
  • Twitter Integration into Google Search
  • Twitter Search and Tools
  • Twitter Search Bar
  • Twitter Toolbar
  • TwitterBar
  • TwitterFox
  • TwittyTunes
  • Twitzer
  • twshot
  • wwwitter
  • yoono
  Category: Desktop
  • 2tweet
  • AlertThingy
  • Blogo
  • blt
  • Celly
  • chirrup
  • DestroyTwitter
  • Digsby
  • EventBox
  • Excel to Twitter
  • feedalizr
  • Filttr
  • gtwitter
  • Gwibber
  • Hummingbird
  • jata
  • MadTwiter
  • Natsulion
  • OutTwit
  • Posty
  • Pwytter
  • pyTwit
  • Skitter
  • Snitter
  • Spaz
  • Statuzer
  • teletwitter
  • The Twitter Toolbar
  • TikiTwit
  • Togi
  • Toro
  • TTYtter
  • Twadget
  • Tweet-SQL
  • Tweetahead
  • TweetByMail
  • TweetDeck
  • Tweeter
  • Tweetr
  • TweetSpeak
  • TweetyBot
  • twessenger
  • twhirl
  • twibble
  • Twinja
  • Twit4Live
  • Twitgit
  • TwitSaver
  • Twitter CLI
  • Twitter Deskbar
  • Twitter for Vim
  • Twitter Public Timeline Screensaver
  • Twitter4R
  • Twittereeze
  • Twitterified
  • Twitterlex
  • Twitterlicious
  • Twitteroo
  • TwitterPost
  • Twitterrific
  • TwitterYM
  • Twitulater
  • Twitux
  • twtcard
  • Twype
  • What's up?
  • Witty
  • Yahoo Messenger Twitter Sync Plugin

  Similar Applications:

  1. Twitter Auto Replace URL with bit.ly URL
  2. Twitter Integration into Google Search
  3. Twitter Search and Tools
  4. The Twitter Toolbar
  5. Tweet Manager
  ]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:45:55 +0000 http://tradingassistantjournal.com/forum/organic-social-marketing/meetupcom-getting-together-business-and-social-networking-locally/#p8 Organic - Social Marketing http://tradingassistantjournal.com/forum/organic-social-marketing/meetupcom-getting-together-business-and-social-networking-locally/#p8 Find a Meetup Near You [This article is re-published here from the Examiner.com] No one would argue that as a civilization we as humans have evolved. From pre-historic times when humans huddled together in small groups to survive the rigors of the natural elements they lived within, to the days of vast nation states that massed the will of their people into one awe inspiring force. Social networks of all kinds have been at the core of the human experience. In the world of today we all seem to have grown more insular.  Many times we look out at the world from behind a computer screen and from within the walls of small cubicles.  Email, chat, discussion forums, twitter friends and online dating all tend to keep us from make the most basic of all human connections - the face to face handshake. As a person who is wrapped up in the Internet and all of the possibilities it affords and opportunity it offers I have seen and experienced the effects of being immersed in a world where friendships and connections are made from behind a keyboard.  The people you chat with online are mostly all real, but the Internet social experience can never match the tried and true old fashioned world of face to face networking. This is why groups have sprung up around the world in an effort to climb out from the cubicle lives we have all been leading and actually schedule times to meet one another face to face. One of these organizations is called Meetup.  The concept is simple at Meetup.com, they provide the tools needed to organize a meetup event and the home base website which allows local meetup organizers to offer a social networking group in thier area based on any interest or dicipline the group organizer wants to bring together. The numbers of meetups are growing with 5.7 Million members scheduling 179,000 meetups each month in 11,507 cities around the world and covering 8,340 different topics.  There is certainly an interest or topic out there that you can find to fit your personality. Here in Tampa Bay there are numerous local business and Internet related meetups scheduled each and every week.  There is usually no cost to join a group, although sometimes the organizer ask for donations to help cover the costs of the meetup group fees ($20.00 a month) and the meetup location costs.  Most groups meet at local restaurants or businesses but a meetup could be scheduled anywhere, even in a public park. The idea is clearly to meet like minded people, no matter what your inclinations or interests are, there are certainly others who enjoy or want to learn more about the same topics.  From getting together to discuss bird watching to photography or small business networking, the idea is a sound and somewhat nostalgic premise.  Our parents joined the Elks or the Moose or the Rotary clubs and still do.  Somewhere along the line the majority of Americans gravitated away from these time honored groups and became more secular.  Now we are gravitating back to the social networking that our parents and grandparents knew was essential to personal and business growth. Recently I started a meetup group based in Western Pinellas County.  The Pinellas Suncoast Business Strategy Networking Workshop the premise of this group is to get together like minded small business people centered along the beach corridor of Pinellas County to discuss business ideas and challenges in an effort to share ideas and grow as a group of entrepaneurs and business managers. As an organizer of a group like this it can be a bit stressful when the time comes to actually hold the first meeting but in our case all went well. The PSBSNW meets every other Wednesday at the Holiday Inn Harborside Jimmy Guana's Restaurant at 3PM.  The group consists of only 12 members so far but as one of the members, Tammy Taylor, said at the first meeting "It only takes two people to have an effective mastermind group" Tammy Taylor is an established podcast journalist and spirtual show host. While the group may be small, the first meeting was more than any one member expected with an open atmosphere of sharing and brainstorming for each members business ideas and goals. Another member, Irit is a fine art and estate jewelery specialist originally from Israel and she was impressed with the great tips she learned about getting her fine estate jewlery online faster and more effectively through the use of new and exciting tools and software that she was unaware of before. Sheri Strykowski is a writer and has been published in national magazines and has worked on television productions. Sheri is just trying to refine her life long goal of building a sustainable internet business under her White Pineapple name and concept.  She shared an incredible networking contact tip with Tammy at the meeting, giving Tammy a possible entry into the voice over marketplace doing commercials for a nationally known marketing company. The point to coming face to face with your peers highlights the fact that not all knowlege and certainly not all social networking occurs on the Internet.  Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Friendfeed are all great places to spend a little time each day. Face to face networking still may be the most productive and rewarding social networking anyone can do - even today. Try organizing or attending a meetup in your area - based upon your interests.  You may be pleasantly surprised that old fashioned social interaction is still the number one way to expand your own horizons.
  For more info:
  Twitter
  My Company
  Trading Assistant Journal
  My Hosting Company
  My Meetup Group
  LinkedIn
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  ]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:43:35 +0000 http://tradingassistantjournal.com/forum/tools-tips/transferring-big-files-can-be-a-pain-until-now/#p2 Tools & Tips http://tradingassistantjournal.com/forum/tools-tips/transferring-big-files-can-be-a-pain-until-now/#p2 Simply put all of this can be a pain! Well, a friend of mine passed along this wonderous link to a free service aptly named: TransferBigFiles.com The service works with pure simplicity, just select the files you want to send, enter the email address of the recipient and click upload. The files will upload to Amazon S3 and a link will be sent to your friend or collegue with an explaination about how to retrieve same. So simple even a cave man could do it! (Sorry GEICO) For a bit more security you can even add your own password to the files so only your friend or associate can have access to them for download. I have used many services, I have installed flash upload managers on websites and I have been using FTP clients for years but I have to say this is the easiest and fasted way to get large files transferred to who you want, when you want - set and forget! Enjoy! ]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:19:50 +0000 http://tradingassistantjournal.com/forum/organic-social-marketing/thanks-to-linkedin-i-learned-what-an-ass-hat-award-is-from-the-daily-blonde/#p1 Organic - Social Marketing http://tradingassistantjournal.com/forum/organic-social-marketing/thanks-to-linkedin-i-learned-what-an-ass-hat-award-is-from-the-daily-blonde/#p1 [/caption] This morning, I opened my email and was of course caught in the avalanche of electronic stress messages. (Why don't I listen to Tim Ferris of the 4 Hour Work Week?). One of, well, several of these emails - 12 to be exact, was from LinkedIn. LinkedIn was informing me that I had 12 people who "had asked to be part of my network" - ahhh this is nice, lets do that for some easy mindless wakeup data processing... As I worked through the invitations and replies (mostly from colleagues at the Examiner.com), I came across one particular invite that caught my eye.

  And no... not just because this person is an attractive blonde...

  First thing that caught my eye was the tag line...

  "Creator and Owner of the Daily Blonde blog".

  In today's world you must be unique and you must say something in a short flash of time to catch peoples ever crowded trains of thought. Cheryl Phillips says to the world that she is a blonde on a daily basis - not that there is anything wrong with that... (Paraphrasing Seinfeld). To me this says Cheryl has a sense of humor and... the moxie to make something of it. I dug deeper, which in today's world is not a huge demand on journalistic resources... What I did was follow the link, on LinkedIn (get it) to the Daily Blonde Blog. The first story on The Daily Blonde was a bit of a trend follower, a cynical view of the recent Sara Palin story (Sara Palin Leaves Office Early), but something else on the homepage caught my eye. What I saw was another story of interest, which of course lead me to click another link. AssHat of the Week. [caption id="attachment_1973" align="alignleft" width="161" caption="From the Daily Blonde"][/caption]

  The Asshat of the week story leads in with:

  ...I realized that it was time to pay tribute to the irresponsible parents that seem to think I run a home daycare and restaurant for their children. So, this week’s AssHat award covers quite a few heads. It’s a big hat so there’s no problem making sure everyone fits under it.

  The story goes on to describe -in letter form - to the irresponsible parents in this single mothers neighborhood, not only that she is not the summer day care provider, but more so, that these other parents should be responsible for their own kids. Parents should feed, bathe, and make sure that their own children are safe, not pawn them off on another parent for 10-12 hours without a care.  It is an article that any responsible parent in any neighborhood in America can relate to these days.

  Why am I writing about this Asshat Award thing?

  • It is a unique article with humor and touches on a subject many of us parents have wanted to say out loud, but never had the moxie to do ourselves.
  • The entire idea of the blog has originality and style, coupled with humor and caring.  It is a recipe people obviously like.
  • I only found this blog through Social Networking and LinkedIn, now I am writing about it - This is how the Internet of Today works!
  The last point is what I wish to stress in this article.

  People are searching the world we call the Internet for information.

  No matter what business you are in, no matter what you sell, no matter who you work for or if you are an attorney or a broker or a architect or a ditch digger - there are people out there that want to know what you know and they will find the information you publish - if you leave enough "clues" to follow. Clues in the form on links, links in the form of: LinkedIn profiles, Twitter accounts (with active tweets), Facebook profiles, forum posts and more...

  People will follow these clues, bread crumbs, links, Tweets, opinions... all back to you.

  These are the people you are looking for as an audience, they will find you and see you as a leader if you publish the information they are searching for.  Without an audience, there are no leaders, without leaders the audience continues to search...  Find your audience and help them to make you a leader, let them stop searching for your information, give them what they want no matter what that is.

  Just Do IT!

  Get out in the world and write something, post a video or take a picture - people will find and admire what you have to say or share, if you make an effort to share good things and if you spend some time contributing to other peoples lives by sharing and recognizing others that share as I am doing today. I had never even heard of Cheryl Phillips and the Daily Blonde before, even though she is a blogger of note and one who should be followed:

  With an Alexa rating of approximately 150,000, over 1600 email subscribers and an average “stay” on The Daily Blonde by readers of over 3 minutes. She also spreads the word about her blog to over 16,000+ Twitter followers every day. Cheryl is currently ranked in the top 50 Twitter users and was written up as one of the Top 10 Women on Twitter in the world.

  Cheryl is a stay at home mom with more kids than she should be able to deal with and she is cranking out quality blog article posts that bring her an every increasing audience - is there really any reason why you can not do this for yourself or your business?  Cheryl Phillips and the Daily Blonde are not just one isolated story of the power of Internet self publishing, she is but one of millions of people who have found notoriety and possible success with social media and blogging. With the tools available to everyone in today's world of CMS publishing on the net, using platforms like Wordpress, Joomla! and Drupal to name a few, there is no reason why any business or professional person should not have the ability to share and inform on a daily basis, just as the Daily Blonde does.

  Pick your topic, fulfill your niche, find your audience and you will create a market that never existed before for your business.

  ]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:16:36 +0000