tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29259147096740115682024-02-08T13:43:26.620-05:00Small Business CommunityPat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-68909102711447188572010-08-30T06:00:00.039-04:002010-08-30T06:00:00.422-04:00Personalized BloggingI've taken the last few weeks off from blogging, and I think it was a great decision. I had previously been adamant about keeping a rigid posting schedule (3 times a week) and I got burnt out. I became focused on meeting my self-imposed deadlines, and the quality of the blog posts often suffered. So after taking a little breather, I think I'm ready to start writing about things that I care about, and hopefully that will translate into a more enjoyable experience for me as well as for those that read this blog. <br />
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It looks like it will be a busy fall for me, and there should be plenty to write about. Next week I start my final term for my MBA program, and the schedule should be pretty challenging. I also will be taking on some new responsibilities at work, which will give me an opportunity to expand my base of knowledge. <br />
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I'll try to write at least one post each week, but I don't plan to force it into my schedule when it just doesn't fit. More than anything, I just want to make sure that my blogging experience feels authentic and worthwhile. Anything else is a waste of your time and mine.Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-17254821716831022012010-08-09T09:35:00.000-04:002010-08-09T09:35:35.603-04:00Gone FishingWhen I started blogging at the beginning of the year my goal was to post 3 times a week, no exceptions. Well, last week I <a href="http://smallbusinesscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/08/you-cant-fake-enthusiasm.html">posted on Monday</a>, and that's it. When it came time to write posts for Wednesday and Friday I just didn't have it in me. I felt like I had nothing at all to say, and I didn't want to write a boring, meaningless post just to stick to an arbitrary schedule.<br />
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I've written before about some of the <a href="http://smallbusinesscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/07/blogging-failure.html">difficulty I've had keeping up with my blogging schedule</a>, and until now I've always maintained that blogging on a regular schedule was important enough to me that I would continue, even when I didn't really feel like blogging. The difference now is that the <a href="http://smallbusinesscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/07/does-blogging-quantity-decrease-quality.html">quality of my blog posts</a> have been going down (in my opinion, anyway), and that means it's time for me to take a step back and rethink my approach.<br />
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I need to rethink a few things about how I approach blogging. For now I expect to post on an ad-hoc basis, most likely once a week. Hopefully a few tweaks can help me feel a little less burnt out.Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-55212685993296608632010-08-02T06:00:00.041-04:002010-08-02T06:00:00.948-04:00You Can't Fake EnthusiasmWell, maybe you can fake enthusiasm, but probably not very well. And not for very long either. <br />
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I had lunch today at a local seafood restaurant and our waitress was great: she was engaging, attentive, and genuinely enthusiastic. The food was great too, but that's beside the point. Even if the food had been just okay I would still have rated the lunch as excellent just based on the great service. <br />
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Many customer service experiences lack enthusiasm, which is a shame. Showing some enthusiasm can be an easy and meaningful way for a customer service rep, sales person, or really anyone to delight their customer.Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-15206413297308216712010-07-30T06:00:00.037-04:002010-07-30T06:00:03.726-04:00Kindle Not Competing with iPadI was very happy to read yesterday that Amazon's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FSUDM4/ref=sv_kinh_0">Kindle</a> is not being positioned to compete directly with Apple's <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/">iPad</a>. Rather than beef up the features it would need to position itself along side the iPad as a multi-use tool, the newest versions of the Kindle will increase it's advantage where the iPad is weakest: it will be much cheaper (starting at $139), lighter (8.5 oz), and thinner (1/3 of an inch), making it the most accessible and convenient e-reader on the market. For more details check out <a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/07/29/rather_than_clone_apples_ipad_amazon_sticks_with_e_ink_for_new_kindle.html">this link</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej0mYQfjl7A/TFHFdaYGaqI/AAAAAAAAAxU/MHxIqExgjrE/s1600/big-viewer-WIFI-04-lrg._V188696053_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej0mYQfjl7A/TFHFdaYGaqI/AAAAAAAAAxU/MHxIqExgjrE/s320/big-viewer-WIFI-04-lrg._V188696053_.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I think this is a smart strategy. We've seen countless brands try to compete with the iPhone to become the smartphone leader, and most of them fail because they try to compete with Apple at what it does best: develop innovative, high-quality products that can do many things pretty well. By sticking to their original game-plan Amazon is ensuring that the Kindle continues to be the best e-reader on the market. <br />
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If the next few generations of Kindle continue to become cheaper and lighter I bet most iPad users will own Kindles too!Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-78914510278436133782010-07-28T06:00:00.033-04:002010-07-28T07:33:27.054-04:00Social Gaming is Big BusinessOn Tuesday afternoon two large companies threw their hats into the social gaming ring. Gamestop announced their plans to acquire Kongregate Inc., a social gaming forum for free-to-play gaming. Kongregate currently hosts 10 million monthly players. Just hours later Disney announced plans to purchase another social gaming platform, Playdom, for around $763 million.<br />
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I'll be curious to see how many companies follow their lead in the next few months. More information can be found here:<br />
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<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-gamestop-buy-social-gaming-companies-2010-07-27?dist=afterbell"> Social-game makers scooped up in acquisition deals</a><br />
<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gamestop-announces-agreement-to-acquire-kongregate-inc-2010-07-27?reflink=MW_news_stmp"></a><br />
<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703292704575393484261263498.html?mod=googlenews_wsj"> GameStop Buys Online-Games Distributor Kongregate </a>Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-53146298417166058792010-07-26T06:00:00.085-04:002010-07-26T06:00:13.728-04:0021st Century ResumeI've been working on my master's degree for a couple of years, and in December I'll finally graduate. I have a meeting scheduled with a VP at my present place of employment to discuss career options, but it's time to update my resume in case that doesn't work out. But updating my resume entails so much more than it used to!<br />
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Today a resume is so much more than just one document that I send to potential employers to review. I need to make sure that I present myself properly online as well. Here's a quick look at everything I need to update:<br />
<ul><li><b>Resume (paper version)- </b>Yes, this is still going to be important. Even in the digital age this is still something that most prospective employers will expect. I think I'll mine done by a professional resume writer to give it a little more polish than the current version.</li>
</ul><ul><li> <b>Social Media-</b> Once I have a revised resume to work from I need to make sure that all of my online profiles are updated for consistency. I'll also make sure to include links to my LinkedIn and Twitter accounts as well as my blog. </li>
</ul><ul><li><b>Search Results-</b> It also doesn't hurt to make sure nothing embarrassing comes up in a Google search of my name. Actually I don't expect this to be an issue for me: searching the name Pat Henry brings up 14,400,000 results, none of which have anything to do with me. Still, worth checking just in case :)</li>
</ul>I also wish I'd gotten around to stating a website earlier this year, because that would be a terrific way to further promote myself in the digital world. As it stands I think the time and effort is better spent elsewhere, at least until I'm done with school. Otherwise I think I have a decent list of things I need to do to have a fully updated resume.<br />
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I hope this brief list may provide a good starting point for anyone else trying to update their resume. Anyone with other tips is welcome to share them in the comments!Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-59093119621854054402010-07-23T06:00:00.013-04:002010-07-23T06:00:10.414-04:00Flipboard Revolutionary for iPad and Social MediaWhen the iPad first came out I thought "Wow, that looks cool, but I don't really have a need for it." The new Flipboard app has me rethinking my position. Launched by Twitter and Facebook co-founders, Flipboard takes links from social network feeds and displays them as pages in a magazine. The Montreal Gazette explains in <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Twitter+Facebook+founders+launch+Flipboard+iPad/3309322/story.html">this article</a>:<br />
<blockquote>Flipboard takes the stories and photos linked to by friends on Facebook and Twitter and lays them out on the full-color screen of the iPad tablet computer like on the pages of a magazine.</blockquote><blockquote>Users can personalize the content on Flipboard, create their own sections around particular topics, and quickly flip through the latest material posted by friends on social networks by using the iPad touchscreen.</blockquote>After reading the article I watched the short video demonstration on <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.flipboard.com/">http://www.flipboard.com</a>, and the application is very impressive. I may have to consider buying an iPad just to use Flipboard! I'll wait until they iron out some kinks though (<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://gigaom.com/2010/07/22/flipboard-fails-to-withstand-launch-traffic/">Flipboard Responds to Failed Launch</a>).Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-83181888317965096792010-07-21T06:00:00.001-04:002010-07-21T06:00:00.290-04:00Few New Businesses Started in 2010I just read a rather depressing piece of information: for the first half of 2010 the rate of new business start-ups was the lowest it's been in 24 years. According to a blog post for the Wall Street Journal "the 3.4% first-quarter start-up rate and the 3.9% in the second quarter mark the lowest first-half since (executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas) started recording data in 1986." The reason for such a dramatic decrease from last year is less than obvious:<br />
<blockquote>“It is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason behind the decline in start-up activity among former managers and executives,” Challenger Chief Executive John Challenger said in a statement Monday. “On one hand, it could be that the job market has improved to the point that many do not feel compelled to take the risk of going it alone. Then there is the fragility of the recovery and the uncertainty that comes with it. Many small business owners are increasingly pessimistic about business conditions and still find it difficult to get a loan.”</blockquote>The silver lining for this is the increase in payroll workers over last year, but it's still hardly encouraging news overall. Be sure to click on the link below and read the full WSJ post for more details.<br />
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<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/07/19/small-business-formations-decline/"> Small-Business Formations Decline</a>Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-21039575384216227482010-07-19T06:00:00.028-04:002010-07-19T06:00:05.697-04:00Was Apple's Press Conference Successful?On Friday Apple held a press conference to address the problem users have had dropping calls when using the new iPhone 4. As I mentioned in <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://smallbusinesscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/07/can-apple-save-face.html">this post</a> a few hours before the press conference Apple's best course of action was to accept responsibility, fix the design flaw, and apologize for letting their customers down. <br />
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That's not quite what happened.<br />
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Steve Jobs did acknowledge that there was a break in the antenna's reception, but tried to convince users that <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.toptechreviews.net/tech-news/apple%E2%80%99s-press-conference-was-addressed-towards-iphone-4-antenna-issues/">other smartphones have worse reception</a> and more dropped calls. He also said that "antennagate" is not as bad as the media has made it out to be, and that a fairly small percentage of users have called to report any problems. (I wonder how many users tried to alert Apple only to have the call dropped...)<br />
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To Apple's credit they made a generous offer to give away free cases that seem to resolve all reception issues, but I think they diluted the positive gesture by trying to downplay their problems. It doesn't matter if other smartphones have similar issues: Apple users expect their iPhones to be of a higher quality, and those expectations have now been lowered.<br />
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Does anyone think the press conference went well for Apple? Did they save face? Will the free cases make users forgive and forget?Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-43851566658315189702010-07-16T06:00:00.048-04:002010-07-16T06:00:04.515-04:00Can Apple Save Face?Three weeks ago I wrote about <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://smallbusinesscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/06/is-there-stronger-brand-than-apple.html">The strength of Apple's brand</a> as evidenced by the wildly successful launch of the iPhone 4. Since then, however, Apple's brand appeal has taken an incredible hit as the millions of newly purchased phones began dropping calls. The cause of the reception problems are a result of the antenna design, and <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-15/apple-engineer-said-to-have-told-jobs-last-year-about-iphone-antenna-flaw.html">this report on bloomberg.com</a> suggests that Apple may have known about the problem long before the phone was introduced to the public:<br />
<blockquote>Last year, Ruben Caballero, a senior engineer and antenna expert, informed Apple’s management the device’s design may hurt reception, said the person, who is not authorized to speak on Apple’s behalf and asked not to be identified. A carrier partner also raised concerns about the antenna before the device’s June 24 release, according to another person familiar with the situation.</blockquote>The article also indicated that Apple is planning to hold a press conference later today, though Apple has not indicated what will be discussed. Is there anything Apple can announce that will satisfy their customers and reaffirm their commitment to quality? Apple had an opportunity to do this previously and failed:<br />
<blockquote>Soon after Apple released the iPhone 4 in June, some customers complained about losing their signal. Apple last month advised users to buy a case or avoid holding it in the lower- left corner “in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band.” </blockquote>It's no surprise that this response didn't delight iPhone 4 users. I'm looking forward to today's announcement, and I'm hoping that Apple will accept responsibility, fix the design flaw, and apologize for letting their customers down. Anything else and Apple may be in trouble. And I'll be buying a Blackberry.Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-31098683250300861632010-07-14T06:00:00.032-04:002010-07-14T06:00:06.745-04:00Does Blogging Quantity Decrease Quality?I received a comment on Monday's post that I should consider abandoning my rigid blogging schedule of posting every Monday, Wednesday, & Friday at 6am. The idea is to focus on quality posts and not worry about quantity. I agree that quality is critical, but isn't quantity important as well? <br />
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I think blogging on a schedule has merit. If I were doing anything else business related on a schedule it would imply improved quality (better focus, earlier shipping times, etc.). I try to have the same focus when it comes to blogging, and thought I admit I've posted a few dull ones here and there I think the schedule ultimately helps me remember that this is something important to me. Otherwise I'd just post whenever I felt like it, and it would quickly cease to be a priority.<br />
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Do any other bloggers keep to a schedule? Any that don't?Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-11659382371375782172010-07-12T09:12:00.000-04:002010-07-12T09:12:25.698-04:00Blogging FailureMy blogging goal for 2010 was to post 3 times a week: on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6am. I typically write each post the afternoon or evening before it's scheduled, and when I get up the next morning I paste links into LinkedIn groups and on <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://bizsugar.com/">bizsugar.com</a>. For six months I posted on time without fail, even while on vacation. My schedule had never been broken. Until today.<br />
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This morning I realized I forgot to write a blog post. I should have over the weekend, but it was gorgeous out. I took care of regular weekend chores (grocery shopping, laundry, etc.), but mostly I tried to avoid the indoors. A little outdoor dining, a walk downtown, a mountain biking trip... blogging never crossed my mind.<br />
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I'm disappointed that I broke my streak (I'm kind of obsessive like that), but it was a great weekend and I'm actually glad I didn't try to force blog writing into it. Plus I'm still getting this up on Monday morning, so I'm not too far off the mark. No harm done!Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-62857999284650140512010-07-09T06:00:00.026-04:002010-07-09T06:00:07.915-04:00Social Media in the NewsI'm back at work this week, though part of me is still mentally on vacation. Judging by the modest amount of activity on my social networks many of you are having the same problem! I decided to use this lack of focus as an opportunity to find out what's new in social media. Here are a few of the top stories:<br />
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<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20009959-10391704.html"> Are Men Using Facebook to Hook Up, Break Up? Ask Sandra Bullock</a><br />
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<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-07-08-SOCIALDOCS08_ST_N.htm">Some doctors join Facebook, Twitter; others wary</a><br />
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<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.stockwatch.in/twitter-takes-steps-towards-social-media-advertising-28059"> Twitter takes steps towards social media advertising</a>Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-20895236729555690772010-07-07T06:00:00.041-04:002010-07-07T06:00:08.793-04:00Increasing Prices for Mediocre ServicesI read yesterday that the <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2010/07/05/daily8.html">U.S. Postal Service wants to increase its rates</a>. Not only are they seeking to increase the cost of stamps by 2 cents, but they also want a 5.6% increase in standard mail rates. What justification do they use for these proposed price increases? They need money. <br />
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I don't use the U.S. Postal Service very often these days. There's just not much that they do better than their competitors. If I'm sending something urgent, I use UPS or FedEx because they're faster and more reliable. Anything I purchase online get sent to me via UPS or FedEx (usually) because large company accounts make it too convenient for online retailers not to use them. I almost never mail a check anymore: it's all done instantly online. Pretty much the only time I mail something is an occasional birthday card.<br />
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Instead of increasing rates for services that are increasingly unwanted, shouldn't the U.S. Postal Service try to find out what services their customers really <i>do</i> want?Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-46395611027897817092010-07-05T06:00:00.016-04:002010-07-05T06:00:00.246-04:00Business LinksLike most American workers I'm off today as part of a three day holiday weekend, which fits quite nicely at the end of a week long vacation! Anyway, for those who are at the office (or have set off all of their fireworks) I thought this would be a good time to post a few links from my Google Bookmarks stash. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://mashable.com/2010/05/19/job-search-linkedin/">13 Essential Tips for Landing a Job on LinkedIn</a><br />
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</div><a href="http://bettercloser.com/how-to-use-social-media-for-competitive-intelligence/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed:+bettercloser+(BetterCloser.com)">How to Use Social Media for Competitive Intelligence</a><br />
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</div><a href="http://www.ryanhanley.com/2010/05/17/differentiate-or-die-how-to-survive-the-competition/">Differentiate Or Die: How To Survive The Competition</a>Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-52672397866123653362010-07-02T06:00:00.006-04:002010-07-02T06:00:05.238-04:00Social Media for ProfessionalsA reader commented on Wednesday's post about <a href="http://smallbusinesscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/06/6-months-of-social-media.html">how I've been using social media</a>, and he included a link to a business oriented website that I've never heard of: <a href="http://biznik.com/">http://biznik.com</a>. I decided to sign up for it when I read the following on their website:<br />
<div><div><ul><li>Their tagline made me laugh: "biznik: business networking that doesn't suck."</li>
</ul><ul><li>Their membership terms and conditions includes this statement: "I certify no aspect of my business or the business I represent involves recruiting other people to sell third-party products or services so that I can earn a percentage of their sales (including hosting parties)."</li>
</ul><div>I'm new to it, so I don't have much of an evaluation to share just yet. I'll gladly reference it again in a future blog post if I think it's a "must-use" networking site for business professionals.</div></div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Do you use any professional networking/business oriented websites? If so please share in the comments!</div>Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-13532717456438322102010-06-30T06:00:00.004-04:002010-06-30T06:00:08.378-04:006 Months of Social MediaToday brings the first half of 2010 to a close, which means I've now been actively using social media for 6 full months. I thought this post might be a good opportunity to reflect on how I've been using social media.<br />
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<b>Blogging-</b> The interactions I have with readers who comment here, in LinkedIn forums, and on Bizsugar.com have made the blogging experience more worth while to me than any other social tool. I struggled early on to figure out what writing style worked best for me. For the most part I try to be brief to respect my readers' time, as well as my own. Also I hate reading blogs that never seem to get to a point, and I don't want to have one of those. <br />
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<b>LinkedIn-</b> LinkedIn has turned out to be the social media tool that has allowed me to make the most real connections. I especially love the group discussions, which have helped me to find an audience for this blog. With their new and improved discussion format it might be even easier to join in other discussions, and I look forward to that.<br />
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<b>Twitter- </b>I do an okay job of using Twitter, but I'm certainly not a power user. You know what? I don't think I want to be. I mostly use it to help publicize my blog, but I'm always happy to retweet another article or message that I think others may enjoy, though I consciously do so in moderation (quality over quantity). I also enjoy reading a few other people's tweets, though my follow list is small.<br />
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<b>Facebook-</b> I still haven't quite figured out how to use the world's most popular social media tool effectively. With LinkedIn and Twitter connections just seem a little more natural: I follow you on Twitter because you write interesting tweets; I connect with someone on LinkedIn either because I've had a professional relationship with them (work or college) or because we've met through a discussion. Facebook is the tool where users are most inclined to connect with everyone they can, so I get friend requests from people I barely knew in high school and others that I may have passed in the hallway at previous jobs. I've kept my list of friends relatively small, and I'm comfortable with that.<br />
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Has anyone else been working to define/redefine their social media strategies this year? I'd love to hear how it's been going!Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-58586395584450451632010-06-28T06:00:00.053-04:002010-06-28T06:00:02.512-04:00Using Anchor Text in Hyperlinks Benefits for Several Reasons<div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I'm taking time off this week for a much needed vacation. That makes it a perfect time to introduce my first blog post from a guest blogger! Michael Yublosky, MBA, is a successful self taught do-it-yourself Web master and E-Marketer. He combines 30+ years of professional consultative sales experience coupled with sales and marketing management, training, coaching/mentoring experience. He is also an adult educator and conducts classes and seminars in </i><i>several northwest suburban Chicago locations</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>. Michael shares his knowledge with similarly minded small business owners and managers as well as self employed entrepreneurs.</i></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anchor text provides useful information about the content of the page you invite visitors to link to. It also tells search engines what the destination, or target, is about. It is important to use proper hyperlink anchor text to maximize search engine results.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej0mYQfjl7A/TBaM90CyWpI/AAAAAAAAAws/yek2GZvMlsg/s1600/Links+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej0mYQfjl7A/TBaM90CyWpI/AAAAAAAAAws/yek2GZvMlsg/s320/Links+small.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Links, or hyperlinks, point to a Web page or to a portion within a Web page. Wikipedia defines a hyperlink as a “reference to a document that the reader can directly follow...” We use links to navigate from one location on the Web to another quickly. At times the target location replaces the source location when the hyperlink is activated. A completely new page may be opened at other times. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hypertext is the definition of a hyperlink made with text (as versus a graphic, banner or image, etc. being used). The text of this type of link is generally underlined. Its color is often a different than that of the neighboring text. When your mouse hovers over it or once you click on it, it may also change color. The change in color shows you previously followed that link. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another benefit to using anchor text is enhanced search engine results. Google Webmaster Guidelines (Google Webmaster Central, 4/10/10) state: “Make a site with...text links.” It later notes: “Think about the words users would type to find your pages, and make sure that your site actually includes those words within it.” Still further on it reads: “Try to use text instead of images to display.....links.” </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">My conclusion is Google tells you to use text for your links, so it must be a good thing to do so. Why? Because its Googlebot search software reads text to index Web sites. So, if you want to tell the search engine what the page is about, what content or information it displays, use text. When the anchor text reflects the page's keywords it gets a boost from Google, or sort of extra credit. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Use relevant keywords for your target instead of “Contact Us” or “Click Here”. When you use "Contact Us" as the anchor text, you tell the search engines the page is discussing "Contact Us". If you use "Click Here" for words people you want people to click on, you tell them the target is about the subject "Click Here". Do you want to rank highly for “Contact Us” or “Click Here”? </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Finally, use words that make sense to your readers!</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Yublosky’s free information and tips as well as down loadable pdf files can be viewed at his <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://diywebjem.com/">DIY Web E-Marketing site</a>. Additional interesting small business insights are found at his <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://diywebjem.com/blog">DIY E-Marketing blog</a>.</span></i></div>Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-16777880067916970932010-06-25T06:00:00.015-04:002010-06-25T06:00:03.982-04:00Is There a Stronger Brand Than Apple?The power of the Apple brand never ceases to amaze me. The iPhone 4 launched today, and loyal Apple fans rushed to be among the first to have the newest generation of iPhone.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/199768/crowds_queue_up_across_us_for_iphone_4.html">Crowds Queue Up Across U.S. For iPhone 4</a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej0mYQfjl7A/TCN53DXLAQI/AAAAAAAAAw8/ft6Khj8HqsQ/s1600/new-iphone-specs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej0mYQfjl7A/TCN53DXLAQI/AAAAAAAAAw8/ft6Khj8HqsQ/s320/new-iphone-specs.jpg" /></a>Is there any other brand that generates such a consistently high level of anticipation for new product releases? Apple has done it with each version of the iPhone, with the iPad, and to some extent with iPods (maybe there's too many versions of the iPod for it to seem so special). Google and Microsoft are their closest competitors in most categories, and I can't imagine people forming lines several blocks long to purchase the latest device from either of them.<br />
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Congratulations to Apple for yet another successful launch. I can't wait to see what they roll out next!Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-11342978378854279512010-06-23T06:00:00.022-04:002010-06-23T06:00:07.662-04:00Better Conversations on LinkedInMonday I shared information I'd found for the top <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://smallbusinesscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-10-social-networking-websites.html">10 social networking sites for May</a>, and I was surprised that LinkedIn wasn't listed as one of them. Then I remembered that until a few months ago I didn't even know it was possible to have group discussion on LinkedIn, and apparently many others are still unaware.<br />
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It looks like that might be about to change. LinkedIn has begun revamping its groups to make conversations a little bit easier. An article on Mashable.com explains some of the adjustments LinkedIn has made:<br />
<blockquote>There is also a new focus on surfacing quality conversations from influencers. A new feature allows you to scan different conversations and “Like,” “Pass” or “Comment” on a discussion within a group. This information then brings the best conversations to the top of the group. There is also now a “Top Influencers” feature, which highlights quality contributors based on how well they stimulate conversations from other members.</blockquote>Check out the Mashable.com article to see a short video demonstration: <br />
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<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://mashable.com/2010/06/22/linkedin-groups-2/">LinkedIn Revamps Groups with Likes, Follows and Discussions</a><br />
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What do you think? Will these new features help make LinkedIn's group conversations a little more accessible? Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-92199318443921374672010-06-21T06:00:00.026-04:002010-06-21T06:00:11.039-04:00Top 10 Social Networking Websites & Forums - May 2010This weekend I came across data for the top social networking sites for last month, and I think it's pretty interesting:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej0mYQfjl7A/TB6tslNjVUI/AAAAAAAAAw0/ozJGPm-wk10/s1600/hitwise-2010-may-social-networking-websites-forums.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej0mYQfjl7A/TB6tslNjVUI/AAAAAAAAAw0/ozJGPm-wk10/s400/hitwise-2010-may-social-networking-websites-forums.gif" width="330" /></a></div><br />
Facebook dominates the market, which shouldn't suprise anyone. YouTube has a little more market share than I would've guessed, but it makes sense. There are a few things here that surprised me:<br />
<ul><li>MySpace still gets WAY more traffic than I thought</li>
<li>Twitter gets WAY less traffic than I thought</li>
<li>There are a couple of sites listed that I've never heard of (Tagged, MocoSpace)</li>
<li>LinkedIn isn't mentioned at all</li>
</ul>Unfortunately I didn't see any data that backed up the chart, but I think it's worth a look anyway. Click on the link below to see the original chart, as well as many others on <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://marketingcharts.com/">marketingcharts.com</a>. <br />
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<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/top-10-social-networking-websites-forums-may-2010-13182/">Top 10 Social Networking Websites & Forums - May 2010</a>Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-868501089133627762010-06-18T06:00:00.006-04:002010-06-18T06:00:01.000-04:00Social Networking vs. Social MediaAn across I read on <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://fobes.com/">Fobes.com</a> this week points out that many of us (myself included) tend to use the terms Social Media and Social Networking as though they are the same thing. They aren't, as the article points out:<br />
<blockquote>Social media and social networking are not the same. Social media are the <b>tools </b>and social networking is <b>what you do</b> in the communities. You can use one to enhance the other, but they are not the same. </blockquote>I agree that Social Media and Social Networking aren't interchangeable. They are, however, inseparable, so I think it's okay to consider them part of the same overall process.<br />
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The article also points out that social media is more than just the three most popular tools: Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn:<br />
<blockquote>In fact, it's not about those sites. It's about a cross section of community sites, blogs, bookmarking sites, photo sites, sharing tools, audio and video tools and some even more advanced tools that are used in conjunction with one another to have a robust social media experience.</blockquote>I definitely recommend reading the full article:<br />
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<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://blogs.forbes.com/work-in-progress/2010/06/14/social-media-twitter-facebook-linkedin/">There's More to Social Media than Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn</a><br />
<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://blogs.forbes.com/work-in-progress/2010/06/14/social-media-twitter-facebook-linkedin/"></a>Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-57125587876106530262010-06-16T06:00:00.000-04:002010-06-16T06:00:10.675-04:00How Quickly Do You Respond?How quickly do you respond to voice mail, email, and social media messages?<br />
<ul><li>Does it depend on the message? </li>
</ul><ul><li>Does it depend who sent the message? </li>
</ul><ul><li>Does it depend on what's going on that day? </li>
</ul><ul><li>Is there a specific time in your schedule when you address messages? </li>
</ul><ul><li>Do you respond to these communications as quickly as you expect others to respond to you?</li>
</ul>Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-79975325277075502122010-06-14T06:00:00.037-04:002010-06-14T08:55:48.653-04:00Simple BrandingI've been spending much of my time lately on brand management, and it reminds me of what I've always disliked about marketing. Don't get me wrong: brand management is important, and failing to manage a brand appropriately can spell disaster. But how do you go about managing your brand effectively?<br />
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According to <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand">wikipedia</a> a brand is "the identity of a specific product, service, or business<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0"></sup>. A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol,color combination or slogan." <br />
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It seems like there's a huge emphasis on brand design (the name, sign, symbol,color combination or slogan) and how to best display those image factors in a marketing campaign. <br />
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Shouldn't most of the emphasis be placed on the first part of that definition? A brand is a representation of a product, service, or business. So if you want to improve your brand's image, why not focus on improving your business and the products and services it offers?<br />
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It's easy for businesses to get side tracked into making their brand look pretty, but while that type of branding might attract new business, you won't be able to keep that business if you can't deliver products and services that customers care about.<br />
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Any thoughts on this from others with differing insights into branding?Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925914709674011568.post-77703569408417423892010-06-11T06:00:00.043-04:002010-06-11T06:00:08.961-04:00Interruption MarketingMonday's post about <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://smallbusinesscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/06/curing-social-media-blues.html">Curing The Social Media Blues</a> generated some wonderful comments. Unfortunately it also received a comment that was purely spam. There was no attempt from the commenter to even pretend he was participating in the discussion. The comment looked like this:<br />
<blockquote>Free Unlimited Entertainment , Bargain Shopping, and Computer Learning Library. <br />
1 Click Media bar <br />
Our Free Gift to You <br />
100% Free Super Entertainment System <br />
100% Free Super Bargain Finder System <br />
100% Free Computer Learning Videos<br />
(hyperlink to cheesy website)</blockquote><br />
The comment was on a discussion thread in a LinkedIn group, so I personally couldn't remove the comment, but I did contact the group owner to let him know one of his members is a spammer.<br />
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What is the point of posting information about your product or service as a comment to another discussion? I certainly don't mind when readers who make a valid comment include a link to their website or blog (in fact I like that it helps me connect to my readers), but this was pretty lame. There's no way he generates any business this way.<br />
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Looking on the bright side, this is a rare occurrence. Most of the feedback I get on my blog (or LinkedIn discussions, BizSugar.com, or Twitter) have been great. Thank you to everyone else who has added something positive to the conversations!Pat Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10110272533356677291noreply@blogger.com0