Posts Tagged ‘myspace’
Twitter Schmitter
Monday, May 19th, 2008
I have beef with Twitter. To me, it’s an oddly socially accepted and encouraged form of stalking where the "victims" volunteer themselves.
Aside from the creepy factor, from its inception I have never really understood how thousands of people #1 care so much about what other people are doing that they would subscribe to and check instant updates via a personal feed, and #2 that said number of people actually believe that that many OTHER people care enough about their minute happenings so much that they’d consistently update these feeds.
Twitter’s usefulness has long been debated and I have clearly chosen sides. But I can’t argue with the fact that Twitter’s traffic numbers have nearly doubled in recent months . Looks like more and more people from my side are hopping the fence to join the other "volunteer victims" and "stalkers"…traitors…
Okay, perhaps I’m being a bit harsh on Twitter. But I really don’t see how it can keep up it’s stamina? Sooner or later, it’s going to loose steam right? After all, not everyone can keep up with everyone to that degree all the time and still make actual useful contributions to mankind…can they? Heck, I have enough trouble keeping up with my MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts!
Here’s how I see Twitter succeeding: in the business world. While people can really care less what their best friend ate for lunch today, they might really care what lunch specials their favorite restaurant is having. And while they might ignore that their little brother just beat Grand Theft Auto 4, they might really want to know that Best Buy is putting the game on sale for the next 12 hours for 50% off (that would REALLY be worth "tweeting" about don’t you think?).
If that’s the future of Twitter, sign me up. Otherwise, count me out.
Do you think businesses will be Twitter’s savior or am I completely off my rocker?
Tags: Business, E-Commerce and E-Business, facebook, linkedin, myspace, Rebecca Button, social networking, twitter
Posted in Blog | No Comments »
Using Alumni Networks to Grow Your Business - Dos and Don’ts for Contacting Old Classmates
Friday, March 28th, 2008
One of the best ways to grow your business network is by building relationships with fellow alumni from your undergraduate or graduate school. Having that common bond immediately bridges the gap from stranger to acquaintance and helps open the lines of communication. You may have had the same friends, shared the same dormitory, had the same teacher, loved the same restaurant, etc. You’d be surprised how much in common you have with your fellow classmates, whether or not you even knew them back in your student days. Many startup companies are formed with fellow alumni, and today colleges and universities are making it easy with online alumni forums. There are even websites, like AffinityCircles.com , that help alumni build their own networking circles.
Networking with alumni can help you build your company, gain clients or get helpful information. However, it’s crucial that you think of your alumni contacts as relationships and not a pool of potential clients, investors or buyers. In other words, build the relationships first before asking for something in return. True, this may be months in the making, but having this common background can really help to take business to the next level - whether that be in becoming business partners, asking about potential investors or talking about a list of possible clients.
When joining an alumni network, it’s important not to abuse your membership by say, only logging on when you have a question or favor to ask, or sending a mass request for investment money. Think of your alumni network as your friends, and treat them accordingly. You can begin building relationships by getting involved in the forums and answering questions, fulfilling requests and doing favors. Try to keep your name in the postings regularly so that others will begin to see your name as familiar.
Once you have built some relationships and you have a relevant request or favor then consider sending a personal message to your alumni contacts, rather than a mass posting to anyone and everyone. A personal message is more likely to get answered and it makes your request seem more important because it was a specific request to someone who you thought would be most qualified to help you out.
Alumni classmates can prove to be truly powerful contacts. And as a new class graduates every year, your tappable market just keeps growing and growing. While sites like Myspace and Facebook are more for socializing, alumni networking sites are known for building and maintaining business contacts - after all, after college, that’s where most alumni end up - in the business world. So, whether you’re working on putting together a management team for your new company, building your client list, gaining private investors for your start up, or just improving your marketing programs, joining an alumni network can help you do all that plus make some life-long friends in the process!
Tags: affinitycircles.com, Carrie Hinkel, contacting alumni, facebook, myspace, networking, online networking, social networking
Posted in News & Articles | No Comments »
Viral Videos: Should Your Company Be Making Them?
Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
Each day, there are tens of thousands of videos being posted on sites like YouTube. Some become notorious and are so shocking / hilarious that the links make it on email lists, blogs, Myspace pages and more - racking up a million or more hits. Now that’s viral, baby! Most of these videos may look like they were taken with a phone cam or filmed with a simple camcorder, and while for some that may be the case, for others…they were only made to look that way. Yep, companies like Sony, Frito-Lay, Red Bull, Nike and a slew more are all getting in on the viral video craze. Unlike the majority of YouTube videos, these corporate viral videos are strategically developed by a team of crafty marketers, actors and filmmakers. They cost tens, sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce, with the hopes of engaging a wider audience, and getting viewers to talk about the videos to friends, on their blogs and on their Myspace and Facebook pages.
But, hey, it’s not just the big companies that are benefiting from creating viral videos. Scores of startups and low-budget companies are successfully filming and posting their own videos - hoping to see 100,000 or more hits. So, don’t let a small budget get in the way of striking gold with a viral video. Here’s how you can do it all on your own:
Step 1: The idea - This may well take the most time of the entire process. A viral video is meant to stand out and evoke some sort of emotion - that may be fear, shock, anger, laughter, etc. If you want your video to go viral, you can’t settle for mediocre or average, it needs to be over the top.
Step 2: The filming - Depending on the idea, you may be able to do the filming in-house; however if you are looking for special effects or editing services, you would be wise to hire a professional. Here are the keys to a successful viral video:
* Make it short, ideally only 15-30 seconds in length.
* The video itself shouldn’t be an advertisement; but it should relate in some way to your company.
* Make it believable; don’t expect something that was scrapped together in two hours to go viral. Practice the skit until it’s done right and reshoot until it’s exactly what you’re going for. Remember, your company’s reputation is on the line.
Step 3: The marketing - Posting it on YouTube and then sitting back and waiting for everyone to find your ingenious video is not the way to turn a video viral. It takes hard work, and lots of it. Here are some of the best ways to get your video seen:
* Ask or pay bloggers to post your videos.
* Post your video on as many forums as you can.
* Email your video to as many people as possible, asking them to pass it on too.
* Add your video to Myspace users’ web pages in the comments section.
* Share your video with your Facebook friends.
* Bookmark your video on Stumbleupon and tag it with popular relevant keywords.
Sure, filming a video and hoping it goes viral is a bit like gambling, but making one doesn’t have to cost a bundle and if you use the above strategies, you’ll be increasing your chances of success. Good luck!
Tags: advice, blogging, blogs, Carrie Hinkel, E-Commerce and E-Business, facebook, Marketing, Marketing Your Business, myspace, online marketing, SEO, Stumbleupon, tips, viral videos
Posted in News & Articles | No Comments »
Networking Your Way to Success
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008
Take a look at your business, and ask yourself why it’s successful. Depending on the size, it could be a myriad of things - the sales team, the service backup, most certainly the customers. Yet if you take all these into consideration, they’ve all got one thing in common - they’re part of your company’s network.
From the sales team providing your customer their order to the service team looking after their account once the sale has been made, it’s all one big network working towards your company’s success. To ensure this success continues, you need to be taking that network and expanding it.
The Importance of Networking
Not only will a good and expansive network offer you the opportunity to promote your business, it’s also an excellent way to meet people that can make a difference to your company.
For instance, many directors, managers and owners of companies attend specially arranged networking meetings. This is an ideal environment for like-minded businesspeople to exchange details and information. Indeed, many of a company’s business deals come from the result of making an acquaintance at a networking event.
Additionally, it’s also a good way to spot a potential employee for your business, which can save you money and time advertising, or using a recruitment agency. Couple that with the sheer amount of information and contacts you can come away with, and a networking event is definitely something you should be looking at attending. Or, if you wish, arrange one yourself.
How to Network Effectively
The key to effective networking is to attend the right events, therefore enabling you to speak to the right people. There are many ways you can do this, and taking the time to research a little beforehand can make all the difference to how successful your next networking event is.
One of the best ways to network is the traditional face-to-face method. This could be at an informal lunch event, or a specially arranged networking gathering at a hotel or conference center. This allows you to exchange business cards, get a feel for what a person is like in the flesh, and generally introduce both you and your business to a wider audience.
Another way is to network online, using social networking sites. These can range from the standard websites such as Facebook or MySpace . However, there are also specialist networking sites aimed more at businesses - LinkedIn.com and Ecademy.com are particularly good examples. You can search for contacts specific to your industry, which ensures that you’re not meeting people who are networking just for the sake of it.
Whichever way you decide to go, the important thing is keeping up to date afterwards. Make sure that you send a complimentary email now and again, and if your address or phone number details change, make sure to update everyone in your network. Once you have a solid, up-to-date networking contact list, you may be surprised how much a positive difference it will make to your business.
Tags: danny brown, ecademy.com, facebook, Growing Your Business, linkedin.com, myspace, networking, online networking, social networking
Posted in News & Articles | No Comments »
Networking Your Way to Success
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008
Take a look at your business, and ask yourself why it’s successful. Depending on the size, it could be a myriad of things - the sales team, the service backup, most certainly the customers. Yet if you take all these into consideration, they’ve all got one thing in common - they’re part of your company’s network.
From the sales team providing your customer their order to the service team looking after their account once the sale has been made, it’s all one big network working towards your company’s success. To ensure this success continues, you need to be taking that network and expanding it.
The Importance of Networking
Not only will a good and expansive network offer you the opportunity to promote your business, it’s also an excellent way to meet people that can make a difference to your company.
For instance, many directors, managers and owners of companies attend specially arranged networking meetings. This is an ideal environment for like-minded businesspeople to exchange details and information. Indeed, many of a company’s business deals come from the result of making an acquaintance at a networking event.
Additionally, it’s also a good way to spot a potential employee for your business, which can save you money and time advertising, or using a recruitment agency. Couple that with the sheer amount of information and contacts you can come away with, and a networking event is definitely something you should be looking at attending. Or, if you wish, arrange one yourself.
How to Network Effectively
The key to effective networking is to attend the right events, therefore enabling you to speak to the right people. There are many ways you can do this, and taking the time to research a little beforehand can make all the difference to how successful your next networking event is.
One of the best ways to network is the traditional face-to-face method. This could be at an informal lunch event, or a specially arranged networking gathering at a hotel or conference center. This allows you to exchange business cards, get a feel for what a person is like in the flesh, and generally introduce both you and your business to a wider audience.
Another way is to network online, using social networking sites. These can range from the standard websites such as Facebook or MySpace . However, there are also specialist networking sites aimed more at businesses - LinkedIn.com and Ecademy.com are particularly good examples. You can search for contacts specific to your industry, which ensures that you’re not meeting people who are networking just for the sake of it.
Whichever way you decide to go, the important thing is keeping up to date afterwards. Make sure that you send a complimentary email now and again, and if your address or phone number details change, make sure to update everyone in your network. Once you have a solid, up-to-date networking contact list, you may be surprised how much a positive difference it will make to your business.
Tags: ecademy.com, facebook, linkedin.com, myspace, networking, online networking, Rebecca Button, social networking
Posted in News & Articles | No Comments »