If you’ve used your gmail account for years, I think you’ll like the change. Watch the video and let me know your opinion.
All the best,
Chris
Category Archives: Tech and Business
I have a solid business background, did two startups and sold one… all the tech in the world won’t help if the team isn’t ready to incorporate it.
#Overheard at SES New York – Bing change may hurt Disney Impressions/Clicks
I’m in the Bing-sponsored session at SES New York and 2 Disney folks asked a question about why a recent change had a major negative impact on impressions and clicks.
What was the change and can you offer feedback as to why this happened?
Let’s get the comments rolling on this one.
Chris
Not too busy to head to SES New York next week… social media strategies on-tap!
If you’ll be attending the SES – Search Engine Strategies – conference in New York next week, let’s grab a beer and talk turkey! I’ll be arriving Tuesday evening and staying through Friday morning.
I would have loved to have attended the OMS all-day event Friday, but there is just too much to do at the office.
What’s my focus going to be?
Making darn sure we max out on local search benefit and optimize all of our web footprint.
Simple enough, but I’m sure it will be productive.
See you there!
Chris
Making a YouTube video? Here is a fantastic free music resource for you.
I just used a track for a video for my wife’s physical therapy practice and posted it on YouTube.
The music is courtesy of Dano, http://about.me/danogo, and it’s the first of many I’ll be using.
Email: dano@danosongs.com
Home page: danogo.com
Twitter: twitter.com/danosongs
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/dano
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/danobuzz
IMDB: imdb.com/name/nm4202837/
To take advantage of his smooth tunes and professional production, all you are required to do is give him credit and link to his site… or donate. Here’s a sample…Click to hear a cool groove
I’d say that’s more than fair.
So, Dano, here’s some PR for you, amigo!
All the best,
Chris
What’s Your Online Relevance Index?
Checked your online identity lately?
Here’s mine…
While relieved, I’m not surprised. It’s taken nearly 15 years to solidify this type of position and know how to duplicate it.
For more info, check out the “Online Identity Calculator“.
All the best,
Chris
GoCar – a very-cool way to get around San Francisco
British Airways and GoCar.com…
Pragmatic Social Media: An example of how to integrate social media into your off-line, brick-and-mortar business
Put your social media presence everywhere.
It’s so simple, it never occurs to many.
Look how long it took many businesses to get their website addresses on vehicles, business cards and ads.
And some still have yet to get with the program (very few).
In fact, I haven’t seen a sign like this yet… except at this business outside DC (a business very close to my heart!)
Of course, it’s bigger than this and there is other information on the door, but I know many clients both current and potential who’ve expressed delight at being able to contact this business in so many ways… especially since it’s closed on Sundays unlike many traditional retailers.
But, hey, who wants to be traditional?!
In fact, this business encourages people to friend them, fan them, tweet them, check in on foursquare, and anything else they can think of.
And they offer rewards like Starbucks gift cards, drawings and merchandise.
Give me your thoughts on this one because I humbly think it’s genius 
If you’d like to learn more about social media and real business, even if it’s just to check on your brand, check out the book The Social Media Equation. One tip from it could save you embarrassment or make you thousands!
Click the image to order and you will be able to download it immediately.
All the best,
Chris
Using YouTube and my iPod Touch to facilitate product knowledge and sales excellence
These things are second-nature to me, but I often wonder how many managers, trainers and reps don’t realize just how much more effective they could be by using social media (YouTube in this case) to duplicate their message.
Just today I had a lunch meeting scheduled with a rep from a large distributor and one from a manufacturer.
The information was key and we were swamped, so I was the only one (that’s what bosses do) who could make it.
Why?
See for yourself and let me know what you think.
I want to support my team. They had to keep selling and working with clients, but I didn’t want them to miss this training opportunity.
YouTube to the rescue!
… and my iPod Touch with its fantastic video quality and ease-of-use.
I asked the questions my team would have asked. Of course, they’re a smart bunch, so I’m sure I missed some, but it’s still good.
Then, I published the video to our YouTube presence (yes, we’re all there, even though my main field is off-line).
Now, all of them are getting an email with a link to the video so they can get the answers they need for a product and system we rely on routinely.
This, my friends, is a fantastic use of social media for business and represents one of my favorite aspects – duplication of effort.
The rep, although good, won’t need to come back in right away because we have his PK recorded.
The comment section on YouTube will serve as an interactive focal point.
I hope this helps in your business.
All the best,
Chris
Followers, subscribers, fans and friends… to buy, or not to buy on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
This is a tough one, not because it doesn’t work, but because it works so dang well.
That said, if you’ve got time, don’t buy.
Build a solid base and rock the house.
But there are benefits to multiple people being interested in what you have to say.
It comes from the psychological phenomenon known as “social proof“, and no one is immune from its effect.
If you want explosive growth and are willing to weed through the good, the bad and the downright fugly, by all means, buy away.
But how?
The only source I’d recommend as of today is SocialKik, and that’s because it gives you the option to upgrade to “targeted” fans/followers/friends.
You’ll get real people, but you’ll have to do some work.
After watching one business page explode after I set it up for a physician friend, I have to say my initial reluctance was unfounded. And he has continued to gain followers after a simple initial buy that cost less than a good meal for two. Not too shabby.
Here’s how the social proof phenomenon works:
Wikipedia: “Social value of unfamiliar people is ambiguous and requires a lot of effort to assess accurately. Given limited time and motivation, other people will often evaluate others based on how surrounding people behave towards them. For example, if a man is perceived to be in a company of attractive women, or is associated with them, then his perceived social value and attractiveness will be perceived to be greater. The implied cognition in this case would be “All those girls seem to really like him, there must be something about him that’s high value”.
You can capitalize on this because of one simple, unavoidable condition - the exploding field of social media is so new, it’s a mystery to many and they’re grasping for social proof.
Key points to remember about large numbers of followers/friends/fans:
- Identification of the surrounding group with self
- Possession of special knowledge
- Identification with authority
- Smart money
I’ve built thousands of followers on different social media presences without buying, but for my newer clients who want to hit the ground running, I couldn’t recommend anything better.
All the best,
Chris
Picture this!
Wet cell phone… or, ever drop your Blackberry in the toilet?
Well, if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m not too proud to admit when I screw up, as in “I dropped my Blackberry Curve in the toilet!”
Yep, 3rd time in 10 years a cell phone of mine has ended up all washed up, so to speak.
Twice in the potty (I have 3 kids, so that’s my lingo) and once in a lake, Deep Creek Lake to be exact.
And don’t think for one minute that I didn’t grab some scuba gear to find that damn phone! (For the lake, not the toilet… that one was a bare-hander).
That time, I actually went to DCL Fire Dept. and borrowed gear from one of their rescue/recovery divers to try to find my phone to at least recover the card with over 300 contacts I’d forgotten to back up.
Did I mention that was the last time I’d neglected to back up info on a device?
Well, yep, after 2 full 100 cubic foot cylinders of air at 3,000 psi, I didn’t find it and that’s the last time I ignored backing up contact data.
Back to my main purpose.
Yesterday I did it again… dammit.
But this time, I frigging won!
It was a no-holds-barred match between me and the porcelain thug, and I kicked its butt… so to speak.
But it gets funnier because I’d just tweeted this (read from the bottom up…)
Yep, 3rd time in 10 years a cell phone of mine has ended up all washed up, so to speak.
Twice in the potty (I have 3 kids, so that’s my lingo) and once in a lake, Deep Creek Lake to be exact.
And don’t think for one minute that I didn’t grab some scuba gear to find that damn phone! (For the lake, not the toilet… that one was a bare-hander).
That time, I actually went to DCL Fire Dept. and borrowed gear from one of their rescue/recovery divers to try to find my phone to at least recover the card with over 300 contacts I’d forgotten to back up.
Did I mention that was the last time I’d neglected to back up info on a device?
Well, yep, after 2 full 100 cubic foot cylinders of air at 3,000 psi, I didn’t find it and that’s the last time I ignored backing up contact data.
Back to my main purpose.
Yesterday I did it again… dammit.
But this time, I frigging won!
It was a no-holds-barred match between me and the porcelain thug, and I kicked its butt… so to speak.
But it gets funnier because I’d just tweeted this (read from the bottom up…)
Come on, don’t tell me I’m alone!
Or, maybe I’m just too into overshare?
Hell, I don’t care.
But, here’s how I won, and I know you want to know or you would’ve clicked off this post long ago…
I doused that little bastard in 91% rubbing alcohol (it was nearby because I’ve got Lyme disease and give myself shots… shoot, there’s the overshare again. Never mind)
Then, I shook it.
Then I swore.
Then I wondered when was the last time I’d backed up the contacts, because this time there were a boatload more than 300, and scuba gear wouldn’t help.
Then I remembered how badly I pissed off my support staff by going out-of-system and getting my own phone last time… and now I knew this wasn’t going to go over well
But here’s the kicker -
I took a blow drier and set it on high/cool and sat there for 5 minutes blowing air into it, laughing at myself wondering how this would come across in a post.
Then I rounded up all the silica gel packets from the medication I’ve been taking (f-ing Lyme disease again) and sealed that Blackberry Curve in a TupperWare dish overnight.
Dang if that didn’t work!
So, it’s not like I’m recommending going out and hugging a deer so a tick finds its way into your nooks and crannies, but this is one thing that actually worked.
Need more “how-to”?
Email me and I’ll get right back to ya.
Or, maybe I’m just too into overshare?
Hell, I don’t care.
But, here’s how I won, and I know you want to know or you would’ve clicked off this post long ago…
I doused that little bastard in 91% rubbing alcohol (it was nearby because I’ve got Lyme disease and give myself shots… shoot, there’s the overshare again. Never mind)
Then, I shook it.
Then I swore.
Then I wondered when was the last time I’d backed up the contacts, because this time there were a boatload more than 300, and scuba gear wouldn’t help.
Then I remembered how badly I pissed off my support staff by going out-of-system and getting my own phone last time… and now I knew this wasn’t going to go over well
But here’s the kicker -
I took a blow drier and set it on high/cool and sat there for 5 minutes blowing air into it, laughing at myself wondering how this would come across in a post.
Then I rounded up all the silica gel packets from the medication I’ve been taking (f-ing Lyme disease again) and sealed that Blackberry Curve in a TupperWare dish overnight.
Dang if that didn’t work!
So, it’s not like I’m recommending going out and hugging a deer so a tick finds its way into your nooks and crannies, but this is one thing that actually worked.
Need more “how-to”?
Email me and I’ll get right back to ya.
All the best,
Chris
PS – thanks to @gtanerd for the advice on the bowl of rice. That would also have worked, but I was looking to keep a little twist of “Lyme” in this one (pardon the pun, but humor is how I cope and it’s helped me everywhere from Parris Island in the Marines, dealing with Autism, and now here).
Picture this!
