Since I am a visual person, I would like to begin this post with a short twitter video presentation from [...]]]>

I thought I would blog a small series of posts on Twitter so all the NE Internet subscribers could be on the same page .

Since I am a visual person, I would like to begin this post with a short twitter video presentation from the University of YouTUBE.

I know that you have  been hearing all about this new and growing service, but what exactly is it?  Twitter? is this something I do after drinking too much coffee or what?

What is Twitter?

Twitter is what is known as a microblogging service, an online place where you can ‘post’ short messages, or ‘tweets’ of 140 characters (including spaces). These ‘tweets’ can be read by anyone who is ‘following’ you (essentially, subscribing to your tweets). Similarly, you can follow (subscribe) to the tweets of anyone you want, from friends and family to favorite celebrities, publications and Web sites (like Switched, which you can ‘follow’ on Twitter by clicking here). The tweets of your followees show up in a main feed right on Twitter’s main page, one after the other in chronological order.

At its most basic, Twitter is a dedicated status updating service à la Facebook (in fact, Facebook seems to have modeled its recent upgrade on Twitter), with which you can keep people up-to-date with your life — be it what you’re doing at a particular moment in time, a link to an interesting Web site, or something as mundane as what you had for lunch.  In our profession you can market yourself using twitter and providing tweets about what you just had for lunch. Was it good, was it nutritional, was it something your peers or clients would find significant or useful? Do you want the whole twittering world to know about this restaurant and what are the particular features you want to shout in your tweet? Go for it!

Why You Should Use Twitter!

To increase your profile

Twitter is not just a fad. When very high profile folks begin evangelizing Twitter, it’s worth closer examination. Here’s what some of those gurus reported:

Duct Tape Marketing founder John Jantsch identified three big advantages of Twitter, “(1) I get great insight when I ask questions, (2) let’s face it, I get traffic and (3) people on Twitter spread my thoughts to new places.”

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com said, “We’ve found that Twitter has been a great way for us to connect on a more personal level with our employees and customers. We use it to help build our brand, not drive direct sales. It’d be like asking how does providing a telephone number for customer service translate into new business when they are mostly non-sales-related calls. In the long term, Twitter helps drive repeat customers and word of mouth, but we’re not looking to it as a way of driving immediate sales.”

Bestselling author David Meerman Scott said, “I have personally connected with hundreds of people I otherwise wouldn’t have, and I booked an interview on NPR and a big daily newspaper using Twitter.”

How do you get on Twitter?

You simply go to the twitter.com website  register and sign up.  Choose a username — something uniquely you, but not embarrassing. If it’s available, try to get your real name. The next step is to start following friends and family that you can find using Twitter’s contact importer, which searches your contacts on Gmail, Yahoo!, or other Web mail services for people on Twitter. If you just want to search by name, that’ll work, too. Following someone is as simple as pressing the ‘Follow’ button on their Twitter page.

Next, it’s time to create your profile. You get one image (so make it count) and 160 characters to explain who you are and what you do to the ‘Twitterverse.’ As you can see, we’re not in Facebook-land anymore. While Facebook and MySpace are filled with various ways to post information, pictures, and annoying applications, Twitter is a more controlled environment — just a name, location, Web site link, 160-character bio, and a picture. Therefore, it’s all about what you say in that 160-character space, especially since people are more likely to read your whole Twitter profile than they are the hard-to-wade-through, gargantuan tomes that end up on a typical Facebook or MySpace profile. In other words, yes, your Twitter profile can get you fired, so watch what you say here (and in your tweets, for that matter).

Stay tuned for more tips on your tweets….

Nadine

Pre-Register NOW for Promoting Your Business Using Social Networks Webinar …more info here.

Revised Excerpt from article written Feb 2008 by Monte Enbysk

Time will [...]]]>

SAVE MONEY TODAY!

Pre-Register NOW for Promoting Your Business Using Social Networks Webinar …more info here.

Revised Excerpt from article written Feb 2008 by Monte Enbysk

Are social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn the business tools of the future? Or are they a passing fad that will meet the same fate as disco music?

Time will tell. But if you run a small business circa 2008, ignore them at your own peril. Many of your competitors have already jumped on the bandwagon, and are successfully networking their way to a stronger Web presence, enhanced credibility, and more customers.

Yes, many of these sites are used for socializing by your teenaged sons and daughters. But businesses can benefit too, says Lee Aase, a veteran media relations manager. His employer, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, has put him in charge of articulating the clinic’s message through social networking sites such as Facebook.

“The way that most businesses grow is by word of mouth, by recommendations, and by peers and communities,” says Aase, who writes articles and blog posts about marketing through Facebook. “The whole concept of social media is a lot like birds of a feather flocking together” — in other words, people with a common interest or objective interacting online, he says.

Social networking sites (also known as social media sites) enable that interaction, in professional but also fun and interesting ways, Aase says.

While there aren’t many strict rules about using social networks, there are dos and don’ts, as well as strategies you can employ to get ahead. Here are tips I’ve compiled from interviews with Aase and other experts in Web marketing.

*Experiment with multiple social networking sites, but focus your time on one or two.

You could easily invest countless hours posting pictures, taking movie quizzes, and engaging in other fun but trivial pursuits on these sites. But where does that leave your business?
Invest your time wisely on the right sites for your business. MySpace is the largest social networking site, but don’t count on it for great results in trying to reach an over-30 audience. Other sites likewise may not be the right fit for your target customer. Jinger Jarrett, a blogger and Internet marketing consultant based near Atlanta, says she has a presence on eight or more social networking sites for testing purposes. “I recommend being on a number of sites,” she says, “but really focusing on one or two” where you receive the most frequent business contacts.

For Aase, the most promising are Facebook and LinkedIn. “LinkedIn is clearly for professional networking; it has positioned itself well for that,” he says. “Facebook is much broader than that. I see it as having more utility.”

*Write profiles that establish your credentials and expertise.

Most social networking sites start you with a profile page. Seize this opportunity to position your business and market your skills, as well as providing necessary contact information and a Web site address. If you are an expert on a given topic, brand yourself as such. Make sure your profiles are keyword-rich, Jarrett adds, noting that profiles on many sites are captured by search engines. Also, use pictures that you would want potential customers to see (not you barely standing at a party), and try injecting some flair and personality (for a business audience, of course).
Take advantage of the applications and widgets these sites offer. Facebook, among other things, allows you to build a business page for news about your company, an Events page for business activities, even a “Fan” page. You can also post videos on your pages; create special-interest forums, groups, and private sites for crisis management; and surface your blog posts on your profile page using RSS feeds. Courtesy of Aase, the Mayo Clinic itself has a presence in Facebook, including a Fan page replete with medical news, historical photos, videos, podcasts, and information about tours and events. Research what your chosen site offers.

*Join groups and forums and share your expertise.

“Get in there and start talking,” Jarrett says, but make sure you have something valuable to say. Establishing credibility and trust is as important as making yourself known.
“Commenting on blog posts is one of the best things you can do online,” adds Leslie O’Flahavan, a partner in E-WRITE, a Web content training and consulting firm in Silver Spring, MD. Credible comments add to any discussion and can help position you as someone with expertise in a given niche. O’Flahavan suggests these tips for commenting: Keep emotion to a minimum; proof-read your comments; be fresh and interesting; add links to Web pages for details or background, and avoid repeating what’s already been said.

*Seek out recognized authorities in your field.

Social networking is the online version of good old fashioned person-to-person networking — but in many ways is easier. Seek out experts and people you’d like to meet in your field. Send a Facebook friend request or a LinkedIn networking invitation, accompanied by a message introducing yourself and politely explaining why you’d like to meet this person online. Be confident, but make sure your motives are business-related.
Be selective about your “friends.” You want to make friends on Facebook and other social networking sites — but it’s not about how many names you can “collect.” Having a small number of friends (or connections) who value your passions and expertise, and who care to network regularly, may be best for your business.
Also, apply some smarts in initiating friend requests or networking invitations. Aase, a married man in his 40s, gets numerous friend requests from his blog posts and approves most. But he says he makes it a personal rule not to initiate requests to anyone under 30, to avoid what some younger users have called “the creepiness factor.”

*Proactively write recommendations for valued clients.

Writing recommendations for past colleagues or people you enjoy doing business with is a smart way to do business online. Don’t wait to be asked to write them, O’Flahavan says. Those written without a request are even more endearing. “For the clients who have written me recommendations that I did not ask for, I feel very motivated to do business with them,” she says.

*Promote your blog on social networking sites.

Blogging is not for everyone, and this is not a pitch to get you started against your will. But if you do blog or are considering blogging, many social networking sites enable you to surface your blog posts through RSS feeds. On Facebook, for example, by setting up a blog on WordPress.com, your posts can automatically be pushed to your profile page, along with recent comments. In fact, you can syndicate posts from multiple blogs on your Facebook profile page.

Use privacy settings and street smarts to limit identity theft. Unfortunately, social networking sites, like the rest of the Internet, attract scam artists and thugs. Most sites have privacy settings allowing you to dictate how much of your profile is revealed to people inside and outside your network. Adjust these settings to your own comfort level, but in general, be cautious about the personal information you post. For example, never publish your social security number, and list your day of birth, but not the year you were born in, to guard against ID theft, Aase advises.

*Avoid aggressive marketing and constant promotion. If you do nothing but promote your new book or new business or product, people in your network will lose interest and likely “un-friend” you.

“Doing an announcement can generate excitement,” Aase says, “but repeating your news again and again is frowned upon.” A better strategy, he says, is to create interesting content that relates to the new book or business, and “earns” the reader’s attention. “It’s all about conversation — not about push.”

Pre-Register NOW for Promoting Your Business Using Social Networks Webinar …more info here.

even 100,000 copies of YOUR book–non-fiction or fiction–to just ONE company (or handful of companies):

http://www.MillionDollarAuthorClub.com/videotruckload/?10011

Matthew is a relatively unknown self-published author who’s sold over 5 millions books to Fortune 500 firms including [...]]]>

Here’s a video from Steve Harrison and Matthew Bennet that explains more about how to sell 10,000 …20,000…

even 100,000 copies of YOUR book–non-fiction or fiction–to just ONE company (or handful of companies):

http://www.MillionDollarAuthorClub.com/videotruckload/?10011

Matthew is a relatively unknown self-published author who’s sold over 5 millions books to Fortune 500 firms including Disney, Reebok, NBC, Abbott Labs, Pfizer, US Healthplans, Subway and innumerable others.

Put the most [...]]]>

“As a general rule,
short sentences that are to the point,
use uncomplicated words,
and are easy to read are the
foundation of good writing.”

Begin with the Conclusion

As I did above- I provided a conclusion of information on this page in the pull quote above so if readers are skimming they know what is on this page.

Put the most important information at the top so that users can get a sense of what the article is about.

Eliminate Scientific Jargon

Never use a long word if a short one will do or a scientific term if an everyday word is available. If you use acronyms expand them the first time they are used on a page.

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) is the premiere organization for Registered Dietitians (RD’s).

The ADA promoted RD’s in a variety of ways.

Write Direct & to the Point

Never use a long word when a short one will do and if you can eliminate a word – don’t use it.

Use Headings and Sub-headings

The headings on this page are colored and are in larger text to make reading and skimming easier.

Break up paragraphs if necessary and use snappy headings and sub-headings that include keywords.

Use Active Voice

 I bit the dog. The dog was bitten by me.

Download your own web writing checklist.

Shared Folders

Every day, millions of [...]]]>

There are many interesting and useful programs available today that use P2P file sharing. LimeWire is one example of a very popular and useful P2P application that offers you the ability to download music, video, and images that are with and without copyright protection.

Excerpt from FTC document “File Sharing: A Fair Share? Maybe Not”:

Shared Folders

Every day, millions of computer users share files online. Whether it is music, games, or software, file-sharing can give people access to a wealth of information. You simply download special software that connects your computer to an informal network of other computers running the same software. Millions of users could be connected to each other through this software at one time. The software often is free and easily accessible.

Sounds promising, right? Maybe, but make sure that you consider the trade-offs. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, cautions that file-sharing can have a number of risks. For example, when you are connected to file-sharing programs, you may unknowingly allow others to copy private files you never intended to share. You may download material that is protected by the copyright laws and find yourself mired in legal issues. You may download a virus or facilitate a security breach. Or you may unwittingly download pornography labeled as something else.

To secure the personal information stored on your computer, the FTC suggests that you:

• Set up the file-sharing software very carefully. If you don’t check the proper settings when you install the software, you could open access not just to the files you intend to share, but also to other information on your hard drive, like your tax returns, email messages, medical records, photos, or other personal documents.

Before you install or use P2P programs, please view the video below.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/XGw9MEURYiY" height="100%" width="100%" /]

Create your own personalized event registration web page.

 Upload Logos & Customize Colors

Completely tailor your event registration page. Upload logos, choose from a palette of text & background colors and publish a privately branded event page!

Collect Attendee Information

Customize the attendee information you collect during the registration process. Collect information from each attendee [...]]]>

Create an Event

Create your own personalized event registration web page.

 Upload Logos & Customize Colors

Completely tailor your event registration page. Upload logos, choose from a palette of text & background colors and publish a privately branded event page!

Collect Attendee Information

Customize the attendee information you collect during the registration process. Collect information from each attendee or just the ticket buyer.

Ticket Order & Attendee Reports

Produce printable and customizable ticket order reports and attendee reports. Reports can be imported into Microsoft Excel and other applications. Easily edit attendee info and refund all or partial ticket orders.

Multi-User Access

Allow multiple event organizers to access one master account.

Add and Edit Attendee List Add “offline” registrants to your guest list. All attendees and sales figures are merged into one master list.

Copy or Repeat Events

Quickly make a copy of an existing event page. Change any details of the new page for fast event publishing.

Publish one event page for recurring events with the repeat event feature. Great for events held on a repeating basis (daily, weekly, monthly, etc)!

Show Attendee List on Event Page

Publish a list of confirmed attendees on the event page for everyone to see.

Show Tickets Remaining

Show an inventory of each ticket type on the event page.

Promote your event online

Optimize your event information for search engines and publish your event in event directories online.

Web Site Integration

Easily publish your event registration form and a variety of registration buttons on your own web site!

Send Email Invites & Track RSVPs

Get the word out by sending customized email invitations. Easily import email addresses from your address book in several different programs (i.e. Outlook, Hotmail, Yahoo, Plaxo, Gmail, etc).

Track RSVPs for each invite.

Upload & Save Contact Lists

Import and save contacts for easy invitations and reminders.

Promote Multiple Events

We create a custom page that lists all the events your organization offers.

Invite-a-Friend

Let your event “go viral” with invite-a-friend links on the registration form and confirmation page.

Contact Attendees

Send more information, reminders, directions and updates to all registered attendees or certain groups of attendees.

Customize Email Receipts

Include important and customized information about your event on the registration email receipt.

Affiliate Tracking

Use custom event links to track event referrers.

Event Promoter

Publish an online slideshow & calendar widget that displays your upcoming events.

Collect Credit Card Payments

Receive money directly and instantly to your PayPal or Google Checkout account.

 Accept 16 International Currencies in 103 Countries

• U.S. Dollars
• Euros
• Pounds Sterling
• Yen
• Australian Dollars
• Canadian Dollars
• Czech Koruna
• Danish Krone
• Hong Kong Dollar
• Hungarian Forint
• New Zealand Dollar
• Norwegian Krone
• Polish Zloty
• Singapore Dollar
• Swedish Krona
• Swiss Franc

Track event sales

View real-time reporting of event sign-ups with detailed customer and ticket sales information.

Customize Ticket Sales

Create different ticket types such as student, or member. Specify different prices, or days & times for each ticket type sales to end.

Discount/Coupon Code

Create your own discount codes to offer special registration prices to select attendees.

Donation Ticket Types

Offer a donation option for your attendees to contribute a self-designated amount.

Group Discount Ticket Option

Designate a minimum ticket order for a group discount.

Accept Offline Payments

Give your attendees the option of registering online and paying offline via check, invoice or at the door.

Visit: Event Brite

Posted in: News, Video Conferencing and Web TV Tips by Chris Tew

Video conferencing can often become an expensive process and there can be a lot to organize as I discussed in the introduction to videoconferencing services.

However, if you simply want to speak to someone over the internet using video [...]]]>

Posted in: News, Video Conferencing and Web TV Tips by Chris Tew

Video conferencing can often become an expensive process and there can be a lot to organize as I discussed in the introduction to videoconferencing services.

However, if you simply want to speak to someone over the internet using video then you shouldn’t have to fork out thousands of dollars on expensive video conferencing equipment and services.

Fortunately the VoIP revolution and P2P technology has crumbled away the costs and shone a bright light at the end of that tunnel for budget video calls. The only cost you’ll need to set up a basic video conference with a friend is the cost of a webcam. Now that’s cheap video conferencing!

All you need is Skype Video Calling

All you need to do is download the latest version of Skype and you can carry out video calls.

Using Skype video calling is very simple. You will need a webcam, speakers and microphone.

To set the web-cam up with Skype you just need to go the Skype Tools menu, select Options. There you will find the Video Settings under the General section.

Once set up Skype has an option to test you webcam to make sure everything is working correctly.

Pros:

• You can connect with a friend for an instant one-on-one video conference.
• Very simple to set up.
• It is so cheap that it is free! Definitely the best budget video calling solution.
• Easy to start a video call with any of your Skype friends that have their webcam set up.
• Very little hardware requirements.

Cons

• Only one-on-one calls – no ability to have multi-party video conferencing calls.
• You cannot show what is on your PC screen allowing you to present PowerPoint presentations, web pages etc.
• Video quality is not good enough to show on a large screen to a room of people.
• Lack of support for interactive features.
• No support for recording video conferences for later archiving and publication.

Conclusion

Skype is definitely the best budget solution for one-on-one video conferences where people are sat at there PC screens and the video conference is a little bit informal. It is free and it works well.

However, it is not be suitable for the more professional video conference such as when:

• for conferences containing multiple people.
• the viewers are watching it on a large TV screen,
• a lot of interaction with the viewers is required,
• high quality visuals are important

Important Links for Skype Video Calling

• Download Skype (free)
• Check out the Skype for Business Tool (free)
• Buy a WebCam

Alternatives for Multi-Party Video Conferencing

PalTalk

If you require a video conference solution that will have multiple participants then I recommend PalTalk as a budget video conferencing solution.

PalTalk allows group conferencing calls for up to 10 people.

Click here to get a free trial of PalTalk.

Online Video Interview Recording

If you want to record online video interviews then check out Sightspeed. Full review here.