1. Have you started using Quora yet?  I signed up a few months ago and I am beginning to see the value of this question and answer tool.  Here are 10 tips from Inc Magazine on how to use it to build your business:  http://www.inc.com/guides/201102/10-tips-for-using-quora-to-build-your-business.html
2. Have you thought about using Facebook as an e commerce platform?  It may be time to consider it.  http://socialmediatoday.com/mattambrose/272418/why-facebook-could-dominate-next-generation-ecommerce
3. I enjoy researching new online tools and finding creative ways to use them to help my clients grow their businesses.  The Social Media Examiner looked at 22 Hot new Social Media Tools Worth Exploring:  http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/22-hot-new-social-media-tools-worth-exploring/
4. I love Copyblogger.  One of the post that captured my attention was about 6 Marketing questions to ask before you spend a dime on design.  These are six fundamental questions to ask before you do any marketing:  http://www.copyblogger.com/6-marketing-questions/
5. To Do List.  I have a lot of lists.  But what should you actually put on your to-do list and what should you just let go of?  http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2011/03/what-to-do-with-your-to-do-lis.html

From the Vivid Image Blog

We had six great blog posts this week.  If you missed any, here there are:

1. Monday:  This was truly a Remark!able day.  Julie Warner shared with Beth how they used social media to have their biggest sales day in history!  Thinking Outside the Dishwasher.
2. Tuesday: I really enjoyed Sarah Manley’s article on Marketing Habits:  Good or Bad.  The last line of the post was great:  Doing things like last year can be a great foundation for planning and strategy, but may stunt your growth for this year.
3. Wednesday:  Beth shared 20 Tips to Building Your Own Facebook Business Page.  We have shared this post via email with a lot of people this week.
4. Thursday: Michelle welcomed the newest member of the Vivid Image community – Swift County Benson Hospital.  I love our clients.
5. Thursday:  I reviewed two of the new features in WordPress 3.1 that our clients will begin seeing in the next few days.  WordPress 3.1 Rocks.
6. Friday: Beth wrote about our Free WordPress refresher course for Vivid Image Clients! All Aboard the WordPress Train April 14.

Your Turn

What do you think?  Any links your want to share?  Your comments are welcome below.

1. There were two posts about Facebook that I loved.  The first one was written by Beth that outlines many of the changes that are happening to your Facebook Fan pages.  She puts these changes in plain English for you.  So, “Take Advantage of the New Facebook Features for Business.”
2. The second article on Facebook came from Denise Wakeman.  Her post about “I’m Giving Up on Automation” was great.  Many people like to automate the publishing of their blog content to Facebook.  Automation is not always the best answer.
3. What Nuns, Yes Nuns, Can Teach You About Social Media. This may change your approach to Social Media forever.

From the Blog

We had five great blog posts this week.  If you missed any, here there are:

1. Monday:  Beth started the week with her focus on Remark!able businesses and organizations.  Her topic today was:  A School District on Facebook? Unheard of, Right?
2. Wednesday:  Sarah took a lead from the Super Bowl ads and wrote, “Is Surprise Advertising Old School?”
3. Thursday:  Michelle focused on “Staying Top of Mind Through Video Content.”  In this article, she features four businesses in Central Minnesota that are utilizing video on their websites.
4. Friday:  Wow, Friday was a great day to inspire you with new things that are coming.  Beth wrote on the new Facebook Features for Business and….
5. Josh provided us with a peak at some new features in WordPress 3.1 that are expected soon!

Your Turn

What do you think?  What did you find inspiring this week?  Share your comments below.

This Weeks Cool Links:

There are post that I found insightful this week.

1. Inside the Mind of a Community Manager.  I suspect this is how Beth’s mind works when she is managing communities.
2. The second graphic I first saw from Chris Brogan on some Shocking News about Cell Phone Usage.  Do you use your phone to check the time more than you use it to make phone calls?

From the Vivid Image Blog

We had five great blog posts this week.  If you missed any, here there are:

1. Monday:  Beth started the week writing about “Customizing Facebook for a Remarkable Experience.”  This article looked at five our our clients and the goals they have for their Facebook Fan pages.
2. Tuesday:  Sarah Manley wrote about “A Crowning Social Media Story” and her journey through Facebook.
3. Wednesday:  I wrote about “Secret Ways to Get More Out of Your Facebook Fan Pages.”  This was inspired by all of the questions we get about getting new Fans and engaging them on Facebook.
4. Thursday:  Michelle featured one of our clients, MVTV Wireless, and how they are using Facebook.
5. Friday:  Ryan ended the week with “Going Green With Design.”  IT really got me thinking about colors and the emotions they elicit.

What is New

We had three great projects go live this week for three wonderful clients:

• Runnings Corporate Website:  http://www.myrunnings.com/
• Camden Outdoors – Inspired Hunting Technology:  http://www.camdenoutdoors.com/
• Madison Lutheran Home/Lac Qui Parle Clinic/Madison Hospital/Hilltop Residence:  watch the video now

Your Turn

What do you think?  What did you find inspiring this week?  Share your comments below.

Marketing with Social Media Tip 1:

Keep in mind that you should not be focused solely on selling yourself. Social media networks are largely about building relationships. In a rural area, it is likely that most of your targeted market knows of you, so take advantage of social media to let them know who you really are.

Marketing with Social Media Tip 2:

Find your angle. Some people use social media to link useful tools, apps or stories to their followers. Others use social book marking sites to promote niche topics. Some use social media mainly as a conversational tool. Once you choose your angle or style, be sure to stick with it. It is essential to your brand to have not only a consistent message, but a consistent presentation as well.

Marketing with Social Media Tip 3:

Remember how big the Internet is. No matter how small your local community is, remember that any social media messages you post or sites you promote, targeted customers in your small local area are not the only ones that will be able to see them. It is important to not get too casual or veer into unprofessional, which can be tricky with the free flowing, instantaneous nature of marketing with social media.

Marketing with social media is constantly growing in popularity. With no sign of waning, it is safe to assume that sooner or later, your small business is going to have to get involved with social media. Keeping in mind these three tips for marketing with social media is a good start, with many more resources available for your perusal as you get more comfortable with your social media presence.

Why make things more complicated when you start?

One hour a day. It doesn’t even have to be a continuous hour.
Ten minutes here, twenty minutes there – whenever you can find the time to spare, all you need to do is engage in social media marketing an hour a day. So, what can you do in that hour? Here are seven things you can do, all in under an hour.

1. Do a Twitter search on your company name to see what people are saying. Respond to a couple.
2. Add a picture or two of new products to your company Facebook page.
3. Film a quick 5 minute video about recent news relating to your industry or company.
4. Write a blog post about your top 5 best selling products or services.
5. Create a quick coupon and link to it from your Twitter account.
6. Do a quick Twitter search for your town and add ten new friends from the local area.
7. Spend a couple of minutes personally responding to blog comments and visiting the blogs of commenters.

Give it a try

Not only can each of those social media marketing techniques be done in under an hour, all seven tips can be accomplished in under an hour. Participating in social media marketing an hour a day may not seem like enough to be effective. However, pick one, two or even all of the tips listed above and try them out for a couple of weeks. Don’t spend more than an hour a day on social media marketing, and see what kind of connections and results you come up with. After your initial two weeks, take what you’ve learned about what works and what doesn’t and tailor the tips to your business’s needs. Don’t wait for the big budget and big staff of a big city business to start your social media marketing efforts. If you can spare an hour a day, your small business can have a legitimate presence on social media as well.

Your thoughts?

Can you spare one hour to focus on building relationships online, enhancing communiation, learning what your customers are really thinking? I would love to hear your thoughts.

BTW – the photo above is from one of my favorite local potters.  You can learn more at www.claycoyoteblog.com.

For each hour I spend researching, writing curriculum, driving, and delivering speeches, I bet I get back tri-fold from the experience. Each person I meet has amazing ideas, insights into their industry, questions that challenge me to think, and humor to round off my day. Driving to each destination allows me time to take in the countryside, discover where businesses are located that I had heard about, and get a feel for each unique rural community. Yes, each one is very unique.

Inevitably, I return from every teaching experience with a very long list of ideas, things to do, topics to write about, information to research, people to get back to, and the list goes on and on. I learn so much while teaching others that I get inspired to schedule the next class before I even return home.

Can I offer an tips to keep inspired while working on the road? Yes! I always make sure I have paper with me to take notes while I’m thinking of things. I also try to pull into one or more local establishments to visit with people and experience the local culture and business. I keep track of people I meet who want to connect later online via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc and do what I can to keep those relationships growing. Lastly, a positive attitude goes a long way. If you are doing something you love, it will show.

Here’s a special shout-out to the people in Worthington, Redwood Falls, and Kerkhoven, MN whom I met this past week. Thank you for an enjoyable few days, and may you be inspired to try new ideas and keep the discussions going!

What about you? What do you take from your work? If you teach or help others, what do you learn?

She said, “Daddy, why do you need to go?  You teach this stuff to others.”  I never really thought about this from her perspective.

So I asked her, “Sweetie, what are you really good at?”  She said, “Fashion design.”  My daughter will sit down at night and fill a tablet with new dress, shirt and shoe ideas.  Sometimes she won’t go to bed until she can get all of the ideas out of her head.

“Would you like to attend a conference on fashion design sweetie?  Do you think you could learn more?  What about reading fashion magazines?  Would that get you more inspired?”  Her answer was yes.

Many people spend their entire lives trying to improve on things they are not passionate about.  Why?  Wouldn’t you rather be a 10 at something you care about, than a 5 at something you struggle with?  If you are a business, no one pays for mediocrity.

What do you think?

photo credit: mark_donoher
photo credit: Mikael Miettinen

]]> http://www.stevegasser.com/stop-wasting-time-invest-in-your-passions/feed/ 4 http://www.stevegasser.com/gift-for-the-social-media-enthusiast/ http://www.stevegasser.com/gift-for-the-social-media-enthusiast/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:49:16 +0000 Beth Gasser http://www.stevegasser.com/?p=1740 [Continue Reading]]]> Belated holiday gifts, Birthday, or early Valentine’s Day ideas…

Need a great gift idea for that special someone in your life whose own life is encompassed by social media efforts? While an ergonomic computer chair is a great idea, I guarantee you that the best thing you can give them is the gift that keeps on giving.

I’m talking about writing an article on your blog or a guest article for someone else; no strings attached. Take your passion and writing skills, and donate a little time toward something that really matters. We’ve all had requests from others to write an article about this or that.  Think of your friends, clients, and colleagues; then go back through your notes or emails and follow through with a few requests.

If you haven’t had any recent requests for guest articles, then choose a few topics that you LOVE and write from the heart. Give a shout out or a link to someone who you care about who also has a common interest or expertise in that area. There is no better way of expressing your gratitude and best wishes for 2010 than to create positive, helpful, and inspiring content for others.

photo credit: smajee

Our drive was uneventful.  She played on her laptop.  I listened to NPR.  Wasn’t quite the bonding time I had hoped.

Thirty minutes into our trip she looked up from her laptop and said, “Dad, look!  A smiley face!”  Sure enough, a farmer has taken the time to plow a smile right into the field.   Not a big deal.  But it has put a smile on my face and my daughters face every time we look at this photo.  Enjoy!

What does it mean to ‘unfriend’ someone?  Are we no longer friends?  Why were we friends in the first place.

The definition is obviously familiar to those who use Facebook, where the phrase originated: “To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook,” the authors said. No word if the Twitter equivalent, “unfollow,” was included or referred to.  (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2355963,00.asp)

Kindergarten

We learned everything we needed to know in kindergarten, right? We learned to be polite, be honest, considerate, follow the rules, and especially make friends.  However, there was no lesson plan on “unfriending.”  The word wasn’t even in existence back then.

It’s now a universal term in the social networking community.  Like Google users quickly coined the term “Just Google It,” social marketing people know exactly what it means “to be unfriended.”  If you are using social networking for business purposes, you had better know what this term is, as well as be aware of the causes and repercussions of being “unfriended.”

Who did you unfriend this year?

How many people did you ‘unfriend’ this year?   Was 2009 the year when we are a little more selective in who we invite as a friend on Facebook or other social networks?

Will you please be my friend

Food for Thought

I have two reasons I would unfriend someone:

1. Once we became friends, you harvested ALL of my contacts by spamming them with friend requests.  (Yes it did happen.)
2. You are constantly trying to sell me something through social media rather than building a relationship.  (Yes it still happens.)

I would love to read your comments.  What would make you unfriend someone?