the a2z Group » Small Business

18 Essential Tools for Every Word-of-Mouth Marketer

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:37:37 +0000

Clay McDaniel is the principal and co-founder of social media marketing agency, Spring Creek Group. Find him via @springcreekgrp on Twitter.

By now, most consumer marketers know they could be using Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other social media platforms to boost brand recognition, engage customers, and drive sales.

via 18 Essential Tools for Every Word-of-Mouth Marketer.

In the iPad, Apple Is Betting on Its Own Microchip – NYTimes.com

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:33:56 +0000

Sure, the screen is nice. But the iPad’s most important component, at least for Apple’s future, may be the A4, the fingernail-size chip at the tablet’s heart.

With the A4, Apple has taken another step toward challenging the norms of the mobile device industry. Device makers typically buy their primary chips from specialized microprocessor companies. But for the iPad, Apple chose to design its own — creating unique bonds between the chip and Apple’s software.

via In the iPad, Apple Is Betting on Its Own Microchip – NYTimes.com.

Is Social Media Causing Companies to Rethink Their Business Model? · CFO Strategist – WSJ.com: US Business

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:27:13 +0000

I have the distinct pleasure of exchanging ideas with one of today’s most thought provoking strategists and futurists – Terrence (TJ) Kelly. Recently we talked about the possible impact social media could have on the “Sales Rep” model. Below is a guest post from TJ that begins to explore an issue which many executives may soon have to address

via Is Social Media Causing Companies to Rethink Their Business Model? · CFO Strategist – WSJ.com: US Business.

Apple’s Secret? It Tells Us What We Should Love – The Conversation – Harvard Business Review

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:26:00 +0000

At the beginning of Steve Jobs's presentation of the iPad, a slide showed an image of God delivering its commandments, paired by a quote from The Wall Street Journal: “Last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments written on it.” Although a touch arrogant, this quote powerfully captures the essence of the event.

via Apple’s Secret? It Tells Us What We Should Love – The Conversation – Harvard Business Review.

Is Real-Time Search Good for Businesses? | Social Media Examiner

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:24:57 +0000

Real-time search is bringing social media to search engines. And that means a whole new dynamic for businesses using the social web.

With Twitter and Facebook updates appearing in Google search results, many businesses are trying to figure if this is good or bad—and what to do next. Ziff Davis featured this blog post a while back. It got me thinking about the implications of the real-time web and how businesses can navigate through these rough waters.

via Is Real-Time Search Good for Businesses? | Social Media Examiner.

SmartBlog On Social Media » Real-time search: 4 questions that deserve answers

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:23:32 +0000

Last week’s post on Google’s introduction of “real-time” search sparked quite a bit of discussion. SmartBrief on Social Media readers had a number of questions, concerns and fears about what this shift in the search landscape might mean to marketers. For answers, I turned to George Bounacos, COO of Silver Beacon Marketing and a SEM practitioner who has been involved in monetizing online efforts since 1986. Here is an edited transcript of that conversation:

via SmartBlog On Social Media » Real-time search: 4 questions that deserve answers.

‘Friendsourcing’: Search Gone Social – Advertising Age – DigitalNext

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:22:48 +0000

If “Wisdom of Crowds” has been the dish of the last decade, Google has been its greatest chef. After all, who else could serve up a culinary delight of perfectly algorithmic search results? It's mathematically ideal: the entire internet is cached, indexed, scored and “interrogated” to find who says which sites are most relevant for a given search term.

via ‘Friendsourcing’: Search Gone Social – Advertising Age – DigitalNext.

MediaPost Publications When Twitter Becomes The Clearing House For Business Data

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:21:48 +0000

f you were on vacation, similar to me, during the end of December you might have missed Twitter's big announcement. The company acquired Mixer Labs, the creator of GeoAPI, which provides developers with the ability to query data. That data can come from about 16 million businesses and thousands of points of interest. The technology also offers developers a layer on which to handle complex geographical queries and location-based services.

via MediaPost Publications When Twitter Becomes The Clearing House For Business Data 01/08/2010.

Technology Review: How Google Ranks Tweets

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:20:41 +0000

To deliver useful search returns from the so-called real-time Web–such as seconds-old Twitter “tweets” reporting traffic jams–Google has adapted its page-ranking technology and developed new algorithmic tricks and filters to keep returns relevant, according to a leading Google engineer.

via Technology Review: How Google Ranks Tweets.

Real-Time Search: 5 Alternatives to Google, Bing

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:19:54 +0000

When search engine giants Microsoft Bing and Google (GOOG) announced their moves into the real-time search arena late last year, they joined a number of small startups racing to position themselves ahead of their competitors. Unlike traditional search engines, real-time search sites index updates from social communities such as Twitter, Delicious, Flickr and

via Real-Time Search: 5 Alternatives to Google, Bing – CIO.com – Business Technology Leadership.

No layoffs – ever!

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:16:26 +0000

A perennial Best Company, it's not surprising that this business analytics software company, which has shockingly low turnover of 2%, has never had a layoff because of an economic downturn (although it has had reorganizations that resulted in employees leaving or being reassigned).

via No layoffs – ever! – SAS (1) – FORTUNE.

10 Ways to Delegate | Sterling Performance

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:15:36 +0000

Some managers think they delegate well when they delegate all the routine rubbish and, of course, all the blame. This pleases the manager more than the team. Effective delegation is the way to better performance for the boss and the team, but it requires courage, discipline and self-awareness.

via 10 Ways to Delegate | Sterling Performance | BNET.

Researchers Cracked 3G GSM Encryption in Under 2 Hours – InsideTech.com

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:35:13 +0000

For those in the know about the current state of cell phone security, it’s a mess. With current 64-bit encryptions on GSM (used by about 3.5 billion people worldwide), publicly cracked after 21 years of secrecy, wire-tapping is now no longer the realm of the government alone. Security researchers have demonstrated that malicious users and corporate spies alike can tap 64-bit GSM and decrypt it using equipment that can cost under $1,000

via Researchers Cracked 3G GSM Encryption in Under 2 Hours – InsideTech.com.

The Internet Isn’t Just for Computers Anymore

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:17:45 +0000

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this year, thousands of companies demoed countless devices. Some of them brought 3D into your living room, while others miniaturized the computing experience to the tablet format.

via The Internet Isn’t Just for Computers Anymore : Technology :: American Express OPEN Forum.

Top 3 SEO Tips To Dominate Search Engine Rankings – Twitterer Social Network

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:12:00 +0000

Since 1998 I've spent the first several months of each year looking for the very best search engine optimization (SEO) tips of the previous year's end. This year I've come across the best SEO tips yet.

via Top 3 SEO Tips To Dominate Search Engine Rankings – Twitterer Social Network.

10 Email Marketing Strategies to Dramatically Increase Your Sales – Twitterer Social Network

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:02:51 +0000

Consider this: About 99% of your website visitors will leave without buying anything from you on their first visit. But by creating a great opt-in offer you can at least get their contact details — and then use email marketing to follow up, build relationships, and turn them into paying customers.

via 10 Email Marketing Strategies to Dramatically Increase Your Sales – Twitterer Social Network.

Snagit Screen Capture Now Available on Mac

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:38:25 +0000

Snagit, which is the best screen capture software for Windows, is now available for Mac as well. You can head over to techsmith/snagitmac to download the first Mac version of Snagit for free.

via Snagit Screen Capture Now Available on Mac.

Publish FeedBurner Feeds to Twitter using Google Short URLs

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:37:44 +0000

TwitterFeed, in case you haven’t seen it before, is an interesting service that can automatically publish your RSS feed(s) into your Twitter account. This helps because the moment you write something new on your blog, a “tweet” is posted on your behalf informing all your Twitter followers about the new content.

via Publish FeedBurner Feeds to Twitter using Google Short URLs.

Social Media Predictions For 2010

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:16:55 +0000

With the first decade of the new century and new millennium coming to a close, its time to look forward at some of the prognostications that several of today’s visionaries have divined from their social media crystal balls

via Social Media Predictions For 2010.

2010 predictions: Follow the hardware

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:16:14 +0000

It’s easy to scoff at business predictions for the coming year. But the best social media prognosticators (like Shiv Signh in his SmartBrief on Social Media interview) have a leg up on their counterparts in other industries, since they can look to hardware to light the way.

via SmartBlog On Social Media » 2010 predictions: Follow the hardware.

Microsoft labs tests a Wikipedia of average Joes | Beyond Binary – CNET News

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:10:36 +0000

Think of Microsoft’s latest labs effort as the software maker’s attempt to give everyone their own Wikipedia entry.

Dubbed EntityCube and now live to try out, the research project pulls together biographical information on anyone found on the Web.

via Microsoft labs tests a Wikipedia of average Joes | Beyond Binary – CNET News.

How Events Can Use Social Media

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:09:57 +0000

’m presenting to the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) conference today. These people all put on conferences for a living, a multi-billion dollar industry (note: I also put on conferences), and work with an events solutions company.

via How Events Can Use Social Media.

Five Tips for Promoting Your SMB with Twitter and Facebook

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:50:15 +0000

Many companies have Twitter accounts that spit out periodic updates on new products or services, and a few even have a Facebook page. But there’s a big difference between having a social networking account that puts out spam to a followers/friends list that consists of employees and the owners’ immediate family, to being part of an actual online community.

via Five Tips for Promoting Your SMB with Twitter and Facebook : Technology :: American Express OPEN Forum.

How to Use Social Media to Retain Customers

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:48:45 +0000

There are many times or reasons that a small business will receive an influx of new customers — such as around the holidays for retail stores, during a new product or service launch, or after a local advertising campaign. While new customers are great, returning customers are even better. Social media offers a number of opportunities to turn your new and existing customers into repeat customers and fans.

via How to Use Social Media to Retain Customers : Technology :: American Express OPEN Forum.

IPhone Apps Won’t Get You Lots of Buzz

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:47:53 +0000

For all the love that marketers show iPhone apps, these micro-utilities and tools actually generate surprisingly little buzz in return.

via Mobile Marketing: IPhone Apps Won’t Get You Lots of Buzz – Advertising Age – Digital.

Never too early: Making the most of Google Sidewiki

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:42:21 +0000

Heard of Google Sidewiki? It’s a Google toolbar that enables anyone to comment on any Web page for the world to see. Yes, any Web page. Including yours.

via SmartBlog On Social Media » Never too early: Making the most of Google Sidewiki.

How Critical is Linked In?

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:41:37 +0000

That was one of the many great questions asked during one of my recent Netshare Ask-a-Coach calls. My response … so critical that it is part of every package I sell and we spend at least one coaching session around how to leverage the power of that Web 2.0 technology. While you are launching a proactive effort, Linked In is an ongoing, powerful, portable, 24/7 strategy.

via The CFO Coach: How Critical is Linked In?.

The Cowardly Manager’s Guide to Dealing with Poor Performers

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:39:57 +0000

Dealing with a poor performer has to be one of the hardest responsibilities of a leader. Great leaders confront performance issues head on. They provide feedback, coaching, counseling, and if all else fails, real leaders fire underperformers. It’s all part of earning your scars as a leader.

via Great Leadership: The Cowardly Manager’s Guide to Dealing with Poor Performers.

Retailers: Embrace Web 3.0

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:39:05 +0000

In one of my first Forbes columns, I outlined my definition of Web 3.0. My formula is this: Web 3.0 results from combining content, commerce, community and context, with personalization and vertical search. Or, to put in a handy phrase: Web 3.0 = (4C + P + VS).

via Retailers: Embrace Web 3.0 – Forbes.com.

John Mackey’s Whole Foods Vision to Reshape Capitalism | Fast Company

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:38:19 +0000

John Mackey, the Libertarian CEO of Whole Foods, says not to worry: Capitalism and the invisible hand will cure the world’s ills. But isn’t it a little late to start believing in magic?

via John Mackey’s Whole Foods Vision to Reshape Capitalism | Fast Company.