My Personal List of the Top 10 Best iPhone Apps for Business*
After my post about the best "free" fun & useful apps that you may want to consider for your iPhone, I was asked "what about "business-specific" apps to help get work done while on the go?" So I decided to do some digging and found the most used iPhone apps for business purposes. Here's what I found -
When you're traveling, it's not always easy to find a place to work, get out your laptop, wait till it starts up, let alone try to locate a convenient outlet to 'plug into'. All of a sudden "mobile" isn't one of the words you would use to describe your working environment. What about relying more on your iPhone for basic business tasks, such as grabbing data from your company’s computer systems, managing a Web site, and even viewing, editing, and storing Word and Excel files? You can do all that and more with some of the apps available for download to your iPhone and it could be a valuable piece of work equipment that offers more benefits to you and your organization than originally thought.
Need to keep track of reciepts, manage your meetings, or log your mileage? Well, "there's an app for that!" After researching the best mobile business apps that iPhone has to offer, I put together another one of my "Top Ten" lists and am bringing them to you here, in this post. Who knows, maybe on your next business trip you’ll be able to leave your laptop bag behind.
1. Box.net - http://bit.ly/qfAL9i (File Transfer app)
If you want more than just file transfer app, Box.net has an iPhone client that lets you share your documents in its online storage space. You can also upload photos from your iPhone and add collaborators by folder too. I like Box because your files can also be seen on your LinkedIn page and you can incorporate a vast library of "Open Box" add-on applications. However, Box isn't perfect - these add-on applications aren't included in the iPhone app; you have to make use of the Web client. And the iPhone app is missing some of the more interesting controls that are found in the Box Web client, such as being able to create a unique URL for ad-hoc file sharing. (Free)
2. Bump - http://macw.us/r9geQP (Contact app)
Bump exchanges your contact information with someone else over Bluetooth by literally bumping your phone into theirs. Never again do you need to go through "Here's my number. Call me right now so I can save yours”. Now you can trade numbers with a simple fistpound. Love it! (Free)
3. Dropbox - http://cnet.co/pGhBu8 (File Sharing app)Dropbox is a great way to back up your data online and easily share files between computers and users. If you find you email files to yourself on a regular basis, carry a USB drive around,and want to have access to your most important files from anywhere then Dropbox is a fantastic service and one you should check out. It will make the syncing of files between your computers so easy you will not know how you lived without it. (Free)
4. Evernote http://bit.ly/qlJyI4 (Productivity app)
Keep track of everything that happens in your life with this app. Evernote lets you gather notes, voice memos, ideas, or snapshots on your iPhone, and syncs them with your computer (PC or Mac). Very useful for creative minds, Evernote keeps your ideas organized and easy to review later. The best thing is the harmonious synchronization it provides, as it adds all of your iPhone notes and items to the service’s Web version as well as to its PC and Mac applications. The app also offers a voice-recording module and takes advantage of the iPhone’s camera to snap photos of things you want to remember. (Free)
5. FileMagnet http://cnet.co/ReqallApp (File Sharing app)
There are a number of file-sharing apps available in the iTunes App Store, and my favorite is FileMagnet. You need both the iPhone app as well as a desktop companion client to communicate to your iPhone. Both your desktop and your iPhone have to be connected over the same local Wi-Fi network, and you need iTunes as well (which presumably isn't an issue). Once you install the desktop client, you can push files from your desktop over to the iPhone by simply dragging them from the Finder or Windows Explorer and dropping them into to the FileMagnet window. FileMagnet can automatically manage the connection between the desktop and iPhone for you as well. It includes viewers for many popular file types, such as PDF, HTML, and Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. You can store as many files as you have room for on your iPhone, and they can be as large as you have space for. ($4.99)
6. Genius Scan http://cnet.co/oRVaYR (Scanner app)
Need a pocket scanner on the go for those important documents, business cards, and more? This is the app for you. It has been in the top ten apps and featured by Apple in almost all the Apps stores around the world. It’s a great addition to your arsenal of business apps. (Free)
7. LinkedIn http://bit.ly/nbTLmx (Contact Management)For many people, LinkedIn is a useful Web service. The LinkedIn iPhone app really lets the power of LinkedIn shine. For starters, the app lets you get rid of business cards and vanquish printed resumes. Who hasn't arrived back at the office with a pile of disorganized and creased business cards? Having access to the ultimate social network for professionals straight from your iPhone means you no longer have to swap business cards with people--you can just add each other on LinkedIn, on the spot. You’ll never lose another business card--and therefore lose a valuable contact--again. It also lets you view your entire network, and you can send and receive LinkedIn updates so that others know what you are working on. (Free)
8. Microsoft OneNote http://cnet.co/o07bfT (Note-Taking)
Microsoft has taken a big step towards their mobile policy this year and has officially released the version of OneNote app for iPhone. OneNote allows the user to take quick notes on the go. (Free)
9. PDF Reader Pro http://macw.us/ro9KDU (Productivity)
Useful app to upload desired PDF files to your iPhone with the help of Wi-Fi system. It can also provide big screen document view. Many experts around the world recommend it as one of the most useful business apps currently on the market. You can handle document manager, PDF viewer, Outlining as well as bookmarking easily and voted the absolute best file viewing app available! ($1.99)
10. ReQall http://macw.us/r5CoJO (Note-Taking app)
To-do list applications abound in the iTunes App Store, but ReQall for the iPhone is a veritable list-making and reminder-creating suite. It combines to-do lists, shopping lists, and voice memos, and it syncs them to your online ReQall account so that you can access them from outside your iPhone. The service will even convert your voice notes to written ones, a handy spin for impatient touch-screen typists. ReQall is also useful for groups or work situations, provided your friends or coworkers sign up for the free service as well; a People tab lets you share your entries with selected contacts. ReQall also alerts you to items on your to-do lists in several ways, thanks to integrated functionality with instant-messaging clients (AIM and Yahoo Messenger), Firefox, text messaging, and e-mail. You can get reminder blasts through each of those media, as well as pop-up reminders on your iPhone screen.
*Note: All of the researched, recommended apps were gathered from Computerworld, PCWorld, CNET, MacWorld, Business Insider and CIO.com.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
My Daughter's Wedding: Marketing, Partnering, Sponsorship & Bartering
Well my daughter is getting married next year! And yes, I'm extremely excited about this fact since I really like the guy that she's marrying and I think they'll both be very happy. But, at the same time I have to figure out how to pay for this great event without going into debt. The average cost of a wedding these days can be anywhere from $25,000.00 on up and I can't afford to go that high without going into major debt.
So, I decided to list all of the typical things that are part of the wedding celebration and costs involved to see what I was up against. With today's prices being what they are (which is high) and everything that it takes to make up a beautiful reception, I've got to figure out more creative ways to tackle this project. You see, I think of this as a 'project' since I've been in marketing for decades now and approach everything as if it's a marketing plan. I list out the identifiable goal, the associated budget I have to work with, and what I need to accomplish my goal without going over budget.
In this case, there are some basic large committments that have to be considered in order to reach our goal of a beautiful, elegant wedding reception and still stay under our target budget of $17,500.00. That said, we also have to take into account the bride and groom's ideas of having the ceremony outdoors and keeping the guest list to between 150 and 200 people. They don't want a huge wedding (which is a good thing), and really want to be able to celebrate this occassion with only family and friends that they actually know and care about. They don't want to have to wonder who someone is when they thank them for coming.
Having an outdoor wedding can be good or bad, depending on the location and the weather. The venue should have a beautiful area outside where we can have the ceremony take place, yet be flexible enough to be able to move it indoors should unexpected weather problems occur. I also found that by finding a place that has one price for both the food and beverages (including alchohol), it would save us from worrying about what the final cost of the bar bill would be at the end of the evening.
There are actually several main items I need to budget for since we are having an outdoor ceremony and won't have to pay for a church service fee (which can range anywhere from $500 and up). We also won't require a limo because the ceremony and reception will be at the same site. That will save us another $900 or so.) Savings here: $1500.00)
1. Wedding Reception Venue - Estimated Cost: $12,000.00 (Should include the following items: Rental Fee, Tablecloths, Chair Covers (optional), Food, Beverages, Open Bar, plus the cost of Servers and tips.) We found a beautiful English Manor that we can rent which has a lovely outdoor patio big enough for a reception, can accommodate up to 150 guests and they work with a reputable caterer that can handle everything for $75 per person. This would be perfect and fits in our budget!
2. Printing (Invitations/Response Cards/Envelopes, etc.) & Postage - Estimated Cost: $1,000.00, depending on the stationery, amount needed, etc. (And, don't forget the stamps for the invitation envelopes and the RSVP envelopes.) In discussions right now with a printing company who may be willing to do this at no cost to us if we are willing to have the name of the company on the back of each invitation and thank them publicly on Facebook and Twitter! Cost for printing services = $0; Approximate Postage = $100.00
3. Flowers & Decorations (Bridal Bouquet, Corsages, Centerpeices, etc.) - Estimated cost: $2,000.00. However, if we use more "greens" and less actual flowers, and make our own centerpeices, I think we can end up cutting this cost in half. (I also plan to schedule some time to visit with some local florists to see if I can't trade my marketing services or get them to be a sponsor and promote their shops via the social media channels.)
4. Music (DJ / Band) - Estimated Cost: $1,500.00. However, in this case the bride and groom are going to put together there own music cd's and all we'll need to find is someone to be in charge of making sure everything streams well together. My brother, who happens to be an Intellectual Propery Attorney AND a whiz at this sort of thing has offered to do this during the reception at no cost. (We may however look to see if we can't get someone in at a discount so he can enjoy himself instead of worrying about the music.) Budgeted cost: $500.00
5. Photographer - Estimated Cost: $3,500.00. You'll want a good, experienced wedding photographer since you will have the pictures as a visual document to show your children, grandchildren and to remind you of this special event in your life forever. (My cost = $0, since I'm bartering marketing services with her photography services.)
6. Cake - You should call around to bakeries close to the location of the venue to get an idea of cost and delivery charges involved. Estimated Cost: $500.00 and up. It just so happens that my sister is Dean of Student Services at an institution that teaches culinary students and guess what? That's right, her students specialize in cakes! So by getting her students to make the wedding cake and buying a few sheet cakes at Costco so that they can be cut up in the kitchen and then served to the guests, the total cost should be no more then $100.00!
7. Miscellaneous - Wedding gown, Rings, Tuxedo rentals, place cards, menus, minister/officiant fee, honeymoon, etc. (All of these expenses are being left to the bride and groom to cover. :-).
In business, when I'm looking to fund a project, I also figure out who I could partner with that would want to participate and benefit from an event. As a result, would also be willing to fund some of the items to offset the overall cost of the event. But who would be interested in sponsoring a wedding and what would they get out of it?
After doing some research, to my surprise, more and more companies are willing to "sponsor" personal events so that they can get brand awareness from the guests or "attendees" of a wedding or reunion. For instance, I found that if you're willing to simply promote their businesses through some social media resources such as Facebook and Twitter after the event thanking them publicly, they may consider working with you.
Judith Ann Graham, author of My Bride Guide, says that sponsored weddings can be a great way to save. "The whole point of getting things that are economically more feasible to us is very appealing," Graham said. And, Retail experts say the idea will be appealing to sponsors, too, especially smaller, newer companies. "What a wonderful way to get your card, your logo, your brand out there to the general public," said Scott Krugman, of the National Retail Federation.
Some vendors are also willing to barter for services too. I found that the wedding photographer I really wanted to use was looking to expand her business and was willing to drastically reduce her rate to me if I would be willing to help her market her photography services to obtain new clients. Done. I signed a contract stating that she would be the photographer at my daughter's wedding and drew up a marketing strategy plan to help promote her services targeting bridal boutiques, flower shops, etc.
Hopefully the wedding reception will be everything they want it to be and more. (And at the same time won't send me to the poorhouse . . .)
Wish me luck!
So, I decided to list all of the typical things that are part of the wedding celebration and costs involved to see what I was up against. With today's prices being what they are (which is high) and everything that it takes to make up a beautiful reception, I've got to figure out more creative ways to tackle this project. You see, I think of this as a 'project' since I've been in marketing for decades now and approach everything as if it's a marketing plan. I list out the identifiable goal, the associated budget I have to work with, and what I need to accomplish my goal without going over budget.
In this case, there are some basic large committments that have to be considered in order to reach our goal of a beautiful, elegant wedding reception and still stay under our target budget of $17,500.00. That said, we also have to take into account the bride and groom's ideas of having the ceremony outdoors and keeping the guest list to between 150 and 200 people. They don't want a huge wedding (which is a good thing), and really want to be able to celebrate this occassion with only family and friends that they actually know and care about. They don't want to have to wonder who someone is when they thank them for coming.
Having an outdoor wedding can be good or bad, depending on the location and the weather. The venue should have a beautiful area outside where we can have the ceremony take place, yet be flexible enough to be able to move it indoors should unexpected weather problems occur. I also found that by finding a place that has one price for both the food and beverages (including alchohol), it would save us from worrying about what the final cost of the bar bill would be at the end of the evening.
There are actually several main items I need to budget for since we are having an outdoor ceremony and won't have to pay for a church service fee (which can range anywhere from $500 and up). We also won't require a limo because the ceremony and reception will be at the same site. That will save us another $900 or so.) Savings here: $1500.00)
1. Wedding Reception Venue - Estimated Cost: $12,000.00 (Should include the following items: Rental Fee, Tablecloths, Chair Covers (optional), Food, Beverages, Open Bar, plus the cost of Servers and tips.) We found a beautiful English Manor that we can rent which has a lovely outdoor patio big enough for a reception, can accommodate up to 150 guests and they work with a reputable caterer that can handle everything for $75 per person. This would be perfect and fits in our budget!
2. Printing (Invitations/Response Cards/Envelopes, etc.) & Postage - Estimated Cost: $1,000.00, depending on the stationery, amount needed, etc. (And, don't forget the stamps for the invitation envelopes and the RSVP envelopes.) In discussions right now with a printing company who may be willing to do this at no cost to us if we are willing to have the name of the company on the back of each invitation and thank them publicly on Facebook and Twitter! Cost for printing services = $0; Approximate Postage = $100.00
3. Flowers & Decorations (Bridal Bouquet, Corsages, Centerpeices, etc.) - Estimated cost: $2,000.00. However, if we use more "greens" and less actual flowers, and make our own centerpeices, I think we can end up cutting this cost in half. (I also plan to schedule some time to visit with some local florists to see if I can't trade my marketing services or get them to be a sponsor and promote their shops via the social media channels.)
4. Music (DJ / Band) - Estimated Cost: $1,500.00. However, in this case the bride and groom are going to put together there own music cd's and all we'll need to find is someone to be in charge of making sure everything streams well together. My brother, who happens to be an Intellectual Propery Attorney AND a whiz at this sort of thing has offered to do this during the reception at no cost. (We may however look to see if we can't get someone in at a discount so he can enjoy himself instead of worrying about the music.) Budgeted cost: $500.00
5. Photographer - Estimated Cost: $3,500.00. You'll want a good, experienced wedding photographer since you will have the pictures as a visual document to show your children, grandchildren and to remind you of this special event in your life forever. (My cost = $0, since I'm bartering marketing services with her photography services.)
6. Cake - You should call around to bakeries close to the location of the venue to get an idea of cost and delivery charges involved. Estimated Cost: $500.00 and up. It just so happens that my sister is Dean of Student Services at an institution that teaches culinary students and guess what? That's right, her students specialize in cakes! So by getting her students to make the wedding cake and buying a few sheet cakes at Costco so that they can be cut up in the kitchen and then served to the guests, the total cost should be no more then $100.00!
7. Miscellaneous - Wedding gown, Rings, Tuxedo rentals, place cards, menus, minister/officiant fee, honeymoon, etc. (All of these expenses are being left to the bride and groom to cover. :-).
In business, when I'm looking to fund a project, I also figure out who I could partner with that would want to participate and benefit from an event. As a result, would also be willing to fund some of the items to offset the overall cost of the event. But who would be interested in sponsoring a wedding and what would they get out of it?
After doing some research, to my surprise, more and more companies are willing to "sponsor" personal events so that they can get brand awareness from the guests or "attendees" of a wedding or reunion. For instance, I found that if you're willing to simply promote their businesses through some social media resources such as Facebook and Twitter after the event thanking them publicly, they may consider working with you.
Judith Ann Graham, author of My Bride Guide, says that sponsored weddings can be a great way to save. "The whole point of getting things that are economically more feasible to us is very appealing," Graham said. And, Retail experts say the idea will be appealing to sponsors, too, especially smaller, newer companies. "What a wonderful way to get your card, your logo, your brand out there to the general public," said Scott Krugman, of the National Retail Federation.
Some vendors are also willing to barter for services too. I found that the wedding photographer I really wanted to use was looking to expand her business and was willing to drastically reduce her rate to me if I would be willing to help her market her photography services to obtain new clients. Done. I signed a contract stating that she would be the photographer at my daughter's wedding and drew up a marketing strategy plan to help promote her services targeting bridal boutiques, flower shops, etc.
Hopefully the wedding reception will be everything they want it to be and more. (And at the same time won't send me to the poorhouse . . .)
Wish me luck!
Friday, July 22, 2011
A Few iPhone App Recommendations
Last Saturday afternoon instead of lounging on the sofa and watching golf, my husband decided to make the big move from his flip phone to a new iPhone. It was a huge thing for him since he really didn't see the value of learning the technology if he didn't absolutely have to and believed he was able to get all he needed from his current phone. But, since everyone was touting the great benefits of being able to read email on the go, book dinner reservations at a touch of a button or check a flight status while on the way to the airport, he walked into the Verizon store with great anticipation.
Once he got home, he immediately began ‘playing’ with it and setting up his passwords, backgrounds, and of course, asking around for the "must have" apps to install. Being his loving and helpful wife that I am, I of course helped him get started and showed him how to put his new phone on mute, make a call, set ring tones, add contacts, send text messages and add some of the many free apps that I already have on my phone.
After installing the apps that I thought he would find most useful, I decided to do some research online to find the best, newest free apps that are available. I thought many of you may be interested in what I found, so I've put together a 'short-list' of favorite apps that I've found through my research, some from my own iPhone, and some that my friends have recommended . . . all at a great price . . . FREE!
Basic Social Apps
Entertainment, Games & Some Overall Useful Apps
Once he got home, he immediately began ‘playing’ with it and setting up his passwords, backgrounds, and of course, asking around for the "must have" apps to install. Being his loving and helpful wife that I am, I of course helped him get started and showed him how to put his new phone on mute, make a call, set ring tones, add contacts, send text messages and add some of the many free apps that I already have on my phone.
After installing the apps that I thought he would find most useful, I decided to do some research online to find the best, newest free apps that are available. I thought many of you may be interested in what I found, so I've put together a 'short-list' of favorite apps that I've found through my research, some from my own iPhone, and some that my friends have recommended . . . all at a great price . . . FREE!
Basic Social Apps
- Facebook - Keep in touch with friends, "check in" to places on the go, Snap a photo on your iPhone and immediately upload it to your wall.
- LinkedIn – A social networking site for professionals to network, and keep up-to-date with colleagues/peers. They say the new upgrade for this app is absolutely gorgeous!
- Twitter - Link to your Twitter accounts to read tweets and post your own.
Entertainment, Games & Some Overall Useful Apps
- Angry Birds - A very addictive, wacky game where you fire birds through a slingshot in order to kill piggies.
- Pandora - Pandora generates music play lists for you on the fly based on what you're in the mood for - all for free. Use thumbs up/down to rate songs and refine the selections. Never buy another song again, and never deal with the hassle of making play lists.
- Hulu – a solid iPhone app with excellent video performance over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks, but you still have to watch occasional commercials.
- Gas Buddy - Locate gas stations near you and see their current gas prices and find the cheapest gas on the go – for free!
- Flashlight - In the dark? Get this app and it will help guide your way.
- Open Table - Best app for making dinner reservations AND you can accumulate points for a restaurant certificate at the same time.
- Rotate Mojo - Enables you to rotate your photos 90 degrees for free!
- Red Laser Barcode Scanner – Extremely accurate and free scanning application for barcodes and QR codes. Check prices, find products in nearby stores and check Food Allergens. (Been downloaded over 9 million times and has about as many uses.)
- Fish Fingers - A nice, soothing aquarium on your phone and you don't even have to feed the fish or clean the tank!
- Shark Fingers - Only if you're feeling adventurous. Hover or tap you finger at the waterline and they'll go after it. When they bite it, your phone will vibrate and blood will drip into the water making the sharks even more ravenous. But, watch out, they can also jump out of the water to go after your finger too!
- Words with Friends - If you enjoy games like Scrabble, I assure you that you will simply love Words With Friends (Free). The iPhone app is a turn-based crossword / Scrabble type app for your iPhone and you can play with your friends or random players on your iPhone and send an invite to your friends from Facebook and Twitter.
- DailyBurn - A calorie, workout and fitness companion to help you manage and track your health goals.
- Dreambot & Sleep Pillow- Two good apps with sounds to help you sleep.
- iMapMyRide - For the bicyclist enthusiasts. This is the ultimate GPS ride tracker and training app.
- Relax and Sleep Well - It may seem strange at first but give it a chance and suddenly you'll feel completely relaxed. It truly works. It seems to get better with repeated usage.
- Bloomberg - Best stock app. Get news, charts, and updated prices for your portfolio.
- Zinio Magazine Newsstand - The world's premier, high-fidelity mobile reading experience, featuring the best magazines from around the world.
- Weather+ - The Weather+ app (also known as The Weather Channel app) was designed with the retina display in mind, and the guys and gals at ITWC knocked this one out of the park!
- Around Me - If you hate the feeling of being lost and not knowing your surroundings, then this is the app for you! It uses your current location to find all the essential places around you including banks, hospitals, gas stations, restaurants and many, many more. It lists them with the address and then provides a map of how to get there.
- iTranslate - You can translate every word and text! You can translate from Russian, English, French, German and Spanish and to each other!
Lonely Planet - A travel guide book at your fingertips . . . "like no other". New York Times. - My Vacation - Plan, journal and share your trip all from the palm of your hand.
- Sky Scanner - quick and convenient way to find and book flights from any location to any destination. It provides all the necessary flight information, airlines and prices and then allows you a range of ways to book your selection.
- Trip Advisor - This fantastic app allows you to search for flights and hotels in your chosen destination. You can also search for sightseeing and restaurants to further prepare for a great trip away. You will see detailed photos, reviews and maps so you will feel well prepared!
- Tripit - Tripit is for all those organised people out there. Travelling can be stressful but with Tripit, it allows you to have all your travel details in one place. From flights, taxi pick-ups to key events, everything will be stored, checked and covered. You’ll never forget or miss anything!
- XE Currency Converter - lets you convert every world currency on-the -go.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Motivation - An Important Key to Success
"Excellence is not an act, but a habit"
I have been a marketing professional for the past 30 years (hard to believe that fact myself), and was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn and teach others many aspects of marketing over this time. During the 14 years as a Marketing Manager in the Hosiery Division at International Playtex, I developed and implemented marketing training programs to assist our sales team in product knowledge, positioning, customer interaction, and more. After an organizational restructuring in 1995, I left Playtex and joined a major software company, again in the marketing area. This strategic move was made because at that time it was believed that technology was destined to be the catalyst of change for our future.
It's coming up on my 16th anniversary with this software company and feel so lucky to be with such a great organization. The company allows it's employees to be innovative thinkers, recognizing that best practices are developed through shared experiences and the people I work with are more like friends than co-workers.
That brings us to the topic at hand, motivation. I just got back from attending a seminar in San Diego that was focused on real estate investing (which is something I'm also interested in). I was surprised to find myself sitting among 200+ real estate professionals only to be welcomed by a motivational speaker. I thought this was a bit strange since the agenda indicated we were going to be listening to a famous real estate investor providing tips on how to find great property deals and turn them around in this challenging economy. The speaker started by saying that before anyone tackles any venture, whether it's financially-related or just deciding on what to do that day, motivation is one of the keys to success.
Some of the points that I took away from the presentation on how to achieve your goals are below.
* Passion is Unstoppable. So make sure you bring that in everything you do.
* Research is an important element. When it comes to anything you're interested in or want to learn more about, you have to do the research on it to become better acquainted with it. So read as many things you can find (blogs, reports, articles) and even see if you can find any videos or webcasts that you can view. All of this will help to determine some 'best practices' and 'lessons learned' and provide a foundation from which you can build upon. (You will be able to leverage all of the information that you can uncover by making better, informed decisions on your next steps.)
* Goal Setting. Set a "SMART" goal for each week or month and create a plan with key tasks on what you need to do to achieve that goal. "SMART" goals are ones that are Specific, Measureable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time bound.(Don't make any goals that are crazy difficult or unachievable.)
* Time Management - Keep in mind that when working on your plan, time management is very important. Stay focused and stick to the plan.
* Accomplished Tasks = Success. Remember that as you check off each task, you'll be closer to reaching your goal.
Here's To Your Success!
I have been a marketing professional for the past 30 years (hard to believe that fact myself), and was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn and teach others many aspects of marketing over this time. During the 14 years as a Marketing Manager in the Hosiery Division at International Playtex, I developed and implemented marketing training programs to assist our sales team in product knowledge, positioning, customer interaction, and more. After an organizational restructuring in 1995, I left Playtex and joined a major software company, again in the marketing area. This strategic move was made because at that time it was believed that technology was destined to be the catalyst of change for our future.
It's coming up on my 16th anniversary with this software company and feel so lucky to be with such a great organization. The company allows it's employees to be innovative thinkers, recognizing that best practices are developed through shared experiences and the people I work with are more like friends than co-workers.
That brings us to the topic at hand, motivation. I just got back from attending a seminar in San Diego that was focused on real estate investing (which is something I'm also interested in). I was surprised to find myself sitting among 200+ real estate professionals only to be welcomed by a motivational speaker. I thought this was a bit strange since the agenda indicated we were going to be listening to a famous real estate investor providing tips on how to find great property deals and turn them around in this challenging economy. The speaker started by saying that before anyone tackles any venture, whether it's financially-related or just deciding on what to do that day, motivation is one of the keys to success.
Some of the points that I took away from the presentation on how to achieve your goals are below.
* Passion is Unstoppable. So make sure you bring that in everything you do.
* Research is an important element. When it comes to anything you're interested in or want to learn more about, you have to do the research on it to become better acquainted with it. So read as many things you can find (blogs, reports, articles) and even see if you can find any videos or webcasts that you can view. All of this will help to determine some 'best practices' and 'lessons learned' and provide a foundation from which you can build upon. (You will be able to leverage all of the information that you can uncover by making better, informed decisions on your next steps.)
* Goal Setting. Set a "SMART" goal for each week or month and create a plan with key tasks on what you need to do to achieve that goal. "SMART" goals are ones that are Specific, Measureable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time bound.(Don't make any goals that are crazy difficult or unachievable.)
* Time Management - Keep in mind that when working on your plan, time management is very important. Stay focused and stick to the plan.
* Accomplished Tasks = Success. Remember that as you check off each task, you'll be closer to reaching your goal.
Here's To Your Success!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
When NOT to use Hashtags
Excerpted from Blogadera
Lately it seems like every tweet that comes across the twitter stream is piggy backing on at least one #hashtag if not more. I want to point out some ways people misuse hashtags while thinking they’re oh so twitter savvy.
Some people ride hashtags as a way to catch a trending topic to get more views for their tweet. That’s just gaming and after doing this too much you are sure to lose followers.
Some folks make their entire tweet composed completely with #hashtags, “#hey #guys #marketing #here, #are #you a #marketeer #too”
Sometimes you see bloggers use marketing hashtags for their tweets not considering that if they are trying to reach the general user (which make up the 99% of potential readers) you might be saying to them you are a marketing/business blog. So don’t use the marketing hashtags so often, it’s all about perception and you don’t want to appear as though you only belong to this small circle of marketing folks. Using these hashtags is like preaching to the choir so you should not use them so often if you want to appeal to a larger audience, a larger audience who could care less about your blogs marketing involvements.
If you are going to do these things, create a user friendly twitter account that is just about the content on your blog and your activities. Save the marketing #hashtagging for your marketing dept or staff twitter account.
These are just a few of the ways we’ve seen how bloggers think they are doing something good for themselves but more than likely it is really swimming upstream. If a common regular twitter user, someone who isn’t part of the savvy “social media” uber blogger twitter community, sees that you use these hashtags all the time, it says to them that all you talk about is marketing and business stuff and therefore your blog must be the same way. So look to using #hastags that are relevant to them.
We don’t want to call out the various hashtags out there because they are important to have but just wanted to point this out to many of the blogs using these. They paint a picture about your stream so keep that in mind.
One of the better examples of a blog that steers clear of these is @tikitikiblog while they could be dropping #hashtags left and right, they don’t. Actualy this makes their stream that much more appealing to the general user.
Lately it seems like every tweet that comes across the twitter stream is piggy backing on at least one #hashtag if not more. I want to point out some ways people misuse hashtags while thinking they’re oh so twitter savvy.
Some people ride hashtags as a way to catch a trending topic to get more views for their tweet. That’s just gaming and after doing this too much you are sure to lose followers.
Some folks make their entire tweet composed completely with #hashtags, “#hey #guys #marketing #here, #are #you a #marketeer #too”
Sometimes you see bloggers use marketing hashtags for their tweets not considering that if they are trying to reach the general user (which make up the 99% of potential readers) you might be saying to them you are a marketing/business blog. So don’t use the marketing hashtags so often, it’s all about perception and you don’t want to appear as though you only belong to this small circle of marketing folks. Using these hashtags is like preaching to the choir so you should not use them so often if you want to appeal to a larger audience, a larger audience who could care less about your blogs marketing involvements.
If you are going to do these things, create a user friendly twitter account that is just about the content on your blog and your activities. Save the marketing #hashtagging for your marketing dept or staff twitter account.
These are just a few of the ways we’ve seen how bloggers think they are doing something good for themselves but more than likely it is really swimming upstream. If a common regular twitter user, someone who isn’t part of the savvy “social media” uber blogger twitter community, sees that you use these hashtags all the time, it says to them that all you talk about is marketing and business stuff and therefore your blog must be the same way. So look to using #hastags that are relevant to them.
We don’t want to call out the various hashtags out there because they are important to have but just wanted to point this out to many of the blogs using these. They paint a picture about your stream so keep that in mind.
One of the better examples of a blog that steers clear of these is @tikitikiblog while they could be dropping #hashtags left and right, they don’t. Actualy this makes their stream that much more appealing to the general user.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
“How to Monitor Your Social Media Presence in 10 Minutes a Day”
Portions excerpted from the HotSpot Blog
Monitoring your social media presence is incredibly important. You need to respond to people talking about our brand and understand how people view our company. However, a common concern is that it takes up too much time. It is entirely possible for one person to keep an eye on things. If you set up a solid routine, monitoring your online presence doesn't have to be a hassle at all.
Here are five easy steps you can take to get things started. Do each task in the morning when you start work, and you should be good to go.
1. Check Twitter for chatter about your company (2 minutes): Use tools like TweetDeck or Twitter Search to monitor conversations about your company in real-time. To check once a day, set up an RSS feed for a specific Twitter Search to go straight to your Google Reader. Do this by clicking the little RSS icon after you complete a search. Now, ongoing search results will be sent to your reader.
2. Scan Google Alerts (1.5 minutes): Check your Google Alerts for your company name, products, executives or brand terms. To set this up, enter your search terms and select to receive updates as they happen or once daily. Now, when people blog about your products, an alert will be sent to your inbox. You can read the articles and respond right away!
3. Check LinkedIn Contact Info (1 minute): Visit your contacts and check your targeted companies/accounts to scan any updated personnel changes; focus areas; and/or networking events that they have registered to participate in; and don’t forget to check the Groups” that are associated with to see if they have any related comments or questions about specific issues that could affect their decision making.
4. Answer Industry-related LinkedIn questions (3 minutes): Search for questions on LinkedIn that you or members of your company can answer. You can set up an RSS feed for specific question categories to go to your Google Reader as well. When you find a relevant question, respond and include a link to your website. If you are a member of any groups, check also to see if any new discussions started and if you can add value by promoting our solutions or gain additional customer information.
5. Use Google Reader to check Flickr, Delicious, Digg and others (2.5 minutes): Also set up RSS feeds for searches on your company name and industry terms in other social media sites. Similar to monitoring LinkedIn and Twitter, your Reader will serve as a great place to centralize your other searches too!
Monitoring your social media presence is incredibly important. You need to respond to people talking about our brand and understand how people view our company. However, a common concern is that it takes up too much time. It is entirely possible for one person to keep an eye on things. If you set up a solid routine, monitoring your online presence doesn't have to be a hassle at all.
Here are five easy steps you can take to get things started. Do each task in the morning when you start work, and you should be good to go.
1. Check Twitter for chatter about your company (2 minutes): Use tools like TweetDeck or Twitter Search to monitor conversations about your company in real-time. To check once a day, set up an RSS feed for a specific Twitter Search to go straight to your Google Reader. Do this by clicking the little RSS icon after you complete a search. Now, ongoing search results will be sent to your reader.
2. Scan Google Alerts (1.5 minutes): Check your Google Alerts for your company name, products, executives or brand terms. To set this up, enter your search terms and select to receive updates as they happen or once daily. Now, when people blog about your products, an alert will be sent to your inbox. You can read the articles and respond right away!
3. Check LinkedIn Contact Info (1 minute): Visit your contacts and check your targeted companies/accounts to scan any updated personnel changes; focus areas; and/or networking events that they have registered to participate in; and don’t forget to check the Groups” that are associated with to see if they have any related comments or questions about specific issues that could affect their decision making.
4. Answer Industry-related LinkedIn questions (3 minutes): Search for questions on LinkedIn that you or members of your company can answer. You can set up an RSS feed for specific question categories to go to your Google Reader as well. When you find a relevant question, respond and include a link to your website. If you are a member of any groups, check also to see if any new discussions started and if you can add value by promoting our solutions or gain additional customer information.
5. Use Google Reader to check Flickr, Delicious, Digg and others (2.5 minutes): Also set up RSS feeds for searches on your company name and industry terms in other social media sites. Similar to monitoring LinkedIn and Twitter, your Reader will serve as a great place to centralize your other searches too!
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