eco-safe

its the little things that matter. and it's connections where i learn. hmmm and yes, copy. i hooked up with chris brogan a week or so back (not sure how he'd previously missed my radar but he's there now) and in my dutiful way i read (errr skimmed thru) his blog.

it was a very interesting read. lots of similar thoughts. liked that he used the slogan "community and social media". all good signs.

and then it caught my eye. it was a service i hadn't seen before called eco-safe.

the eco-safe guys write "We believe in the power of our individual voice and collective voice as a whole. Together we can change the world. I can, you can, we can. Here and now, from
this day forward."

all it does is suggest a person email or pdf a webpage to themselves rather than print. it's just a small thing. xc

interacting via the team

driving traffic to a website has to be one of the most popular emerging trends facing online. we talk about, discuss it, argue occassionally and generally not all get it right all the time. even i don't (i never said i was perfect).

traditionally we would put up a website. send an email to a few friends, a database of prospects or media and hoped like hell people flocked. we got frustrated when they didn't. we asked around. hmmm, everyone saw the email but when they went to use the website again funnily enough they couldn't remember the link name (or URL in web speak).

then someone brought in privacy laws. that meant we had to ask permission to send the email to them. hmmm, that meant they needed to get to the website first. we then all used meta tags to help the search engines find us. then someone gave them a bad name (i still very much believe in meta tags and if you want to do business with government on any level, you had better learn about them). hmmm, but then everyone did that and suddenly it got harder and harder to be found in the search results (if at all). hmmm, once again they didn't find us.

so, we had to get a bit savyier.

we started including our website link in all of our communications such as our emails, promotions and newsletters. hey, we even just promoted the website using traditional media like TV, radio and print. but today even that doesn't always help. well, it may help first time. but do yo really get repeat business?

so what does help?

the web that is woven around one single website these days is a far more intense, linked and worked experience.

it's why one of my favourite sayings is "im working the room". it takes real effort to get people to visit your website. and then keep them coming back.

typically it needs interaction. and your full attention.

so, i asked around some mates what they do.

the typical response was for them to link between their own websites and from other websites. meaning, your own website (domain) links to your own blog, and your facebook (myspace, othersocial) then links to your website or blog, etc. your blog then has little widgets installed to link them back to those social media sites where you interact. etc etc.

these days, one website never sits alone. it has become team web.

i'd be interested how your "team web" is going and would love to showcase some examples for others if you wish to post a comment. xc

What to say when there’s not much to say?

I think we all have these moments in life. I have been so preoccupied with the house move that my mind hasn’t been dwelling on the inner workings of social new media or blogging or corporate communications. To confess, I have been a tad auto-pilot. The auto-pilot works quite well though thanks, so I’ll survive my day job. But when I came to write my freelance blog this week, I came up blank. What to write when there’s not much to say other than “the move went well but we’re all exhausted!!”?. I guess just that.

So there.

Have to keep things moving though.

The day job has just seen this sponsorship go live:
http://www.careerone.com.au/jobs/job-search/special-features/sa-energy-utilities

My wine group – the Dead Reds – is having its second wake this Friday night at the Dave Evans Gallery in Rundle Street. Check us out on FaceBook if you’d like some more details.

And I'll still catch ya online. I'm enjoying the interaction on Plurk at the moment. Come check it out with all the other Plurkers in Plurksville xc

Interacting across the line

My golden rule was broken today. It was really only there as a goal to bring some rules of engagement around my social activity online. But don't panic, it won't stop my weeding routine. It's paid off and worked. I have great connections. We chat and share posts and comment and interact on FaceBook, Twitter, friendFeed, Plurk and we even stop and have a coffee with Allan. Which is funny, as my online friend Allan Cockerill even blogged about my efforts this week:

read here: http://allancockerill.com/marketing/is-this-the-profile-of-the-new-social-networker

But... why was my rule broken you ask patiently?

Well, I spilled over to 401 friends. Before weeding. I broke the rule for Becky. Who could resist? She was introduced through Allan. I'm sure over time I'll weed back to under 400 again (just to keep me honest) but for now, I just wanted to let you know I am happy with this decision!!

It's all good.

Oh, and thanks again to Allan. You provide the coffee and I'll do the weeding
xc

Interacting once things have gone

As in stolen. Where was my head? All this time I had been worried about regaining HARDWARE, but what runs it?

SOFTWARE.

And I’m such a softie.

Now, it’s true many of us (including me) have our software discs safely stored away from the laptop or PC with all their product key numbers on them. But you know it suddenly dawned on me, what if I was running an old version of say, photoshop, installed years ago where the paperwork was lost in translation or house moves or whatever (fact) and well, never to be seen again? Now that’s an expensive problem. I’ve gotten around this problem but I thought I would jot this note for others to take note. Either itemise your software when you itemise your PC on your insurance or keep them safe and locked away (along with those passwords!!). The bill can add up otherwise.

It’s also handy to keep tabs of what you had downloaded too. It's all the little things that matter. Like some of those little shareware problems we all hook into every now and then (like password management software).

Just a tip. From a softie.

xc

Interacting with individuals.

There’s been a bit of ongoing fuss about online identities for a while now. The general rule is to just be yourself and treat others as you want to be treated. Simple.

Online does has the power to create a world that is unknown to others though. For some this is a key benefit. They can hide. Or they can promote, market, sell or indeed find a way to express their creativity. Their inner self. I probably like to think I’m in the latter crowd (expressing my inner self) but that’s probably my own fantasy. I’m very much what you see, what you get – online and off. Sorry, but that’s a fact!!

However, i do have empathy and respect for those who try to develop an online brand and persona. Some people are making a stack of money out of it. That said, you really can’t cover a personality. Online (maybe even off). It shines through. From the way we respond to when we respond, to what we say to how we say it. You really have to admit we are one person... whether we are covering ourselves with a cute image or full frontal face picture on white background, it’s our actions that speak more volumes about our personalities and reveals our inner being. We have our own ups and downs. We have our own highs and lows. And we all have good days. And we have our bad.

So, where am I going with this? Well, to be honest it makes me more trusting of the people I be-friend online. I gave myself an interesting challenge to limit my FaceBook friends to under 400. Just when the FaceBook world all wanted over 1000 or more in order to do “whatever” I made a stance that I wouldn’t. I would weed out and move on friends that I hadn’t connected with. It was a choice that I’m glad I made. I have moved through that cycle and the people I now connect with are more valuable and more enjoyable. We have far more similar interests as I took the time to know them better and they in turn have referred better connections for me.

But – they all do come with their own individual personalities and traits that I’m enjoying getting to know. And they can’t hide them. I love that. So, thanks to all the individuals out there doing their stuff. It has made me appreciate all the individuals in my offline world. And I love it when offline overlaps with on. I asked one who has just crossed to “describe yourself in six words”. The response came as "extroverted mad energy work-o-holic party soccer". I thought “yep”.

How would you describe yourself. Do I know you? Let's interact.

interacting with experts: Richard Macalintal speaks

Hey - i don't know this guy at all. But online is crazy and he'd heard about me and my interacting with experts, contacted, we chatted and so i asked him to answer a few questions. You gotta hand it to him...

1. What made you transition to online media – such as the blog – to help with the promotion of Batangas?

Richard responded: "I am one of those individual who can't live without computer and internet...its part of my life already. And because I love my town most, I was inspired to promote it around the world in my own way thru blogging. I know that our town is one of the best in our county and there are lots of things i can brag about it. Browsing also the internet, I can find only few topics about it. I hope through this site, I can promote my beloved Batangas, Philippines. "

2. And what does "Parine muna kayo't makapagkape..mainit init pa are!" mean?

Richard responded: "In Batangas, almost everyone are drinking coffee. We are one of the best coffee producer in the Philippines (even in the world before) and we call it "kapeng barako" or brewed coffee produced directly from our town. Whenever we have visitors, we always offer them hot coffee which leads to long conversations. I want to emphasize that we batanggeyo's are hospitable. "

So anyway... that was his story. We're now connected in some small way which I think is gorgeous. It's a whole new world out there and we're connecting and interacting in a whole new way. I love that. Here's Richard's blog:

http://www.batanggenyo.net/

If you check it out... there's a pop up that I'm not so excited about. So, up to you if you go there. The blog itself is fine. The place itself seems beautiful. Nice place to visit one day :>

Google Earth directions:
13°45'41.44"N
121° 3'37.80"E
xc

Interating via a webcam?

Picture 21
Originally uploaded by charlierobinson1966

who would have thought you could have so much fun with a silly gadget? and i was brought up to think gadgets were for boys...

but seriously. chuck a camera in front of a chick and whammo... the poses start. what i put up onto Flickr are a mere flicker of the final results. you'd have to see it to believe it.

we did have a laugh. xc