Archive for May, 2010
Facebook Makes an Attempt to Save Face
Posted by Stephanie in Business Intelligence on May 26, 2010
Facebook has been a hot topic for the last few months and their actions have sparked a lot of debate. Since their f8 conference and subsequent announcements, there have been a number of changes to the social networking site in an effort to “make the world more open and connected.” Unfortunately many Facebook users have found fault in these changes and how they were implemented.
Privacy
Privacy has been at the heart of the concern surrounding Facebook since the very beginning. Over the years, Facebook has updated its privacy policy multiple times. However, these routine updates are not the issue. The complexity and length of the updates are what concern most users. Facebook’s newest privacy policy is now longer than the U.S. constitution. Someone wanting to change his privacy settings now has to navigate through 50 different settings with over 170 different privacy options. Their privacy policy has become a convoluted mess that many users are no longer trying to keep up and even a Facebook board member couldn’t manage his own profile page when his account was hacked. We’re all stuck trying to figure out the latest and greatest changes to their privacy policy and in the mean time, a lot of us are at risk of oversharing.
Understanding the Future of the Web & Your Business
Posted by Damon in Business Intelligence, General Knowledge on May 21, 2010
Harnessing the power of the internet is something that most, if not all, businesses are striving to do. With the advent of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr (among the most popular), it’s easier than ever to connect with potential customers. However, without a solid, structured approach to this new wave of marketing, your business could very well fall behind the times. This is also true when speaking of your website. There has been much talk around the internet lately of the forthcoming HTML5 and CSS3. Is your business on the forefront of this new technology?
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Come Bark in the Park with the Toledo Area Humane Society
Come join me and my friends Maddie, Hunz and Rufus at Bark-in-the-Park this Saturday at Arrowhead Park in Maumee and help support the Toledo Area Humane Society. Events start at 9 a.m., registration for the walk is at 10 a.m. with the walk following at 11 a.m. and festivities going until 2 p.m. Please come out and support the Toledo Area Humane Society and feel free to bring your four legged friends along (on a leash of course). Activities include raffles, games, pet contests and more. And if you can’t make it out to support the Humane Society, please donate. I’m collecting donations which will be given to the Toledo Area Human Society to benefit animals in our area. So if you’re free, come on out and have a great time. If you would like more information on the Toledo Area Humane Society, click here and for more info on Bark in the Park, click here. I hope to see you there!
Support Mom’s House by attending Mom’s Nite Out
Join AVATAR’s Kristin and Andrew and help support Mom’s House by attending Mom’s Nite Out this Friday, May 7th at 7p.m. The event will be held at The Pinnacle in Maumee and it features honored guests 2X Super Bowl Champion and Toledo native Nate Washington and his mother Lisha N. Washington. The 17th annual Gala & Auction will benefit Mom’s House so they may continue to provide inspiration and assistance to our community.
Mom’s House helps single mothers further their education and break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families by providing free, quality childcare services to single mothers who are full-time high school, technical school or college students. In addition, they offer counseling services, parenting classes, scholarship oppportunities and job placement assistance. Mom’s House empowers single mothers to help themselves through their philosophy of a “hand-up, not a hand-out.” For more information on Mom’s House, click here and to reserve your ticket to Mom’s Nite Out, click here. We look forward to seeing you there.
Social media and how it works for your business
Posted by Stephanie in Business Intelligence on May 4, 2010
Social media in its simplest form is any medium which promotes debate, discussion, or the exchange of information within its community. One form of social media is social networking but it’s not limited to the number of friends you have on MySpace. Gathering at the water cooler after lunch is a form of social networking as is attending a chamber luncheon. Social networking has and will always be the lifeline of business. Whether you sell products or services, your bottom line is always directly affected by the number of people you can connect with to make the sale. And you connect with those people through social media.
Social media is constantly changing. With the inception of Web 2.0, businesses and customers can finally cut out the middle man and communicate directly with one another. That doesn’t mean that older forms of social media are obsolete. It means that the way we connect with one another is expanding exponentially. This expansion leads to more and better forms of communication every day. And improved communication leads to a higher bottom line for your business.
So give social networking a try. Sign up for Twitter or Facebook so you connect directly with your customers. If social networking doesn’t sound like your thing, don’t forget there are other forms of social media. Set up a blog to share your knowledge and insights and to build your credibility as a business. Post photos to websites like Flickr or Photobucket to allow your customers a better view of what exactly it is you do. Use websites like Digg or iGoogle to keep up to date and in the know on what your customers are saying.
It doesn’t matter which form of social media you use. The important thing is to embrace these new avenues and to connect with your customers. Don’t shy away from them simply because they’re unfamiliar and not a part of your tried-and-true business model. If you’re not sure which medium is best for you, experiment! Nearly all of these tools could be useful to your business in one way or another. If you’re having trouble, find any one of a number of consultants that can help you navigate the world of social media. No matter how you do it, join in and enjoy the rewards of connecting with your customers.
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