Expensive Unlocked Cell Phone Contracts Coming?

Contract agreements might be set to change for the cellular industry providers and customers of cellular phones.

Today, in a landmark ruling, a California Superior Court Judge ruled that the common practice among wireless providers to levy an "early termination penalty." is illegal. The judgment cost Sprint $18 Million in current fees and over $50 Million in additional disconnect fees it was trying to collect from people who disconnected prior to term and didn't pay. I've always maintained that this practice was improper; and, in fact, still have a collector from AT&T bugging me about the bill after dumping AT&T when they couldn't deliver service properly on the Central Coast when I moved here in 2003. (Shell Beach doesn't have a tower, apparently.) So, to me, it's high time this billing practice changed.

Will this change the industry immediately? Maybe. I predict that more and more wireless companies - especially AT&T - will change the structure of how they sell their phones. Instead of a highly discounted, or even free phone, we'll start to see the full retail price of phones and perhaps about the same monthly fee on the contract. Obviously, if we can switch any time we want, then they might charge more for the phone. However, I'm not certain that means consumers will be charged less on their monthly charges. My guess: they'll lower the rates slightly on the monthly to make up for the higher initial phone price.

Then again, a more likely event is the cellular phone company appeal to the FCC federal level, which could (and likely would) overturn the State decision. Is this battle over? Not by a far cry, but I wouldn't be surprised to see this decision impact the way agreements are structured in the near-term. It might even unlock the iPhone to Verizon so I can convert from Treo 755p to iPhone (I keep waiting...).

How does this relate to entrepreneurs marketing their businesses? Well, keep in mind that if you come up with a nifty payment structure that may be illegal, you may end up paying for it down the road. My suggestion is to start out with above-board agreements based upon current standards and practices to avoid unnecessary litigation and hostile customer reaction.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

ARRiiVE: All the Best on Alltop Marketing

ARRiiVE is now listed as one of the best blogs in Marketing, as listed on Alltop in their MARKETING TAB.

SUBSCRIBE to ARRiiVE and find out why!
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved.

Productivity Secrets on ARRiiVE: Innovations in Business Radio

Want to get more out of each day?

Fine-tune your efforts to realize objectives using "The 5 top productivity tips, including the 80/20 rule," on this episode of the ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business show!

When: 2:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM EST on July 30, 2008

Details: Dial in at 724-444-7444 (enter 37798# 1 #) to question Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions, or to listen to the show.

You can also text or download the show at http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798. It's simple and easy to join in - see you there!

The show is now recorded! Listen online:

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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Are Blogs Better Than Websites, On ARRiiVE Radio

Recently at ARRiiVE: Innovation In Business Radio Show, CEO Scott Andrews discussed the topic: "Are Blogs Better Than Websites?"

Visit http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798 to listen to the show.

Trading A Stethoscope For A Blog

Want an inspiring story about a blogger who entertained so much success he recently quit his M.D. practice to blog full-time?

This is a story first published on July 21, 2008 in the New York Times about Dr. Arnold Kim, the founder of MacRumors, a leading gossip and technology rumor site about Apple, indicating he hung up his stethoscope to focus on growing his blog's success. What blog is it? MacRumors.com.

MacRumors is not an ordinary blog:

By the numbers:

Traffic: 4.4 Million visitors per month (source: Quantcast.com)
Page Views: 40 Million Page views per month (source: Quantcast.com)
Value: Over $25 Million.

(Note: Quantcast tends to estimate traffic numbers LOWER than actual real numbers I've witnessed. Therefore, as of this posting, MacRumors probably has well over 5 Million visitors, making it high enough traffic to easily justify over $10K a month in ADS ALONE!)

According to the NY Times article about Dr. Kim leaving his medical profession to focus on MacRumors:

"The site placed MacRumors No. 2 on a list of the “25 most valuable blogs,” right behind Gawker Media and ahead of The Huffington Post, PerezHilton.com, and TechCrunch. Two of the other tech-oriented blogs on its list, Ars Technica and PaidContent, were sold earlier this year, reportedly for sums in excess of $25 million."

Get this: MacRumors has more traffic than either Ars Technica and PaidContent combined, therefore making worth easily more than $25 million in possible value!

Dr. Kim's secret? TRAFFIC.

On his personal blog, last month he posted this answer to how his blog makes money:

“It boiled down to one simple accomplishment: building traffic. That’s it. If you have a site that attracts a lot of visitors, you will be able to make money. On the Internet, traffic equals power, which subsequently equals money.”

So, if you're wondering how to do this yourself, I'd suggest the following:

1. Find a topic many people will care about. Rumors about Apple, a private company that guards secrets with a loyal following in the millions, clearly is one of those topics.

2. Write well. MacRumors articles are extremely well-written..

3. Write often. MacRumors posts 2 - 4 articles PER DAY. His articles use the short, couple of paragraphs-type format, which makes it easier to post more often.

4. Stay with it. MacRumors started in 2000. That's about the same time I started AspireNow.com. I think if I'd posted as much content to AspireNow as Dr. Kim posted to MacRumors, I'd have a website worth a lot, too.

5. Build a solid website structure. MacRumors is logical, and covers a WIDE variety of sub-topics related to the core - everything from iPhone to MacAir, from WebCam to Earnings Releases.

6. Cultivate a following. MacRumors has an active comment section: some articles get hundreds of comments within just a month or two.

7. Post ads in logical places. MacRumors posts a banner ad across the top of the blog. Another set of Google image ads run smack dab in the middle of his articles. I counted two block image ads that also take a lot of space up. He places Amazon and MacMall ads as his "Mall" in the upper right sidebar - a prime spot on his page. He's gone pro: more than that, MacRumors' advertising is now professionally managed.

Considering Dr. Kim invested over $200,000 in his education and enjoyed practicing medicine, clearly he had to have a lot of success with the blog to justify that switch.

What other ideas do you have for building a website or blog into such a huge success that you can leave your professional job behind?

Comment below to share your thoughts!
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Why Blogs Are Better Than Websites

Are you trying to figure out the difference between blogs and traditional websites?

Guess what: you're not alone!

We know there are more and more blogs posting content on the web. But why?

The quick and dirty answer is that blogs, over time, create more interactivity and traffic than regular websites, partly because it is easier to post to blogs and search engines love "content-rich" websites. The more complicated version will go into SEO tactics, describe "RSS feeds", talk about the "long tail" of comment responders, and more.

Are you confused yet?

One of my friends wrote me a message over at my Plaxo Group, Blogging for Business this week:

"Hi Scott,

I am fairly confused with blogs.....it seems just like a website, unless you have traffic what is the point? I did use blogcatalogue and have found my name under it when I search....so I think it might have helped? I am still kind of confused what rss feed does?

Slightly clueless,"

Can you relate? I remember when I first discovered how blogs were changing the Web 2.0 world and how I felt similar to my friend who posted this comment. Not only that, but I knew that I had to understand what was going on with blogs when I read how one blogger made over $10K a month off Google ads alone! Well, on my journey, I've spent probably over 500 hours researching blogs, SEO, traffic tactics, and all the related stuff about making money online. In the process, I've become sort of an "expert" on this stuff, to the point where people now pay me (hint, hint) to consult re: how to set-up their blog. So, I bet you're curious to know what I said back, right?

My response:

"The biggest difference between a blog and a static 1.0 website is the power of COMMENT TRAILS and RSS FEEDS. (Edit: it is also easier to post articles, widgets, and make changes to website layout, which I failed to mention!)

INTERACTIVITY IS KEY

Comment trails involve people more over time than static web pages. Interactive = success with the Internet. Just remember I for I: Interactive for Internet is always a good rule.

RSS FEEDS SYNDICATE YOUR CONTENT

The RSS feed enables ANYONE else to subscribe to your blog. It also enables people to SYNDICATE your content. This means more people can easily get your news sent to them rather than having to go to your site to get it. Still don't get it?

Watch this:



Watch this, too:



There's a lot more at:
http://arriive.blogspot.com/search/label/Blogging%20For%20Success

Especially, read/listen to this:

http://arriive.blogspot.com/2008/04/blogging-for-business.html

BTW- you're not clueless - just catching up - like many! Dive in and go for it!"

Now, I'm working up a new version of my blogging system, but I'll probably just offer it as a one-time "buy this to get started" kind of thing, rather than a monthly subscription. Why? I'm too busy blogging and helping my customers blog more successfully!

http://www.howbloggersmakemoney.com/

Contact me if you're looking for one-to-one help with your blog or to get help with obtaining Top 10 Google position.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Top 10 Articles for 2007 at ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business

Here is a list of ARRiiVE's Top Ten Articles in 2007, as of July 2008:

1. Top Blogger Template Sites
2. How To Launch A Website
3. Demise Of The Dreaded Office Cubicle - Modern Approaches To Office Design
4. Top-rated Website and Blog Designs
5. What Is Collaboration?
6. How To Build A Successful Sales Team
7. Top 10 Ways To Increase Customer Retention and Lower Turnover of Valuable Clients
8. The #1 Best Sales Copy of All Time
9. Team Selling In Enterprise Environments
10. How To Build More Creative and Collaborative Teams
    

You'll notice that these articles represent a cross-section of topics we write about at ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business, ranging from sales tips, interactive marketing, website and blog design, to team building. Of course, these articles are related to services offered by ARRiiVE Business Solutions, and provided free of charge to provide an introduction into the way we think and how we help you increase your success.

Do you want to contribute your opinion and help me direct future topics towards your level of interest?

Which article or type of article is most useful to you? Why? (Comment below.)
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

New Wal-Mart Logo - Here Comes The Sun

On June 30, 2008, Wal-Mart unveiled a new logo in a press release. It's like turning Wal-Mart into Walmart*

Do you like the idea of a new Wal-mart logo?

Patrick Byers at Responsible Marketing commented Starburst, asterisk or sphincter?


I laughed so hard I had to post an article about it. Well, they say a logo represents the image of the company. Would an asterisk represent a "tarnished image" ala Barry Bonds' home run record? I couldn't help but laugh my own (ahem) sphincter off when I saw Patrick's suggested Star logo in reference to all of their products coming from China (see the bottom of his article at the Responsible Marketing Blog).

Then again, another blogger commented that it seemed like a rip-off of another company's logo. Considering the font is IDENTICAL, it sure seems a lot like what many rappers do to old-school music (borrow most of a song and add one tiny twist with a new lyric and call it "new"). (Note: Both Wallpaper and the Kmart logo use the identical font.)

Okay, you decide:

One other thought is that the asterisk is supposed to be a new age sun?

I think the funniest comments I read about the Walmart* logo include "It's like a ring of golden cannons all aimed at small-town America" and "It looks like a rendering of an R.F.I.D. chip." Other people simply stated that it reminded them of Wal-mart trying hard to be Tar-get.

Perhaps the new redesigned Walmart* logo indicates I was way ahead of my time when I commissioned the logo for my first website, AspireNow. You'll notice the AspireNow logo there:

Perhaps, it's time to change that logo to something like this?

Aspire*Now

Pretty inspiring, huh? It took me 5 seconds to do make my font bigger, change the font type, and color it navy blue.

Overall, I actually think the new logo IS more friendly than the old logo. Also, the sun thing IS more playful than that military star. So, maybe it WILL help them change their image. I just wasn't very inspired by it -- that's all.

So, what do you think about the new hyphen star Wal-mart logo turning into the asterisk Walmart* logo?

Comment at will below.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

The Value Of Starting Small - The Savvy Entrepreneur Series, part 1 of 10

Welcome to "The Savvy Entrepreneur Series - Part 1 of 10 - The Value of Starting Small"!



It is valuable to start small if you aspire to be a savvy entrepreneur.

When entrepreneurs dream, they often dream large. Is that good or bad? Well, if you ask many people, the problem with dreaming large is that large projects require large money to get off the ground. I recall my first seminar I launched. Rather than start small, with a handful of people in the room, I "dreamed large" and booked a room that held 600, scheduled guest speakers, booked a band, and so forth. I then went on the radio and promoted this seminar. Several days prior to the big event, we had less than 20 sign-ups for this seminar and realized I ought to have dreamed a little smaller when I launched the seminar. Or, at least I could have started smaller and held the bigger dream as a future goal. I ended up pulling the plug on that seminar after I realized a small turnout wouldn't cover overhead and lost about $2,000 in promotion fees plus a considerable amount of valuable time. It also gave me a little egg on my face at the time, too.

My point: start small.

The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make is starting too big, or even "acting" like they're big. Hey, if you're small, that means you're nimble. Be quick. Be nimble. And be DIFFERENT. This is the value of being small. Capitalize on that value. Start small and ACT like you're small.

Match your marketing with what you offer:

Don't act big when you're not big. Act small and promote the strength of being small to your clients.

If you're seeking ways to grow your business, don't be afraid to admit you're not a huge company. I'll admit that ARRiiVE Business Solutions is not a big company at the time of this writing. Will it grow? Probably. Do I need to act bigger to succeed with my products and services? Not really. Because people who hire me KNOW that I have an extensive network of resources at my fingertips. If my team can't get the job done, we know who to outsource work out to in order to complete stellar work at a highly reasonable fee.

Make sure you deliver what you need to deliver:

Maximize what you can do. Outsource what you can't do that is directly related to what you can do and need to deliver. Don't do the rest.

Make sure that you know your products and services. Build your team to deliver those services. And, if you can't hire permanent employees, build a network of outsourcing partners who enable you to deliver high quality work. I've been doing this successfully at ARRiiVE Business Solutions for several years, now.

Keep your start-up costs low:

When we start small, we can keep our cost structure low, develop a core service, then repeat and grow our marketing message until a massive number of customers consider us a valued business partner. From there, we can grow bigger. Use your noggin and be a quick, nimble, savvy small fish in a small pond and you'll eventually grow to be a bigger fish who can jump to a bigger pond.

Coming soon:

Be A Better Entrepreneur: The Savvy Entrepreneur Series, part 2 of 10. ________________________________________

Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Are You Getting Referrals? - Sales Tip

DUDE! Have you heard about ARRiiVE Business Solutions?

If you're trying to sell a product or service, you're usually going to find yourself prospecting for new business. If you've sold for any amount of time, you probably know the #1 most useful way to get new business is word-of-mouth.

Of course, a customer might, out of the goodness of their heart, refer a prospect to you. However, in my experience, I find that people are much likely to give us a referral if we ask for it.

ASK FOR REFERRALS

Are you asking for referrals for your business? If not, you might be selling yourself short! Ask for referrals, with each and every customer.

You might ask me: "Scott, when is the best time to ask for a referral?"

Answer: Strike while the fire is hot! You always want to ask for a referral during or immediately after your customer signed-up with you. Why? Because this is usually when they are the most excited about your service. The other time to ask them for referral is just after you receive a payment for services. Obviously, if they paid you, they're satisfied, too. So, use these two key times to ask for your referrals.

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New ARRiiVE Business Solutions SPECIAL PROMOTION:

Get a Salesconx account set-up that will help you drive business to your website, or get paid for connecting people you know with the needs of others.

Just visit this link and they'll get you started.
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Now, if you're asking for referrals but still struggling with getting as many warm leads as you'd like to see, there may be an additional way you can grow your prospecting list: offer a GIFT to get a referral.

USE GIFTS TO GET MORE REFERRALS

The following examples all are used by various companies as gifts:

1. Credits towards services you offer.
2. Cash - my web hosting company for ARRiiVE.com, 1and1.com, offers a cash payment for other webmasters/sites referred to 1and1 domain, hosting, and other web services.
3. Gift Certificate. For example, "Refer three people and get a $15 certificate towards your next order")
4. A Free Vacation. Worldmark by Wyndham and other companies offer a free vacation if you win a contest for referring people to take a tour through their program. I can hook you up if you want a tour of that nature as I have many friends at Wyndham.
5. White Paper download. IBM offers many high-quality "white papers" or position papers on a variety of topics. It took me all of 60 seconds to find one related to the book I'm writing: Transforming The Workforce by IBM. If you want to learn more cutting-edge ways to transform a global team, email me for more details on my book, solution, and upcoming software tool.

Many webmasters know that Amazon offers clients between 4 - 15% in referral fees which may be rendered in gift certificate form, cash, or purchases through the Amazon Store. So, you can combine strategies to get referrals, too.

The point is to get creative in your effort to gain referrals and grow your prospect or leads list. I like Worldmark's idea of having an "Owner Party Weekend" where owners can invite friends to a party and get a "super-charged" experience. They have some cool things, like an Elton John Concert and the Red Piano at Caesar's coupled with a stay at their resort. What better way to get involved, right?

Just 10% more business can mean a lot of money:

One company I recently consulted with claimed they helped their customer gain over $6,000,000 in additional business through an increase of just 9% from their referral program.

Need help? Get a proven process:

Through ARRiiVE.com, I offer a service helping organizations of medium size set up their own referral program. I use a simple process:

1. Gather email, offer gift or coupon.
2. Offer referral payment for providing email of client's friend/associate.
3. Gift client who refers a potential new client or submits a repeat order through the coupon.

It's simple and easy to use, and my automated system costs as little as just $30 per promotion per month up to over $249 per month, depending upon your needs. If you need assistance in setting up your referral program, contact ARRiiVE, we can help you set up your program. We offer a free 10-day trial, so you have nothing to lose when you try it out.

I'm considering things for my clients to bring a guest, such as a cruise on the Papagallo II, Wine-Tasting and Talk, and other things that sound fun to me. Maybe I can help you with something similar, too?!

Share this article with a friend and forward this link!

OR share the radio broadcast - bonus affiliate ideas:

ARRiiVE's Refer a Friend Program

Click on this link to view our "refer-a-friend" program:

Refer a Friend

Do you want a referral program to help increase your company's referral business? Contact ARRiiVE Business Solutions today.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved.

The Sales Process - Scott Andrews on ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business Talk Radio

Don't miss today's ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business radio show on "The Sales Process", where Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions is discussing how to sell, in elaborate detail.

July 16 - Wednesday - 2PM PST / 5PM EST

Dial in during the show: call (724)444-7444 enter 37798 # 1 # to call in and ask Scott questions.

To chat questions during the show or listen to the show, visit: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798

NEW! Listen to the recording of the show here in this player:

My Boss Checked Out

Are you wondering what to do when your boss checks out?

Have you been working steady in your job, realized progress, and then, one day, out of the blue, your boss just stops showing up to work? Or, when they do show up, they seem only half-interested in what's happening? Maybe they take long lunches. They leave early. They come in late. Worse-yet, maybe they come to work with a hang-over or other problem. If this is your situation, your boss has checked out. For whatever reason: laziness, drugs, alcohol, other jobs, side-interests, or an emotional/mental problem, a boss might not be "all there" when we need them. If this is happening regularly, you may have a problem.

There are four strategies I can recommend to you if your boss is checked out:

1. Stick it out.


First of all, your boss may be straightened out for you. Just keep your eyes forward, ears back, and insulate yourself from the problems and do your job anyway. Believe me, if YOU notice your boss blowing it, other people notice, too. And, surely, one of them is likely to complain to your boss's boss and get your boss transferred, promoted, or fired. It might as well be them, right?

This is the strategy I recommend if you think (a) your boss is just going through a rough time and history shows they are loyal, committed, and hard-working in the past and (b) you have reason to believe they'll get it together.

The exception: your boss' performance directly impacts your ability to earn money. If this is your situation, I'm going to recommend you consider even stronger the second strategy.

2. Find another place to work.


Second, if your boss MIGHT NOT get it together; or worse, your boss NEVER HAD had his/her act together, then you might strongly consider looking for another place to work. This is especially good advice if your boss flaking out causes you to lose money. I've seen commission salespeople completely tank when the boss is gone or out of the building. If you're losing money due to the poor performance of a manager, then you might want to save yourself (and your pocketbook) the pain and look for something better now.

3. Take action with your boss's boss.


Now, if you're someone who likes to battle problems at work, then you could consider being the one to blow the whistle on your boss. I suppose the question is: "Do you like your boss?" If the answer is "yes," then don't do this at any cost! If the answer is "no", then first consider if it is likely that someone else is having issues with the boss, too. If you can maneuver them to blow the whistle, that would be preferred. Otherwise, you could consider taking action. In my history, I've never been the one to blow the whistle on a boss. Why? Because I don't want people blowing the whistle on me if I ever have a tough time. I once went through a rough time at a good company, in a good job, after my divorce. My work suffered. I wasn't able to focus or commit very well. And, I'm pretty sure somebody blew the whistle, because my boss started treating me differently. It was hard and I finally moved on to a different job, but it took two jobs later to get back in a good position again. So, having been there at the belly of suffering and still needing work, I wouldn't blow the whistle on someone struggling with an injury or emotion problem. If that's your bag, so be it, I just don't want the karma.

4. Start your own company.


Of course, there is one other course of action: start a company or open a private consulting practice. If this is your situation, where you've already had cash-flow coming in from a moonlighting job, then you could consider this option at this time. Otherwise, I'd suggest you get something more stable going first. Once your side-project makes enough to pay your bills and demands too much time to do everything well, THEN make the switch to your private practice.

Evaluate your situation carefully. If you find that you need to find a new job, well, at least you've got good reason to do so. Find a way to go after something more challenging so you can make that your reason for leaving and make sure you leave on good terms with the boss and team you're leaving behind. You'll be happier if you leave good "karma" behind and focus on positive change for the future. If you're sticking it out, just remember that loose lips sink ships and keep your lips sealed about your boss. Your boss won't think it was you that fingered them if you give them no reason to think so.

Having our boss check out and lose interest or simply just stop caring makes it harder to work, but it isn't impossible. Stay focused. Get your work done. Make sure you don't blame your boss and do the best you can to get through this time. One thing is for sure: change is likely on the way! Rise above it and you'll be better for the effort.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Selling Tip: Don't Talk Past The Sale

Today I pitched a solution to a potential customer (couple) who, in my gut, felt like they were ready to buy. However, I noticed that as the clock ticked off the seconds, and seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into an hour past the close, that the potential buyer went from LOVING my solution to being AFRAID of how they were going to handle the budgeted cost of my solution. It happens that fast!

One thing is for sure, if your client drops out of the "ether" effect of loving you and/or loving your service, your odds of completing the sale drop significantly. Certainly, once the client goes into "fear mode" their "fight or flight" life protection response system will over-rule their desire to purchase your service.

Think I'm wrong? One industry I've consulted and sold for, timeshare resort sales, has performed specific tests to determine the window of opportunity, and found that once you've pitched your solution, you basically have about twenty (20) to thirty (30) minutes of optimum selling time where the agreement is most likely to happen. Once you go beyond that window, your opportunity of success drops, by huge percentages, rather quickly.

Do you know what the opportunity of close success is for your industry?

If you haven't figured it out, figure out how to be more efficient, at the least. Because one thing is for sure: once you go past the window of opportunity, you may never get that opportunity again.

Take advantage of time and use it wisely and you're sure to close more sales.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

One World: Where In The World Is Matt?

Here is a fun and enlightening video by a sponsor who uses a rather subtle approach to marketing. Considering the number of countries (42) and number of dancers (lost count) in this video, I'd have to give this video my award for 2008's "Viral Video" -- get this: over 5 Million Views in less than one month on YouTube, and now Matt Harding's update from 2005's incredibly viral video did it again:



Special mention for sharing this video goes to Patrick Byers of Responsible Marketing and Mario Sundar, Community Evangelist over at LinkedIn.

You'll notice the StrideGum.com credit at the back of the video. For those of you in marketing, I'm sure you see the $$$. How can we create a viral video of our own adventures?
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. StrideGum and Where is Matt Harding are trademark/copyright their respective owners. SUBSCRIBE.

Team Building Strategies with Andrew Long, CEO of Critical Pathfinders

Join us for the ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business Radio Show today on "Team Building Strategies" with special guest, Andrew Long, CEO of Critical Pathfinders:

When: July 9, 2008 at 2:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM EST

Topic: Team Building Strategies

How to Participate:

Call (724) 444-7444, enter show 37798 # 1 #
Visit http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798

Description:

Many companies recognize the importance of team building, especially in today's competitive labor market. Yet, most companies are highly inefficient in their approach to team building. Team Building expert, Andrew Long, shares some invaluable insights on team building to save your organization time and money. Andrew's company offers corporate adventure and training for corporate teams. Andrew's last show on team building was very informative and enjoyable - dial in: you'll kick yourself if you miss this one!

Call in - it's simple & easy, fun & educational to join the call and ask your questions!!

Listen Now:

What Are You Doing? Grow Traffic To Your Blog With Twitter

Have you noticed a new trend in social networking? A quick-blog tool called Twitter calls the phenomenon of sharing what you are doing "twitting", which refers to the online social phenomenon of answering the question "What are you doing?"

Through Twitter, you can grow traffic to your blog, on top of inform followers what you're doing. Many bloggers, journalists, and individuals are using Twitter to share updates, ranging from eating coffee, walking the dog, watching a movie, or working on a new project.

What does TWITTER look like? Here's a screen shot that shares a few ideas about Twitter:


I, myself, use Twitter. While it is possible to post updates in the "What are you doing?" field, I don't use Twitter for that purpose. I use Twitter purely to share my blog feeds? Why? Heck, it's another way people can connect with me and know what's going on with the blogs, why not!? Notice the "Want to follow someone" comment I wrote by the "find and follow" menu option? When people sign-in to follow my twit feeds Twitter offers a way for them to know, instantly, when I've posted something new they care about. Some of these followers DON'T subscribe to blogs, so in my opinion, twitting, to the blogger, is a way of expanding your audience.



Notice the screen shot (above) from Facebook? I circled the question there "What are you doing right now?" provided by Facebook. You see, the "twitting" phenomenon has spread beyond twitter. The more common and easier to use function of twitting, to me, is through other established social networks, such as Facebook, MySpace, and Plaxo. I'll show you each of them. I've had many people respond to these TWITS when they follow me and various posts I make to my social networks.

I'm currently giving an answer to the question "What Are You Doing" on Facebook (below):


See how I answered Scott Andrews "is writing a post about twitter on the ARRiiVE blog (http://arriive.blogspot.com)? Cool, huh?! People are now directed from Facebook to my blog at ARRiiVE. Now, I'm using the power of twitting and social networking to use as a passive marketing tool (although I consciously made the effort). Sweet, isn't it?

I do the same thing with my band, BODY. MySpace uses things called "Status" and "Mood" to enable you to twit about your latest feelings and what you're doing. It's great for bands and I recommend you use it for business, too. Here's an example of one I posted for http://www.myspace.com/body last night:

You'll see under the status and mood menu my update there, "Body gets excited when people scream. Mood: rejuvenated" for kicks and giggles.

Now, as much as I'd ALSO like to update you on my Plaxo social network, for some reason Plaxo is having browser problems that offer up an unexplained error. While I've tried resolving this with their customer service for the past two months, you can imagine the frustration I felt when I tried to show you my Plaxo update:

Oh well. So Web 2.0 isn't perfect! I contacted Plaxo and their support team said the problem was my browser. I switched browsers to FireFox and still get their error. They say it is because I'm in too many groups. I thought that was the whole point of Plaxo Pulse! Oh well. So Web 2.0 isn't perfect! Perhaps, that's why they call their social networking site "beta" software, huh?

Anyway, if you want to maximize gaining quick following, use Twitter. Use the twit functions on social networks, too. I've found that people are interested in what I'm doing and they often read the stuff I put in there and comment on it. Make sure, too, to publish your blog's RSS feed through the social networks and twit feeds as it will grow your blog visitors and help you increase exposure that way, too.
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