I know that many have already written or will be writing articles today about what they are thankful for. And, while I’m thankful for many things every day and especially on this Thanksgiving day, I’m going to take a bit of a different path.

I will be short and to the point. Democrat, Republican, or Independent… conservative, moderate, or liberal… Everyone (except for those in complete denial) can agree that our country is at a “crossroads”. Richard A. Kaplan, a Rochesterian,  prominent businessman and super-intelligent political thinker says the following in his book A Time for C.A.R.I.N.G.:

“In each life there is a time to give and a time to receive. The acts of giving and accepting from each other are divinely human. Only when these acts are distorted by feeling of coercion by the giver, or entitlement by the receiver, is the humanity lost. Only when there is a true joy in giving and dignity in receiving can human spirits by uplifted and the C.A.R.I.N.G. cycle be completed.” -R.A. Kaplan

This Thanksgiving, before you head to your gathering, take a quick moment to visit the “A Time for CARING” web site by clicking here. On the right, you will find a PDF of the book. Go directly to PAGE 16 where you will find the “Wagon Analogy” explained. IT DOES NOT TAKE LONG TO READ AND IS EXTREMELY INSIGHTFUL, HELPING TO EXPLAIN WHY OUR COUNTRY IS IN THE STATE IT’S IN. If you are like me, your eyes will open wide and you will be “enlightened” with a new way to look at the situation. A way that takes away political blame and simply looks at the situation as it is. This will allow you to have a positive discussion and not get into a political debate!

Now, PRINT THIS STORY (as much as you think you’ll remember all the details, you won’t) AND BRING IT WITH YOU TO YOUR THANKSGIVING GATHERING. Share it with those you love. No matter what particular situation you or they are in, you WILL all be able to relate. This message is TOO IMPORTANT to ignore any longer and sharing it TODAY could be KEY in helping to save our fragile democracy, already living on borrowed time.

Finally, PLEASE share this with as many people as you can to help spread the message. Since I don’t have all the fancy buttons, the link to send is http://bit.ly/5X016D. I hope you find this helpful and inspirational in getting on board with a new school of thought!

Best wishes to you and yours for a safe, happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Chris

Jason OConnor compiled a useful list of Ten Ways to Use Twitter for Marketing. Among the ways is the promotion of blogging content, building an email list, and update followers on breaking news.

This is a really great article that I saw Guy Kawasaki tweet out about 10 ways that Twitter can be used for marketing. Good, real-world examples of how to use Twitter to do everything from introducing a new product to building your email list!

Holy Kaw!

I have been tracking a new algorithm that Google is developing called “GOOGLE CAFFEINE”. NEW Google Caffeine search puts more emphasis on “real time” results, as to be more in line with both Twitter and Facebook search results. (The proverbial keeping up with the Jones’ concept.)

Since Google provides approximately 75% of all searches done in the world, I think this is pretty important. I would imagine most of you would agree with me. Will Google infuse their Caffeine algorithms into their current Classic Google algorithms? Time will tell. However, the trend is here and seems to be here to stay. Google is giving higher organic search rankings to sites that have an integrated social media marketing plan and are doing it “right”. How do you keep up?

1. Prepare for the fact that “real-time” results are where the web is going and that Web 2.0 strategies can advantage you when it comes to higher search engine rankings

2. Help your organic listings as they exist right now. This includes:
- updating your site frequently (once a week is not overkill)
- adding new pages to their site (this can be done by writing a blog post at least once a week)
- continuing to build quality incoming links to your web site, like Facebook and Twitter links with great content

The internet changes quickly and frequently. It’s a daunting task to keep up, but this is one area where you CANNOT afford to get left behind.

You can test the difference in your rankings between the “Google Regular” algorithm and the “Google Caffeine” algorithm by clicking on the links and testing search results for your key phrases. Enjoy!

Google Regular
Google “Caffeine”

Top 10 Reasons for Social Marketing

Even today social media remains a mystery to most marketers. In the minds of most retailers and marketing executives, social media consists of teens messaging on Facebook, sharing pics on Flickr, writing in their blogs or tweeting all their doings on Twitter.

Perhaps they read a few news blogs themselves or have a profile on LinkedIn, but they’re still scratching their heads and wondering how any of this could possibly be useful to them in business.

Coming from the conventional marketing world myself and looking back to my first impression of social media, I can appreciate the retailing and B2B marketing establishment’s legitimate skepticism. That’s why I put together my top reasons for using social marketing for you to share with your colleagues and top management.

Let me caution you however, that social marketing requires its own mindset. Marketing strategies that work well with traditional media won’t necessarily be as effective if applied to new media.

These then are my top ten reasons to take social marketing seriously:

1. Social marketing is a logical extension of the multichannel marketing strategy of diversification. Social media sites can extend a company’s web presence far beyond the limits of its e-commerce, lead generation or information sites.
2. Social media builds awareness of products and brands by attraction rather than interruption, and by pulling rather than pushing. Consumers enjoy the discovery process and don’t feel annoyed by it.
3. Social media employs a community and list building paradigm that’s much more comprehensive, natural and intimate than conventional databases and autoresponders.
4. Social media marketers engage customers in dialog. They talk with the customer rather than at the customer as is generally the case with conventional media. Social media can also facilitate post-sale support and dissemination of valuable product tips to customers.
5. Social media used properly can build frequency less expensively than conventional media educating and informing the consumer over time.
6. Social media can help reach target markets that are too difficult or expensive to reach using conventional means.
7. Reach doesn’t determine cost, so social media can target a narrow vertical market while at the same time casting a wide net. Efficiency doesn’t really matter much in the context of social media reach.
8. Search engines like social media, and social marketing leverages free high-quality search exposure which is preferable to paying for low-quality pay-per-click or banner advertising.
9. Social media sites and your e commerce websites are available 24/7 more or less indefinitely. It’s much like having an ad run in every issue of a publication or like having a catalog or sales letter retained until the customer is ready to make a buying decision.
10. Using social networking sites it is often possible to connect directly with B2B decision makers without interference from protective gatekeepers.

Social marketing is different from other forms of Internet marketing. Larry Brauner writes about the unique challenges that social media marketing poses in Top 10 Social Media Challenges.

Shared via AddThis

Ice-T repairs a Mac, his way

don’t think this is anything I would have ever asked to see, personally, but now that it’s here, I can’t look away. Above, you can click through to see a NSFW (language) video of the star of stage and screen, Ice-T, doing some “repairs” on a broken PowerBook — the kinds of “repairs” you can only do with a clawhammer. As he says in the video, “if any of you people out there really have a love affair with Macs, this’ll be hard to watch.” In Apple’s defense, that Mac gives him quite a bit of trouble… until he really starts swinging the hammer.

Ah, the Internet. Where else can you watch B-list celebrities destroy expensive electronic equipment? Everybody have a great weekend!

Shared via AddThis

Why Twitter isn’t Going Anywhere

I’m still amazed by the people that think Twitter is nothing more than a fad that is soon to disappear. That’s what they said about MySpace, then Facebook too. Obviously, nothing lasts forever, but by the looks of it Twitter isn’t going anywhere in the near future.

Just take a look at who is using Twitter these days:

* Movie Stars
* Musicians
* Radio and TV Personalities
* Authors
* Marketers
* Athletes
* Etc

The list goes on and on. People are getting on Twitter at an amazing rate and although many don’t use it much, those that do spend more time on Twitter than on any other social network. Twitter integrates easily with blogs and website, but it is also easy to use via a variety of clients. I can Tweet from my iPhone, upload pictures on the go with Twitpic, and even send Tweets straight to my MySpace and Facebook accounts in seconds.

Twitter is fresh, but it’s also relevant. News spreads virally on Twitter faster than it can hit CNN. Professionals use it to spread the word about their latest products and services, while businesses use it to keep consumers up to date. The local 5 O’clock news uses it to get feedback on coverage, and small businesses use it to offer special discounts and coupons.

There is no limit to what Twitter can be used for, but it isn’t for a lack of trying. Every day programmers and designers are creating new applications to test Twitter uses and its limits. Every day there is a new way to use it. I’m in the business of staying up to date with Twitter and even I can’t keep up. It is growing at an exponential pace.

Business are making a living by offering Twitter services, clients, and software suites. Sure, it might be a little risky to stake the future of your business on an online service that isn’t profitable yet, but if I were a betting man I’d say that Twitter is the perfect vehicle to ride to internet stardom. Twitter’s rise is so huge, I liken it to a mini dot-com opportunity that you can ride into more profitable ventures. Twitter’s climate is the perfect breeding ground for startups, tech junkies, and software developers.

Yeah, I expect something to replace Twitter down the road, but I give it at least 2-3 years of solid growth before it levels off. That’s plenty of time for you to jump on the bandwagon and make something happen. Even if Twitter only lasts a year, you’ve got plenty of time to make some waves and build a following. Twitter connects people better than any other service can…people want that. 3 years ago I couldn’t imagine using something like Twitter to talk to the world, now I can’t imagine a world without it. Twitter is now the default agent for spreading news and information and it is a preferred way to connect with people all across the globe. You can try to convince yourself that Twitter won’t be around long, but soon you’ll have to find an excuse for why you were wrong. What’s the point in trying to fight the future of communication?

Remember that guy that you make fun of for talking about walking to school for 10 miles in the snow without shoes? That’s what the guy that thinks Twitter is already dead sounds like. Don’t knock it until you try it, that’s my recommendation.

This was sent to me in an email by my very thoughtful and lovely wife, Jill. I love you honey!!!

Words of Wisdom to Live By… I’m sitting here tonight on the deck in my backyard, watching my kids play on the new trampoline (that took me almost all day to put together). It’s not that I’m bad at putting things together. In fact, I’m pretty good at MacGuyver-ing just about anything. And, this wasn’t a difficult task except for the fact that they don’t tell you you’re going to need a second person to “enjoy this experience with” until you’re already into the construction of the bouncing fun station. The sky is a perfect shade of blue, the temperature is just right, children are laughing (Yes, I did get it all setup complete with bling-bling blinking LED “Flash Zone” for a jumping target and “loads of extra fun”). I’m finally relaxing and taking a moment to reflect on the day and I’m still moved by a wonderful message my wife sent me today. As every entrepreneur knows, it’s challenging starting a new business, right down to the core – Is my idea a good one? This is probably the most profound and deep question all entrepreneurs have. Not “Will I make a ton of money off this?”, although that thought does cross every entrepreneuer’s mind. Not “How will I do this?” – where there’s a will there’s a way. Not, “Why am I doing this?” – the answer to this is often deep in the heart of the entrepreneur and returns us to the main question, the source. “Is my idea a good one?” It’s personal. It’s your baby. It comes down to the essentials of human nature… It’s name is Ego and it gets hurt and scared easily. Recently, I haven’t been hurt, but I’ve been admittedly a bit scared about starting my own business based on a wing and a prayer. But, these words of wisdom brought me back to basics and forced me to look at things from a different perspective, giving me courage and wisdom on how I am going to proceed next. I hope they help do the same for you in whatever your endeavors are, entrepreneurial or not. Thanks to my very thoughtful and lovely wife Jill for sending this at just the right time.

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio “To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ”In five years, will this matter?”.

26. Always choose life.

27. Forgive everyone everything.

28. What other people think of you is none of your business.

29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

31. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

32. Believe in miracles.

33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

34. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

35. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

36. Your children get only one childhood.

37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

41. The best is yet to come.

42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

43. Yield.

44. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio.

Best wishes and good karma,

Chris

Twitter @birdbathbuzz (send me a tweet) or become a fan on Facebook… I’d love to hear from you!)

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