Are Smart Phones Becoming Too Smart?

 40 Responses »
Jan 202011
 

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

smart phoneFor small business owners, this statement is true and lends support to the power of video in promoting their brand. However, when it comes to those with less stellar intentions, it can be quite dangerous.

Fox News reports in Digital Photos Hide Data — and Cyberstalkers Can Find It, Expert Warns: "… few people realize they may be giving away more than they plan to when they post even the most innocuous photos from their Blackberry phones or Apple iPhones." Through the use of geotags (a GPS stamp), criminals and stalkers are able to track the exact location a person is in when they take and post a photo.

Luckily, there is a way to protect yourself from this tracking as long as you are aware of it. This geotagging functionality is easily disabled and in my opinion, is something everyone needs to know, especially the young people today who post many photos on Facebook directly. How scary is it that our children can inadvertently disclose not only where they hang out but also where they live?

The ICanStalkU.com website has details on how to disable geotagging. PLEASE share this information with everyone you know who uses their smart phones to upload pictures – especially the young people – our children! My daughter posted the Fox article on her FB page – thank you Alexandra. Let's help keep others safe by sharing…

What is the Best way to Tweet?

 2 Responses »
May 112010
 

twitterI don’t think there is one answer to this question. If you are looking for as many followers as you can get, then your tweeting behavior will be different than someone who is more interested in following and being followed by only those who add value to their business purpose and brand.

What kinds of things do you tweet? Marc Gordon of MarcTV has a unique and witty way to share his experiences and opinions.

Check out his video below: Check out Tweeting My Day Through Hell from marc gordon on Vimeo.

Luckily you won’t have to go through the same. Marc’s good buddy and Twitter expert Natasha Attal has put together a Twitter guide exclusively for marctv viewers!  Just click here to download it.

Does Your Business Still Need a Website?

 8 Responses »
Apr 172010
 

Guest blog by Barnabas Nagy | FurlongDesign creative design studio | furlongdesign.com | barnabas.nagy@furlongdesign.com | twitter.com/furlongdesign | +44 77 99 56 56 26

internetToday I dared to open one of the archived newsletters from Entrepreneur. Since I am a web designer I don’t like reading titles such as this: Does Your Business Still Need a Website?

The article discusses the idea of establishing accounts on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn instead of a website. They evaluated an individual for whom this business strategy worked out. You can read the whole article here. Before giving out my space to social networks, I would like to look into this discussion further and let you know my opinion.

 

Rudy Mendoza totally abandoned his corporate website saying “We spent tens of thousands of dollars on our website and got almost nothing out of it” I’m really sorry for the designer team who created the website for Rudy Mendoza. They didn’t do a great job. A good website can be profitable.

3 Main Reasons Why Businesses Shouldn’t Ditch Websites for Social Networks:

1. Social networks serve a different purpose than a website. They serve as a tool to communicate directly with customers and achieve real time feedback. The functions of third party applications are complementary to a website but should not replace them.

2. Most social networks are found to be useful when companies and individuals link to additional information about them. Social networks are just a platform to jump from, not to jump into.

3. A website can drive as much sales as, and often times more than these social media networks. Although I have achieved leads and sales from social networking sites, the majority of my business has come from my website.

A brand cannot live without a good website that provides their customers additional information or the ability to purchase the product/service they are interested in. If the company tries to remove this component they risk damaging their branding. Who said you can’t have your cake and eat it too?

Companies should use websites and social media networks to market their products or services. Why should you have to choose when you can use both?

Note: I use social media networks and find that they have been useful in increasing brand awareness for Furlong Design but I would never forgo my corporate website for those sites. Let me know what you think by leaving comments below. Original source: http://furlongdesign.com/2010/04/14/does-your-business-still-need-a-website/

Social Media Marketing does NOT Replace Good Customer Service

 2 Responses »
Mar 022010
 

Yes – social marketing is important, but when companies use it in place of good customer service – they are missing the point. 

 

In Social networking not enough for good customer service, the author discusses the necessity for a balance between social media marketing and other important company functions like good customer service.

 

This quote from the article is priceless: "Instead of hiring people for Twitter, why not trying hiring people to answer your freakin' phones?''

The Lines between Traditional Marketing and Social Media Marketing Overlap

 No Responses »
Jan 262010
 

A research from a national survey conducted by Cision and Don Bates of The George Washington University’s Master’s Degree Program in Strategic Public Relations found:

 

  • 89% read blogs
  • 65% go to social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn
  • 52% use Twitter or similar services
  • 61% use Wikipedia

Read more about how social media marketing is entering the traditional marketing model.

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