Like all of you, I have family members and friends who have served or are currently serving in the Armed Forces in some capacity.  Thank you to all of you and your families for your willingness and desire to make this huge sacrifice.  Come home safely!

Google seems to agree…

So, I know the actual birthday was October 8, but, I still wanted to create a bar code with one of the many free bar code generators out there.  So, happy belated birthday to the Bar code! (Here’s the one I used).

I recently downloaded the free iPhone app from Photoshop.com where you can take a picture and do fun things to it on your iPhone. It’s really pretty cool!  Here’s a screen shot of a photo in editing mode:

Photoshop app editing window

You should download it, it’s really cool!

I edited a few photos, then uploaded to my free account online, and then logged int to view the photos on my phone.  One would think that if anyone would know that the iPhone can’t yet do flash, it would be Adobe.

Photoshop #fail

I also like how they tell me to get the latest version of flash as if they couldn’t tell I’m using an iPhone.  This could have been a nice ajaxy site too.

But, Adobe, please don’t change the app, it’s really great!  Let’s get flash to work on the iPhone!!

Here’s a sample I did in about 3 taps.  It was fun, easy and it has many options…

Photoshop.com iPhone app sample

For a couple years now I’ve been feeling the need to not promote building traditional websites anymore, but instead to help clients be part of the conversation around their product and let that lead them to what they need to do online. Back when we started building websites more than 13 years ago, they were a very static thing. Difficult to build, modify and add on to, and yet, the thing everybody wanted and needed to help market themselves. So how’d that work out? Pretty well for a while, until 2001 when people finally realized a sock puppet couldn’t sell dog food very well.

Their motto? “Pets.com, because pets can’t drive.” Well, they can’t buy online either…

Where am I going with this? Well, today I saw a twitter feed from @LenKendall that went to a website  from DigitalBuzz.com with stats for website trends for large brands and then stats for the social media websites.  Company website stats are falling while social media stats are rising… quickly.

The author, Aden Hepburn, suggests two main reasons.  First, that people are spending all their time on social networks and getting the info they need there, and that they’re getting info via RSS feeds and from the very same social networks to which the brands are pushing information.

This doesn’t really mean that the big brands are getting less and less popular, but that they are and need to be pushing more content into Social Media to be successful.  And sure enough, many of them are.

And while the Pets.com sock puppet was funny for a while, it didn’t yet capture the social media in a way that was meaningful and profitable (according to Wikipedia, they were “selling merchandise for approximately one-third the price it paid to obtain the products.”)

So, according to DigitalBuzz.com:

The fact is, agencies and brands will need to work out how to deliver the relevant content, branding and experiences they are currently achieving on their own websites, into highly competitive social networks, feeds, apps and widgets, where every “campaign” or “offer” has to be groundbreaking just to get noticed… and then there was tracking…!

In short, It’s all about the Conversation.  Are you being part of it?

As I look through log files for clients and potential clients, I’ve noticed some interesting trends.  First, the website traffic of companies without social media programs in their marketing plans generally have fairly random, but flat traffic.  And those that include social media planning in their marketing campaigns have increasing traffic with significant spikes around their marketing campaigns.

Some of you may be wondering what a Social Media Strategy is…  Well, from my point of view, it’s any way that you can start or add to a conversation with current or future clients.  Of course you all know about Twitter, Linked in and blogs (links are to my accounts, btw), but maybe you don’t know how to use them, or aren’t using them enough.   Here are some ideas:

Here are 6 ideas to develop a Social Media Strategy:

1. Find a way to start a conversation

   This can mean many things, but basically, it’s a way for you to find out what the world is saying and how you can participate in that conversation.  For instance, you could search Google trends for topics that relate to your business.  In this example, I’ve used the terms “toys.”  From this we can learn several things.

   A. People search on the term exponentially higher at the end of the year. (no surprise)
   B. Toys are big in the UK. (interesting)
   C. The top US city for Toys is Philadelphia. (interesting)

   You can also use the Wordtracker tool to learn what people are asking using your keyword, in this case, Toys:

   1	where can i get free toys for christmas	590
   2	where is the nearest toys r us store	566
   3	super why toys	296
   4	what are the top ten toys this year	249
   5	how to make wooden toys	241
   6	how much are my star wars toys worth	127

   What does this mean?  Well, this is when we get into local search where you can focus your marketing efforts by location, keyword and actual, user questions.  For instance, if you’re giving away free toys for Christmas, then you should be answering that question on your website.

2. Start the conversation with a blog

   I’ve found the best, fastest and easiest way to get content out to the world is a blog.  Blogs are fairly easy to set up and maintain.  You can get free one or get one included with a basic hosting account many places.  If you already have a website that works well, than use this as an add-on to your website.  Do research and post regularly.  My advice is one really good, in depth article per week with several quick-hit articles during the week. (read mine at It’s all About the Conversation)

3. Get a Twitter account, even if you think it’s silly, it can’t hurt

   Twitter may not be for everyone and, unfortunately, it’s getting hurt by spammers and fake accounts, but it is still useful in many ways.  And with a recent $100 million in investment money, I expect it will get better.  And just because you have a twitter account, doesn’t mean you have to Tweet all the time.  Let your blog tweet for you, after all, that’s one of the many things it can do.  It will turn your blog entries into tweets so you don’t have to!  And, the best part is that all of your Tweets become search engine bait. So, get a Twitter account, start tweeting, search on Twitter trends to find more users similar to yours and then retweet their tweets too. (Follow me here)

4. Use Facebook more

   Of course you have a face book account already as most people do. While I typically keep my business contacts out of Facebook, I’ve found it’s nice to occasionally include what I’m doing in my status updates.  And again, this can be done automatically via your blog or twitter account. (If your a friend, friend me here)

5. Get a LinkedIn account

   LinkedIn is the professional version of Facebook and is pretty much business oriented. It’s a great place to list your business services and accomplishments.  It can also include your blog via a widget and has a status update that can be managed remotely.  It is also very search engine friendly. (If you’re a business contact, find me here)

6. Email Marketing is still key

   Email marketing still remains one of the best way to be in touch with your customers.  I know that I haven’t been great at it, but I am better at updating my blog and Twitter account.

The goal with all of this is to create a variety of avenues with which to distribute your message. Many of these can be tied together so you only have to update one and the rest get notified.  There are many other ways to get the word out, but these are the top performers and will get you more traffic, guaranteed.  If you have questions or ideas, please let me know.  I can also help to manage the process and submissions so you don’t need to worry about it.  Contact me for a free analysis.

• Apparently, Twitter is dead… or heading that way. Maybe, HOPEFULLY, the recent $100 Mil will fix some things… http://bit.ly/GkRpJ #
• Got IE 6 or 7 Still? Don't upgrade, get Chrome for Clunkers! – http://bit.ly/39FWTj #
• The Windows 7 Launch Party!!! Who's gonna do it? C'mon, don't be shy! http://bit.ly/QWopD #
• @PaulDunay Paul, I'd love to chat with you if you get a chance…. freshcurrent.com Thanks! in reply to PaulDunay #
• Only 1/2 the original Great Lakes Wetlands remain. GREAT online conservation presentation! http://bit.ly/bHDe0 #water #
• Another one of those time wasters for you…. http://bit.ly/4DrlD6 #
• RT @csmonitoronline: Do you really understand everything about climate change and global warming? http://bit.ly/4pis7X #
• Good info on URL shorteners… Via a URL shortener. http://bit.ly/hTZYz #csmonitoronline #
• First day of snow today! #
• Enjoying some organic Ethiopian form #BVRoastery.com… get some!! Congrats on the new location too! #
• Enjoying some organic Ethiopian form BVRoastery.com… get some!! Congrats on the new location too! #
• More companies are moving their marketing dollars from traditional to digital. Are you? http://bit.ly/41PSzo #
• The National Parks and Climate Change: The Canary in the Coal Mine – http://bit.ly/2W5qA – Go see them quickly! #
• RT @RickysRidge: Check out our new Epic Pass site- much improved and very cool http://bit.ly/24Ze2j – check out Vail.com too! Well Done! #
• If you're near Denver on 10/23 & 24, come 2 Telluride Mt. Film on Tour! Awesome films! Benefit 4 Alpine Rescue Team. http://bit.ly/akpa5 #
• Check out the composition of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: http://bit.ly/1A3xLh "made up of billions of tiny pieces of plastic" #ick #
• Here's that time-waster you've been looking for… http://bit.ly/khiSv #
• @UnitedAirlines true in reply to UnitedAirlines #
• Will include the link too! – http://bit.ly/MRP40 #
• http://twitpic.com/hl742 – A really cool panorama of Loveland Pass using the new pano app. It's pretty wide, so hopefully you can see it … #
• Leaving Copper Mountain now. On my way to winter at the top of Vail pass. #
• Volunteering for a long time client coloradorelay.com. Sweeping the course in Frisco now just left Breckenridge, Copper Mountain next!! #
• Quick research poll. What do U use for task mgmt: Things, OmniFocus or Evernote? Something else? Why? DM or contact: http://bit.ly/YOwbM #
• RT @PaulDunay: A Social Media "How To" for Retailers http://bit.ly/yXeFX – Very interesting…. #
• RT @LenKendall: Oh ya. Tomorrow is 9 9 9 – The Beatles get released tomorrow! Will we see it on iTunes?? #
• http://bit.ly/18pIqr#mb Salesforce Launches Lightweight Contact Manager For Small Businesses – integrated with Google Apps, no less! #
• After posting about how bad affiliate marketers are and that they don't care about you, http://bit.ly/dqwoz , guess who follows me? #argh! #
• RT @tweetmeme 5 More Facebook, Twitter Scams to Avoid | The Industry Standard http://bit.ly/hjmPU – Update your FB privacy settings today. #
• RT @rww: Poll: Are Pilots a Waste of Time? http://bit.ly/2tJwIK – I like pilots, they keep the airplanes flying… Always a good thing. #
• What do facebook quizes know about you? Probably EVERYTHING – best to check your privacy settings… http://bit.ly/2XvUmN #
• 10 Twitter "don'ts" and 3 social media "don'ts" – http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/08/24/cb.job.social.medial.pitfalls/ #
• is wishing I had the "Fiesta Trio" to play their little ditty for each of my successes! #
• Overheard client to developer @ coffee "I REALLY, REALLY hope this works!" What's wrong with this picture? Talk about confidence! Run! #
• Cool. Careful what you say, even when you blog anonymously… http://tr.im/wHzL #
• RT @justinpeacock: @mpeesel What if I follow you, *then* change my profile pic to one with a bikini? – Now THAT I'd like to see… #
• Seriously, if your profile pic is you in a bikini. Please don't follow me. #
• How Twitter might affect the movies you don't see. What will happen this weekend with "Inglourious Basterds?" http://tr.im/wGya #
• RT @0boy 15 Most Annoying Types of Twitter Users http://bit.ly/14bkJg – please don't tweet like this… #
• @TheRealPRMan Thanks for the great info! I'm a human and like your stuff! in reply to TheRealPRMan #
• Info on the great pacific garbage patch in the Pacific Gyre… http://bit.ly/EZRvw #
• #followfriday for GREAT info! @danschawbel @andybeal @adamcohen @MariSmith @TheRealPRMan @zen_habits #myfavorites, thank you! #
• Do you REALLY need to be a part of all 50? Seems quite excessive to me. I say pick 10 of the best and hit a home run. http://tr.im/wnu5 #
• Mexico just scored… 2-1 . bummer #
• Seth Godin (worth reposting) on how "Internet tribes give ordinary people the power to lead and make big change" http://tr.im/wi6j #
• Google's new search. Test it out now! http://tr.im/whYg #
• 19 Great Places to Find Tons of Social Media Case Studies & Examples – http://bit.ly/cTrjp #
• RT @zen_habits: The 10 Rock Solid Elements of Effective Online Marketing http://authorityrules.com/ #cool! #
• More on the Great Pacific Gyre "a soupy mix of plastic-filled seawater that stretches for maybe thousands of miles." #ugh http://tr.im/vwLJ #
• RT @socialnetandyou: "The power of social networking is finding a niche and building a community around it." #
• RT @MariSmith: Social Media Roadmap Boosts Small Business SEO http://ow.ly/iZxu [Excellent!! Go @LeeOdden!] #
• It's all about the conversation… http://tr.im/vrYt – http://tr.im/vs42 #
• @MarketingProfs – Social media is about the art of creating good content to support your conversation. It's all about the conversation. #
• RT @danschawbel: REPORT: 87% of adults questioned prefer human interaction over social networks http://tinyurl.com/m64fm8 #ditto. thx dan #

This is the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while.  2 Students from MIT launch a camera into near space for $150.  Check out their site, and the time lapse of the camera shooting every 5 seconds of the 5 hour journey.

Here is the Loveland Pass panorama, in full size….

Loveland Pass Panorama - Click for larger image

You can read more about it and download it here:

http://debaclesoftware.com/

I was recently followed by an affiliate marketer from Australia claiming that she could “guarantee 25,000 followers in 90 days.”  There are 2 things wrong with this statement.

First, why do you want 25,000 followers?  Seriously, do you think they all really care what you have to say?   There is so much twitter spam out there and the real guarantee here is that your followers will be lousy.  Here’s a good summary from WebWorkerDaily.com describing the result of too many followers well.

How Auto-Gathered Followers Hurt You

There are services available that claim to increase your follower account automatically. These are a bad idea, however, because auto-gathering followers creates:

• Chaos and noise on your Twitter stream if part of the automated follower-building process you’ve adopted entails “auto-following back.” That reduces the value of your Twitter stream as a listening tool and information source.
• Followers who aren’t listening to what you have to say. That diminishes the value of marketing anything on Twitter and reduces the chance of being heard at all.
• Overinflated follower numbers, which are a turn-off for those looking to make meaningful connections. Many people use the “follow-to-follower ratio” as part of assessing someone’s “worth” on Twitter, as opposed to sheer number of followers. For example, if someone is following 48,895 people and has 46,975 followers, that looks suspiciously like they are fishing for followers rather than genuinely interested in interaction.
• Automated activity in your Twitter account that you don’t control.
• The possibility that your Twitter password gets into the hands of an untrusted third party.

And secondly, This person was guaranteeing 25,000 followers but only had 11,000 themselves!  If you’re gonna say you can do something for me, you netter be able to do it for yourself first.

My advice is to pick your followers carefully.  Don’t auto follow everyone. Then check out their twitter page first to see if you’re even interested in reading what they have to say.

A few rules I have for who I won’t follow.

1. Are their tweets boring?
2. Are all their tweets inside jokes?
3. Are all their tweets trying to get me to buy something form them that I know is gonna be too good to be true?
4. Do they cuss?
5. Is your profile picture a picture of you barely in a bikini?

Basically, if they offer something I’m interested in and will benefit from, I’ll follow them.  Likewise, I try to have my tweets offer some good information that I hope someone will benefit from.  If you aren’t interested in what I have to say, I hope you don’t follow me either.

Currently, I’m following 149 people and that’s almost too many.  Fortunately, there’s only about 10 of them who post regularly that I’m interested in.  Otherwise, it’d be too much to follow.

So, If you like what I have to say, follow me at twitter.com/mpeesel, don’t worry, I don’t tweet too often.

PS.  While researching this article, I found a great article in a blog that I’d never seen before talking about how bad thousands of followers were and the bad tactics affiliate marketers….  It sounded great until I checked his twitter account and found it was FULL of affiliate marketing links for making quick money, losing quick weight and more.

I now have a number 6 on my list: People who send inconsistent messages and don’t practice what they preach.

Yesterday I was in a local coffee shop in Evergreen, Colorado getting some focused work done.  I go to coffee shops somewhat regularly because I can plug in my headphones and really focus on getting some work done away from the phone (I turn my email off too!).  I went again today because I needed a couple hours to put together a new program I’ve been working on called SEO Readiness for the Small Business Website.  But that’s info for another post (coming soon).

Anyway, yesterday I happened to pull my headphones out and noticed 2 women at the table next to me talking about building a website for what appeared to be this woman’s greeting card business.   I didn’t hear much and I wasn’t trying to listen too hard, but as they ended the meeting I heard the client say “I REALLY, REALLY hope this works!”

hm.

My first thought was what did this web developer tell her client to make her doubt her abilities?  How could she part with her client and leave her doubting?  Definitely not the way to end a client meeting.

My second thought on this was to be grateful for the almost 15 years I’ve been in the internet marketing world and the knowledge I’ve gained.  When I’m in a client meeting, it’s not over until ALL of their doubts have been addressed and are gone (and I can talk a LONG time).  I never hold anything back; if you have a question, I’ll tell you everything I know about it.  In this case, the client had a doubt and she did her job by telling the web developer, but the web developer either missed it, or ignored it and failed.  I only wish I knew who they were so I could see what transpires.

Remember, it’s all about the conversation…