NETWORLDING

Building Momentum

It's amazing to me how there can be so much technology out there, but in reality, it's a mass overload to the average user--high school and college kids included.  Unless God figures out how to increase the number of hours in a day, it still boils down to TIME being the most limited resource.  Therefore, for us to become the on-line harbor of choice, we need to remember that we will need to provide our members VALUE every day and earn their time.  Share of mind is everything and it's a precious, fickle commodity.

Anyway, Networlding is a cool concept that provides true mutual gain to two or more users.  Here's the paradox.  With limited time to get everything done in a day, the Internet is a tremendous tool to improve productivity.  Professionals can communicate, conduct research, pay bills, shop, and promote on-line with ease.  Yet, most professionals don't understand yet that there is a "Matrix" like world out there in social networks where the connections to almost anyone already exists--it just takes a little digging to find the right pathway to contact almost anyone.  The six degrees of separation are fast morphing down to two degrees of separation.

My prediction--the millenium generation will GET this, whereas the baby boomers are fairly locked into what has worked for them for 20+ years.  Therefore, in the next 10 years, there will be nearly 100 million people on business networking sites, perhaps LinkedIn.  Everyone will explore connections for either business, volunteer activities, charities, sports clubs etc.  In fact, this era will become the Networld without a doubt, as the Internet unites almost everyone in the world.  Therefore, Networlding techniques and training to cover the basics and all the new emerging technologies such as OPEN SOCIAL will be a must.

STAY TUNED!
Craig Wilson, Guest Author for Networlding
President, American Recruiters

Web 2. What?

Web 2.0, a phrase coined by O'Reilly Media in 2004, refers to a perceived second generation of web-based services—such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies—that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users. O'Reilly Media, in collaboration with MediaLive International, used the phrase as a title for a series of conferences, and since 2004 the term has been widely adopted.

Think of it this way - when the Internet and web development first started, it was this huge space
to post things to be read. There was no interaction. Web 2.0 is all about interaction! and sharing! and linking! It's social now and everyone can play in the game! Everyone from IBM to my grandmother who lives on a farm in Flint, Michigan!

Tim O'Reilly provided a compact definition of Web 2.0 in 2006:

"Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform. Chief among those rules is this: Build applications that harness network effects to get better the more people use them."

We are presently focused on business development and Web 2.0 strategies for clients utilizing all these new technologies (blogs, podcast, video podcast) and other social media networks to drive their web traffic, facilitate online communities and conversations and build a "business celebrity" web presence. We coach clients on understanding the impact of these new technologies to their business and the importance of first mover advantage and SEO discovery over their competitors. You really have to take advantage
of all the tools out there!
Derrick Sorles

NBC says Blogs are Hot

Want to bring your business up to date? This article was recently featured on KNBN, the NBC affiliate in Los Angeles. It was licensed for KNBC by BusinessWeek online. The complete article can be found here.
Does Your Small Business Need A Blog?

It Seems As If Everyone Has One, And Experts Say They're A Great Marketing Tool. But Is The Time Commitment Worth It?

There's no doubt about it, blogs are hot. With their interactivity and their ability to position even micro-business owners as niche experts, blogs are the "it" marketing trend [see BW Online, 5/22/06, "Into the Wild Blog Yonder"]. There are more than 39 million blogs in existence and 75,000 new blogs being created every day, according to Technorati, a resource Web site with a search engine that covers the universe of blogs, known as the blogosphere [see BW Online, 4/18/06, "Blogs Multiply. Our Heads Explode"].

Some definitions for the uninitiated: A blog [the term comes from a slurring of the phrase "web log"] is an online journal. The blog owner regularly posts journal entries, usually fairly short essays including links to relevant information, that readers can react to in a comments section. Additional readers comment on . . .
Click Here for the full article.

Have a question about your business blog? Call Networlding at 312) 421 - 4213 or Click Here.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers (as featured in Business 2.0)

1.    Focus intently on a narrow niche, ideally one whose audience has a predilection for high-margin products.

2.    Set up your own blog so that each post gets its own permanent URL, or permalink, and its heading becomes part of its permalink and page title. Write descriptive, keyword-heavy headings, and be sure the homepage and all archives have links on every page.

3.    Think of your blog as a database, not a newspaper-like collection of dispatches.  Your archive post should be easy to find through Google and Technorati, so cite authors and publications by name, and use tags, categories, and keywords consistently. (more on this later)

4.    Blog frequently and regularly- if possible at least half a dozen posts every weekday before lunchtime, when many readers take a break from work and check out the blogosphere.

5.    Use striking images in your post. They liven up the page and attract readers, and if you use captions, you’ll gain additional traffic by making it easy for Google Image Search and other visual search engines to index your illustrations.

6.    Enable comments and interact with readers; cultivate your audience.

7.    Make Friends with other bloggers, online and off. Link to their post and they’ll return the favor. Other blogs may well send you most of your traffic.

Top Five Attributes of Great Blogs

Want to build readership and increase traffic? Does your blog have what Business 2.0 Magazine recommends for every great blog?
Check out our list and see if you are providing your readers with want they want?

The Top Five Attributes of Great Blogs:

1.    Candor – be frank, honesty and open with your reader. Do not slip into PR or marketing speak. Your readers will know when you are not being you. Don’t hold back; put your self out there because that is what will intrigue future clients and customers.

2.     Urgency – create a felling of urgency in your blog. The information you give must have an urgent feel to it. Let people know that they need the information you provide and they need it now.  Readers will continue to check in with you to make sure they are not missing new information.

3.    Timeliness – This is twofold. Your entries must be about things that important now. What are people talking about and what new directions is your market going to take? The second part is what time you actually publish your post. Do you know when the best time to post is? How frequently should you post? – Research says you should post at least once a day during the week and the most effective time to post? – Before noon because most blog readers will check the blogroll during the lunch hour.

4.    Pithiness – Write with vigor and enthusiasm. Do not waver or offer merely opinions.  Express yourself and offer sustentative information. Never start a sentence with “I think” – it is weak, unassertive and unnecessary.  Your readers know you are writing about what you think – Readers want to know what you know. They will figure out what is merely your opinion.

5.    Controversy – present opposing views and engage in discussions. Your blog doesn’t have present raging political debate or touch on the social hot topics of our time but it will drum up more interest if it is controversial. Talk about issues in your industry that others are scared to address.

For an evaluation of what could make your blog better please contact us at 312-421-4213 or click here.

Forbes Announces The Web Celeb Top 25

FORBES announced this week how the face of fame is changing - thanks to the Internet and self-publishing capabilities.

"The ranks of the world's celebrities used to be dominated by millionaire actors, athletes and musicians, but the Internet has leveled the playing field. A kid with a video camera has access to as large an audience as the biggest Hollywood star. A mom with a blog can attract more readers than a best-selling author. And an opinionated entrepreneur can become a guru to millions."

The Forbes.com Web Celeb 25 is a list of the biggest, brightest and most influential people on the Internet.  From bloggers to podcasters to YouTube stars, these are the people who are creating the digital world from the bottom up, according to Forbes.com.

The Web Celeb 25

1. Jessica Lee Rose
2. Perez Hilton
3. Markos Moulitsas Zúniga
4. Matt Drudge
5. Seth Godin
6. Jeff Jarvis
7. Glenn Reynolds
8. Amanda Congdon
9. Robert Scoble
10. Michael Arrington
11. Hosea Frank
12. Jimmy Wales
13. Harry Knowles
14. Frank Warren
15. Cory Doctorow
16. Xeni Jardin
17. Leo Laporte
18. Merlin Mann
19. John H. Hinderaker
20. Charles Johnson
21. Kevin Sites
22. Mark Lisanti
23. Jason Calacanis
24. Om Malik
25. Violet Blue

It's Time to Blog!

Create Your Own Blog Over Breakfast

and

Take Your Business to the Next Level!

Are you looking to take your business to the next level of Internet exposure?

Create a stronger Internet presence?

Do you know what a blog is and how your business can benefit?

Maybe you already have a blog but have not maximized it….

There's a reason why Business Week magazine said "Blogs are a phenomenon that you cannot ignore, postpone, or delegate." The blogosphere is the next big frontier and you want to be out there before the competition-currently growing with 80,000 new blogs per day.

Join us as we share inside secrets on the most successful blogs, give you a blog and help you launch it effectively.

In just 3 hours we’ll show you how:

- Blogs help you get new customers and expand business from current customers.
- Develop informational tools like booklets, books and many e-products to create more revenue streams.
- You can use blogs to cross-sell and up-sell new products and services.

Join us Wednesday, November, 8th, from 8-11:00 a.m.

@
Lloyd’s Chicago, 1 S. Wacker, across from Lyric Opera House

(check-in starts at 7:30 a.m. and we’ll start promptly at 8:00 a.m.)

Experienced, knowledgeable bloggers & strategists will help you launch your own blog live that day! Plus, rather than just tell you about them, we’ll GIVE you the tools and resources for blogging while helping you:

- Get started planning your blog for optimum exposure.
- Choose the best blog template to accomplish your goals.
- Launch your blog.
- Write your first post .
- Build hyperlinks and keywords.
- Find the best photos for your site (showing you where the best free photos exist).
- Upload photos.
- Choose and input affiliate marketing programs that will help you grow revenue off your blog.
- Understand search engine optimization & pinging.
- Getting others to blog about you and your company.

WHAT YOU GET

- A domain name of your choice and blog hosting for 1 year
- 3 hours of practical information you can immediately implement, corresponding hand-outs and
a CD with useful information and live hyperlinks
- Continental breakfast

WHAT TO BRING

Bring your notebook computer well charged and we will help you connect you to the host provider you will use to create your blog. The room we will meet in has internet access.

When you leave, you will have your own working live blog plus

all the tools to build it up and make it a success!

SEATING IS LIMITED!

Your Investment is $345.00. Register now and save!

Only $295 if payment is received by October 21st.

Click Here to Register

Blog FAQ

So, GM just started blogging and your next-door neighbor sent you to their blog so you could read every detail about their trip to Niagara Falls. Most major news stations have a blog and every member of myspace is automatically granted one. So, what it this blogging thing all about and how can what started as on-line journaling give a personality to your business and help you grow. Let’s start with the basics.

1. What was a Blog?

A weblog, which is usually shortened to blog, is a type of website where journal entries are made and displayed in a reverse chronological order.
Everyone can have a blog and the subject matter can range from the tribulations of a 16 teen year-olds life to a discussion board on CNN latest headlines.

2. What are Blogs now?

Blogs have no doubt changed since LiveJournal and Blogger both opened the blog frontier to non-techies in 1999. After a surge of personal blogs, corporations starting noticing that if a blogger wrote about their product or service then more traffic was drawn to their website. Even more helpful was when a blogger would include a link to a company’s web sight. Empowered with this information GM started their own blog where they share information about new projects, answer questions, and let customers share their idea. GM officials have said that the blog was wildly successful in not only increasing traffic to their website but more importantly giving their company name and face. “People really get into your company when they can read a message from Bob the designer about the latest project we are working on”

3. What is the Future of Blogs?

Corporate Blogging and Marketing Blogs are fast becoming a powerful way to draw traffic and convince your audience that you have the strongest ideas and products in your marketplace. As more and more corporations start their own blogs, the power of the blog is undeniable. The computer company Dell recently launched a blog and have been very excited about the results because people feel connected to the people at Dell. New research by Jupiter research group has suggested in their report that 70% of companies would be blogging by the end of the year. In the “Relationship Age” the ability to put a names and faces to your company is invaluable and companies are starting to see blogging as the perfect vehicle to do that. Think of using your blog more as a way to reveal the human faces behind your company. When your blog expresses a natural enthusiasm for your products, a genuine interest in the needs of your customers and reveals the people who work for them, you are on the right track. This is the future of your blog.

4. How will my Blog be different than my Website?
At its core, a blog, short for weblog, is a website. These days blogs mirror an online magazine more than a website. Blogs differ from most corporate websites in three important ways.
• Acting as your company’s brochure your corporate website is somewhat limited in how much information can be presented. Frequent changes and discussion would only confuse a site visitor. The content on a blog changes as frequently was you want it to. New information can be updated at anytime.
• Blogs are highly personal. Who knows who writes what you see on most company websites? The blog has a personal voice which puts a human face on a company and gives it a personality
• Blogs are often interactive – they invite feedback, or comments, from their readers, which are then published alongside the article or entry about which the comment is made. Thus, your blog can be useful in obtaining free research and can tie people closer to a company by making them feel involved by commenting.

The most important thing to keep in mind about creating a blog for your business is that blogs, by their nature, are authentic. A blog that is just a bunch of promotional marketing speak will get nothing but derision from its viewers.

5. Why should my Company have a Blog?

Blogging is a way to communicate to your audience on a personal, one-on-one level. The feedback that a company can receive via a blog is tremendous and invaluable.
Company blogs are used for many purposes, most falling within the realm of PR and Marketing. However blogs can do much more:
• Feature Company News
• Assist Brand Development
• Increase Search Engine Rankings
• Deliver Product Information
• Generate Buzz
• Community Development
• Increase Traffic to a Website
• Generate Interest and Enhance Sales
• Boosts your Online Presence
• Position you as an Expert in your Field
• Deliver Messages to a Target Audience
• Fastest Way to Share Knowledge
Blogs are just a vehicle for communication to engage your most loyal customers and most ardent critics. Blogs can give your business the edge it needs in the marketplace.

6. What are the drawbacks to blogging?

Time. Blogs must be updated frequently — several times a week, if not daily in order to hold readers’ attention. Most small-business owners have no time because they’re constantly working on their businesses. This is the exact reason a small business needs a professional blogger - someone who can post quality content on the blog about the business owner’s company and the mission and strategy of the company. We can provide news, related topics and information in many different niches with many different angles and expertise. This is exactly why a blogger is a position necessary for a business owner. If your company does not require a full time employee due to their size or other restrictions, Business Blogging Now is perfect for you.
7. How can a Blog help my Company turn Negative Feedback into Positive Change?
One of the best things about a blog is that they are interactive. They are a great medium for feedback about what is working and opportunities your company has. The key is to use the feedback to your advantage. You have a free focus group here. Listen to the comments and reap the benefits.
In addition comments can be seeded to promote further discussion and can become a place where you “talk” to your customers. You have the opportunity to answer questions, respond to requests, and connect with your customers.

8. How do I get started?

Contact Networlding at:
401 N. Michigan
Suite 1248
Chicago, Il 60611
312.836.3700
Click Here