Here is the list of noteworthy blogs for this week:

1. Presentation Zen- Written by Garr Reynolds, Presentation Zen is about design and professional presentation- two things which are essential to any decent blog or web site.
2. Johnnie Moore- Moore’s site deals with business and marketing.  Moore prides himself on being able to combine business logic with the ability that we have to communicate with each other in order to help organizations with their marketing.  Check it out sometime!
3. The Social Atom- Written by Mark Buchanan, this blog discusses issues related to human interaction, specifically human behaviour.  Buchanan is also a writer, having published a book called The Social Atom. The blog is worth taking a look at and may offer some valuable insight into how you can improve your marketing skills by simply understanding people better.
4. Phil’s Blogservations-Written by Phil Gomes, this blog discusses issues related to public relations, media and everyday observations.  Interesting read!
5. POP! PR Jots-is the personal blog of Jeremy Pepper and deals with issues related to public relations, marketing and communication.

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

Tags: Marketing, Who Said That? // Add Comment »

You know the saying, “One bad apple can spoil the bunch”?  Well, it’s true.  Recently, I read an article that talked about how marketers are ruining the Facebook experience by creating fake groups in order to “conduct research”.  This article was one of a few that have popped up in the past few days in response to Andrew Careaga’s post about the Facebook debacle.

According to Careaga’s post, Brad Ward uncovered some disturbing information about Facebook with regards to fake groups and pages that were being set up in order to lure unsuspecting students- much like a stranger tries to tempt a child with candy.  Ward realized that something was amiss after examining hundreds of “Class of 2013″ groups that popped up and realizing that they were all created by the same person/company.  Careaga writes:

According to Brad’s investigation, a cadre of Facebookers are either setting up unofficial “Class of 2013? pages that purport to represent various colleges and universities, or they’re joining already-established pages and becoming co-administrators. (These types of pages are usually created by students who have been accepted into a college and want to start networking with their fellow classmates-to-be. Some colleges and universities encourage the development of these pages, while others just let it happen.) Brad discovered that certain names appeared over and over again in the category of page administrator for many of these pages. In his post, Brad suggests that someone — or some organization, or group — has set up a ring to create Facebook pages in order to connect with “easily 1,000,000+ freshman college students.”

Updates

Brad’s original post, entitled There’s Something Going Down on Facebook. Pay Attention, created such a buzz that after a relatively short period of time, people were leaving a ton of comments on the blog post wanting to get to the bottom of the matter.  After all, why would someone want to purposely dissuade Facebook users?  Who was behind this?  Brad had traced several of the names he found in the fake Facebook groups to a site called College Prowler, a company based out of Pennsylvania that publishes student-written guidebooks about colleges.

Figures.

Before long, the chief executive officer of College Prowler, Luke Skurman, confirmed that his company was directly or indirectly involved in the creation of the “2013″ Facebook groups when he left the following blog comment on Ward’s blog:

Yes, College Prowler has been directly or indirectly involved with the creation of multiple Class of 2013 groups. The original purpose was to use these groups as a way to inform students that they can access a free guide about their new college on our site. No employee or anyone else associated with College Prowler has used these groups to send out messages or wall posts.

Until about an hour ago, I was unaware that College Prowler was working with another company that may have been using fake aliases to create to these groups. The groups that College Prowler was responsible for creating were set up with real accounts. Here are the names that are associated with College Prowler, and they will all be removed immediately from the Class of 2013 groups(all other names are not controlled by College Prowler):
• Mark Tressler
• Ron Tressler
• Brenna Young
• Lisa Young
• Lauren Plavchek
• Jessica Lash

From a big picture perspective, having a marketing strategy using social networking sites (like Facebook) is something that is necessary to be effective in our business. We do pride ourselves on being forward thinking and aggressive. In this instance, in its current form, we have crossed the line and to reiterate, we will be removing our administrator privileges from all of these 2013 groups immediately.

Feel free to email, luke@collegeprowler.com, with any additional concerns or questions.

Luke

You can read more about it the following blog post published on The Chronicle of Higher Education website.  While the issue seems to have temporarily resolved itself (with this particular matter), it makes you wonder how many more groups like this one there are on popular sites like Facebook.  Additionally, while the dust may seem to be settling, I can’t help but think that increasing numbers of people are feeling more unsettled with how they view and/or value marketing when things like this happen.

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

Tags: Internet Marketing, Internet Related, Marketing, Social Media News // Add Comment »

[continued from last week]

Last week, we talked about five of the things that we do (or don’t do) to our web pages, which annoy those who are trying to look at them.  And now to continue on with our list from last week, here are the last five things we need to be aware of when considering web browsability and design:

Ten Web Design No-Nos (Last 5)

1. Opening New Windows- Cross-linking is great because the thought behind it is that it keeps the user on your web site.  However, if when people click on a hyperlink, it opens up a new window, things can get hairy fast.  I don’t proclaim to be a web designer by any stretch of the imagination, but if you’re using a laptop or a computer with a smaller monitor/screen, having too many windows open can add up pretty quickly.  In most cases, when someone clicks on a hyperlink, it should refresh the page so that the new content appears on the same page that they’re looking at- not in a separate window.  Get it?  Nowadays, most Internet users are savvy enough to know that if they DO want to have something open up in a different window, all they have to do is right click on the hyperlink and choose the option to do so.
2. PDFs-  If there’s anything Internet users hate coming across, it’s a PDF file.  If you’ve ever seen those commercials for the Visa checkcard then you know what I’m about to say.  Coming across a PDF file while your out and about on the Internet is akin to what happens in the Visa commercial; it interrupts your flow of web browsing! Often, if you are brave enough to open up a PDF, it will take a little time to load and then once it comes up, it is often not formatted properly which means that you will have to resize it so that you can actually read the text. Whenever you have the chance or option, convert PDFs so that they are readable on the web.  It’ll keep your readers happy!
3. Scannability- Most people reading things on the Internet don’t actually read everything; they scan it.  Keeping this in mind, it is important to remember when you are writing web content (i.e. blogs or actual content pages), make sure that you include bold text along with italicized or underlined (whatever is appropriate).  Remember the rules that you learned when you were in elementary school about how sentences and paragraphs are formed?  Now would be a good time to use these rules.  Know how, where and when to recognize that a sentence is getting too long or when a group of sentences need to be broken up into two paragraphs.  All of these things contribute to the usability and readability of your web page and will make it easier on the reader.
4. About Me- I certainly can’t speak for everyone out there, but one of the first things that I look for whenever I visit a new site or blog is an “About Me” tab or link.  If your web page doesn’t have one yet, I highly advocate creating one.  The “About Me” section should include a little more in-depth information about you and your site and what it’s all about.  Some people choose to disclose more personal information here although it is certainly not necessary.  Sometimes, I will click off of a web site if it doesn’t have an “About Me” section because it raises suspicion as to ownership and what the intentions of the site/person/persons really are.
5. Linking-  When it comes to website design and usability, the attention truly is in the details.  This brings me to hyperlinking.  When linking to other pages, ALWAYS make sure that the link works and that it is linking to the page you intended.  Additionally, it is sometimes helpful (although certainly not necessary) to have the links change color once the person has clicked on them.  This sort of acts as a reminder to the user that they have already looked at a particular link (just in case they forgot).

Other Useful Sites Related to Web Design

• Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox
• Random Web Design Advice and Good Practices
• Effective Web Design Guidance

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

Tags: Marketing // Add Comment »

Check out these noteworthy blogs this week:

1. Alex de Carvalho-is the co-founder of an online tracking service for reputation management, blogger relations and brand monitoring called StartPR. Alex’s blog focuses mostly on social media- especially Twitter, where Alex spends a great deal of time!
2. Chris Brogan-Chris Brogan is the president of New Marketing Labs, a new media marketing agency.  This particular blog focuses on community and social media networking.  The layout of the blog is great, and the posts are fairly short, witty and packed with information.  A definite must-read!
3. Conversation Agent- Written by Valeria Maltoni, this blog covers everything from PR, to marketing, to social media and communications.  Through this blog, Valeria hopes to help businesses understand how customers and communities have changed marketing.  Check it out sometime!
4. Scripting News- Written by Dave Winer, this is definitely a site every blogger or blogger wannabe should check out.  Winer, who pioneered the development of weblogs, syndication (RSS), podcasting,outlining and web content managament software, lays it all out in this blog.  Covering everything from Web 2.0 to everyday blogging, this is a site definitely worth your time!
5. The Obvious-This is the personal blog for Euan Semple, who has approximately 21 years of experience working at the BBC. In addition to some personal asides, this blog deals with social networking as it relates to business.  Lots of great information here!

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

Tags: Who Said That? // 1 Comment »

Surfing the Internet has quickly developed over the years into one of the top things that people like to do.  However, nothing turns Internet users off faster than those web pages that have too much or too little going on.  The following is a list of some of these things that annoy us:

Ten Web Design No-Nos

1. Flash-  Flash introductions are usually met with a click of the mouse.  While many people think that flash introductions will make their page stand out, quite the opposite is true.  Even if your page loads your fancy introduction quickly, the same may not be true for others with varying computers and high speed access.  Impatient Internet users won’t have time to wait around for the “page loading” bar to disappear before they do.
2. Text Size- As if reading text on a computer isn’t difficult enough, some web pages contain text that is way too small.  For most, this problem is corrected simply by holding down the ‘control’ button and then pressing the ‘+/=’ button to enlarge the text.  But, why should you have to go to these lengths?  Small text can turn off an Internet user who doesn’t want to sit there and squint or figure out how to make the text bigger.
3. Images & Color Schemes-  When people click on your web page, does it look like you’ve just taken a trip back to the 1980s?  People are incredibly smart.  They can spot a crappy picture a mile away.  If your images are lacking in quality and the only color on your page is the white spaces inbetween your text, then you’ve got a problem.  You want to have a good balance of white space on your pages in conjunction with a good balance of imagery so that readers don’t feel overwhelmed by text, text, text.
4. Pop-ups-  Perhaps the most annoying thing to any Internet user is having to wage a war against pop-ups.  Not only are they distracting, but all it will take is one pop-up to turn a reader off to your site.
5. Horizontal Scrolling- People who use the Internet tend to be one-dimensional- or should I say- ‘one-directional’.  We hate having to scroll horizontally and avoid it at all costs.  Typically, most web pages are created so that users only have to scroll vertically.  Know what the standard size pixels are for most windows and try to adhere to it!

Check back next week for Part 2 of this post.  In the meantime, for more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

Tags: General Business Issues, Internet Marketing, Internet Related, Marketing // 2 Comments »

The year 2009 is rapidly approaching and is promising to be a year of changes: a new president, a new resolution to lose weight and hopefully- a new job..

If you’ve found yourself among the millions of unemployed people, there’s still hope for you yet.  People who went to college for one degree, thinking that it would provide them with the background knowledge they would need for a financially secure job, are now finding themselves back in college once more.  Just because you lost your job doesn’t necessarily mean that you should run to the nearest university.  However, in these changing economic times, it may not be such a bad idea either.  That being said, if you’re pressed for time, there are some great jobs out there for those who possess a two-year degree.  According to AOL Find a Job (via Careerbuilder.com), the following are the 10 best jobs for those with two-year degrees:

Top 10 Jobs for 2-Year Degrees

1. Computer Specialists: $71,510
2. Dental Hygienists: $64,740
3. Fashion Designers: $62,810
4. Registered Nurses: $60,010
5. Environmental Engineering Tech: $40,560
6. Radiologic Technologists and Techs: $50,260
7. Industrial Engineering Techs: $47,490
8. Paralegals and Legal Assistants:$44,990
9. Occupational Therapist Assistants: $45,050
10. Computer Support Specialists: $42,400

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

Tags: General Business Issues, Marketing, Motivation // 2 Comments »

Here’s the lineup of noteworthy blogs for this week:

1. Laurel Papworth- Laura Papworth is a social network strategist based out of Australia.  She is also well known and respected throughout the social media spectrum.  She is in the top 150 Media and Marketing Blogs globally, a Top 100 Australian blogger and mentors TV and Film social network projects- just to name a few things she is known for.  Definitely check out her site!
2. Logic + Emotion- Written by David Armano, who has over 14 years of experience in digital marketing and design, this blog is ranked among the top 20 media and marketing blogs (Advertising Age). A definite ‘must see’ for those looking to pick up a some ideas!
3. Matt’s Musings- Written by Matthew Hodgson, this blog deals with the impact of technology on social change as well as the various roles that interpersonal communication and knowledge sharing play in the digital world.
4. Network Public Sector Communicators Blog (NPSC)-This is the blog for the NPSC.  There are approximately 10 people who regularly contribute to the management of the blog and site, which is based out of New Zealand.  The goal of the NPSC is to provide a professional forum to share information, contacts and experiences. Each year, the NPSC organizes up to six seminars on topics of special interest to people in the communication business. It’s definitely worth checking out.
5. Signal vs. Noise-is a weblog written and maintained by a company called 37 Signals.  The blog deals with design, business, the web and communication.  It’s really informative and worth taking a look at.

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

Tags: Marketing, Who Said That? // 2 Comments »

Tags: Marketing // Add Comment »

It’s no secret that people all over the world are being negatively affected by the economic downturn.  With all of the job loss and worries, more people are looking for new and innovative ways to help their businesses stay afloat- not to mention keep money in their bank accounts.

According to a recent press release, Stockopedia, a London based startup, has announced the launch of the first social network for private investors in the UK stock market.  The goal is to use social media to help investors make better, more well-informed investment decisions.

Not a bad idea.

Similar to other social sites like Wikipedia, Stockopedia takes advantage of tagging, wikis and forums to help foster discussion and communication among people. Stockopedia monitors users investment interests, thereby recommending pertinent companies to users where applicable, much like Amazon.com recommends books and music to you based on what you’ve been searching.  This really seems to be a novel idea.  The article goes on to quote Edward Croft as stating:

The site allows users to easily follow themes and investment trends.  By using tagging to categorise the market, we are challenging the traditional top down hierarchy of sector categorisation.  We aim to introduce our users to more laterally related companies which they would otherwise miss.

The news of Stockopedia’s ideas and plans is exciting in a time where there is so much economic uncertainty and job loss.  Many professionals are turning towards social media with the hopes that it will level the playing field, not to mention soften the blow that’s being doled out by the current financial crisis.

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

[photo credit: katrinakatrina on Flickr]

Tags: Marketing, Social Media, Social Media News, Social Networking // 1 Comment »

Twitter has continued to grow in popularity since its inception back in 2006.  Today, many people and businesses are utilizing this free social networking/micro-blogging tool in a variety of ways.  Whether it’s to give a little boost to your site’s traffic or whether it’s just to let your friends know you’re alive, Twitter is definitely a must for anyone looking to get a leg in in the social media world.

Equally as popular as Twitter are the growing variety of sites that have sprung up to work in conjunction with it.  This is where the idea of groups comes in.

Joining & Creating a Twitter Group

Joining a Twitter group is a great way to connect with a specific group of people.  For instance, if you like conservative politics, you may want to find other people who like conservative politics, etc.  Joining a Twitter group is also great because it puts your name out there, making it easier for others to find and follow you. Fist, however, you must be a registered member of Twitter!

There are countless ways to find Twitter groups out there.  One way is to simply use the Twitter “search” tool on the homepage, type in the word “Groups” and hit the search button.  I have found one Twitter Groups page to be especially helpful when it comes to joining or creating your own Twitter Group.  You can find the link here.

The Twitter Groups web page provides a fairly lengthy list of the most popular Twitter Groups in order of how popular they are.  The most popular groups are listed near the top and so on.  Along the right hand side, in the side bar, there is a list of links.  Here, you can find a link to “create a group”. Click on the create a group link and simply follow the instructions.  Once you’re done creating your group, a new window will pop up, bringing you back to your Twitter homepage, and in your “update” box will be the following (Keep in mind that the following is an example; Obviously the link for whatever group you created would replace the link below):

I just made a Twitter Group at http://twittgroups.com/grou… for our running group. Please Retweet.

By “retweeting” this message, you are letting the Twitterverse know that you created a new group, thereby making it easier for people to join.  All of this is done to draw attention to yourself as well as whatever your web site happens to be (which people will inadvertently look at if they’re interested in what you have to say!)

At the heart of the whole Twitter craze, however, is the need-the desire to reach out to others.  It’s about building relationships and networking using a relaxed, conversational tone.  It’s about finding people who share common interests and exchanging knowledge, information and ideas in a casual way.

Informal conversation is probably the oldest mechanism by which opinions on products and brands are developed, expressed, and spread. - Johan Arndt

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

[photo credit: carrotcreative on Flickr]

Tags: Marketing // 2 Comments »