Jason Rose» Internet Marketing

Article: New York Times Gets Its First Tumblr

Jason Rose — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:32:22 +0000

New York Times Gets Its First Tumblr
http://mashable.com/2011/04/06/nytimes-tumblr/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29

The Gray Lady has just launched its first Tumblr account, but it’s not showcasing the newswriting and photojournalism content you might expect.

The new Times account — T on Tumblr — covers the domain of T Magazine, the style and culture magazine of The New York Times. The subject matter is a perfect fit for the arts- and community-focused mini-blogging platform.

The Washington Post recently took to Tumblr with a blog full of behind-the-scenes info and musings on the future of journalism. But The New York Times‘ first foray into the world of Tumblr is less news and more pure fashion.

In fact, we recently wrote about fashion brands flocking to Tumblr, and T on Tumblr makes sense for the same reasons: The content is highly visual, and the posts are potentially highly viral. Due to features such as one-click reblogging, Tumblr Fashion Director Rich Tong says, “There’s a huge capacity for fashion content to go viral on Tumblr.”

And visual, cultural content for the creative communities is exactly what Tumblr is aiming for these days.

T on Tumblr is replete with huge, magazine-quality photos of pretty people making funny faces. Captions are brief and contain links to the official T Magazine site. The blog also curates a “Posts We Like” section.

Horacio Silva, T’s online director, told The Cutline, “It’s a great way of bringing to the surface a lot of these great visuals that for any reason may have been overlooked.

“We take a very curatorial approach to the editorial decisions we make. I think that aspect lends itself perfectly to Tumblr.”

Check out T on Tumblr, and let us know in the comments what you think of the project. Is this approach more appropriate for Tumblr than the news-and-commentary tactic of the Washington Post?

To find out more checkout my blog at Jason Rose

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Article: New York Times Gets Its First Tumblr is a post from: Jason Rose

Article: Using An Editorial Calendar For Your Blog

Jason Rose — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:54:30 +0000

Using An Editorial Calendar For Your Blog
http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/blog-editorial-calendar.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SearchEnginePeople+%28Search+Engine+People%29

You already know that a blog is a trifecta win for your website:

Fresh content on your blog is a big attraction for search engines
A blog gives your target audience a reason to return to your website on a regular basis,
A blog attracts new visitors looking for the info you have to offer

The key to keeping your blog fresh and relevant is to organize yourself in a way that will help you post valuable, useful, and fun content on a predicable schedule.

planning strategically
like
a publisherIf you are like me, when I established my blog I was loaded with ideas, overflowing with excitement and full of plans. The key is to harness this energy and get those ideas organized.

How do I do it and how do I help my clients do it? We set up an editorial calendar that provides a simple structure to guide content organization and creation for many months to come.

Publishers originally used editorial calendars as a guide for advertisers to build targeted ads around the planned content. Pleasing advertisers is probably not an issue for your blog, but planning strategically like a publisher makes a lot of sense.

First, the key to successful blogging is consistency – the New York Times doesn’t show up every now and again does it? Second, you can plan to present content in a variety of ways; writing, videos, and using images. Some people love videos, some bulleted lists, mix up your delivery to engage as many people as possible.

Here is a simple example, the subject of your blog is Facebook and you post once a week. A logical Editorial Calendar could be:

• Week 1: An editorial – “Is Facebook still a player?”
• Week 2: A tutorial – “How to build Welcome pages for businesses” (create a video)
• Week 3: News – Facebook has just launched a way to turn personal pages into business pages
• Week 4:Guest post – ask a trusted colleague to guest blog. It will remove the pressure from you to write something, and expose your audience to other people. (Also this could be a terrific opportunity for link exchanges, which is another SEO booster!)

My clients and I set aside a little time at the start of each quarter to layout the calendar. I suggest that you use Google Analytics to review your stats and examine which posts are drawing the biggest audience and which keywords are sending visitors your way. If you see that your Facebook video tutorials are popular, schedule more!

If you are working in WordPress it is also possible to write a series of articles and editorials to save and publish at a later date. This one minute video tutorial will walk you through the process. There is an excellent WordPress plugin that is simply called editorial calendar, and this is a super tutorial video which will walk you through the features and best ways to use the editorial calendar.

My advice, set aside some time to think through your message and the frequency you can commit to for the next several months. Lay out your plan and get with it.

Do you use an editorial calendar or do you have other tools and processes to keep your blogging going? Share them in the comments!

To find out more checkout my blog at Jason Rose

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Article: Using An Editorial Calendar For Your Blog is a post from: Jason Rose

Article: How Likeable is Your Company?

Jason Rose — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:21:06 +0000

How Likeable is Your Company?
http://www.matthewferrara.com/rssfeed/how-likeable-is-your-company/

Over at the Harvard Business Review’s blog today, I found an interesting entry by Andrew McAfee titled, Do Your Younger Customers Even Like Your Company? that made me think of the parallel challenges facing the real estate industry.

Here is an excerpt:

I had an interesting conversation earlier this week with a very experienced consultant whose company works with many of the largest financial services providers in the world — the banks, funds, and insurance companies we’ve all heard of. He told me that a lot of them were noticing the same disturbing trend: their younger customers really didn’t like them.

Across a lot of these companies, there’s a dominant model for how to interact with customers around big-ticket events like buying life insurance, setting up a brokerage account, saving for college or retirement, and so on. The model involves initial recommendations from the company, often delivered in face-to-face meetings, sporadic follow-ups, and more frequent and routine transactions (making deposits, paying bills, etc.) that nowadays often happen online.

Now this sounds remarkably familiar, doesn’t it? McAfee goes on….

What’s so bad about this? In the eyes of digital native customers, a few things. The initial recommendations are seen as untrustworthy, since they come from someone who’s likely to be more interested in maximizing personal or corporate income rather than customer well-being. The meetings and phone calls around these recs are intrusive and inconvenient, and the documents impenetrable. And the associated websites are clunky; it’s harder than it needs to be to execute processes and transactions, find basic information, and get questions answered. In short, the human interactions seem to date from the Eisenhower administration, and the online ones from 1996.

McAfee goes on to say that customers work with these companies even though they don’t like to, because the companies control access to the desired product or service. But he challenges us to consider if that’s the best business model: control access, or better experience. Plus, he notes, the digital viewpoint is spreading, to all generations hopping on the Facebook-iPad-smartphone information management nexus,which will create an opportunity for companies who move swiftly to adopt their customers’ viewpoint to mop up from companies that do not part from their legacy systems, including intransigent employees, fast enough.

For me, the most interesting part of the piece isn’t the usual “stress” upon technology itself, often interpreted as the “thing” modern customers want, but the trust and likeability factor between customers and these companies. The insight is that the purpose of innovation isn’t just to reduce paperwork or speed up the transaction, but to convey to the consumer that you have their best interests at heart, that you speak their language, and that you wish to earn their trust by being transparent. Most of all, McAfee notes that the human interactions need to progress from the ways things were done back in “Eisenhower’s days” alongside the improvements in technology process, which we often put more resources into updating or adopting.

We’ve been challenging our clients to think about the process, not just the tools, for years. For example, no amount of tweeting is going to get Gen X consumers to attend an open house if you’re still scheduling them for Sundays (as in the 1960s). It’s not that the customer doesn’t know about your open houses; it’s that they fall on an inconvenient day of the week – one that hasn’t been convenient for many people since the days of Laverne and Shirley.

The industry is ripe for process changes, not just increasing the speed of the traditionalist model.

How well is your company updating it’s likability with consumers, by improving the process side of your business, not just adopting the latest gadgets?

To find out more checkout my blog at Jason Rose

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Article: Twitter Considering Facebook-Style Pages for Brands [REPORT]

Jason Rose — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:55:23 +0000

Twitter Considering Facebook-Style Pages for Brands [REPORT]
http://mashable.com/2011/04/05/twitter-pages-brands/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29

Twitter might introduce pages for brands similar to those on Facebook, according to reports.

The initiative, which Marketing Magazine reports is being lead by Twitter CEO Dick Costolo and President of Revenue Adam Bain, is to give brands their own space on Twitter — a page they could point to and use to deliver content, while encouraging Twitter users to follow them.

In a similar move, Foursquare launched Pages Gallery
Monday, a showcase of different company pages on Foursquare.

The question is: Does Twitter really need branded pages? On Facebook, the entire brand experience revolves around the company’s page. That part of the experience is currently lacking on Twitter, where brands can only promote themselves through sponsored hashtags, lists and tweets.

However, one could argue that this constant flow of information, without many single static elements for users to grab onto, is part of Twitter’s appeal. What do you think? Could pages improve the Twitter experience for users and brands?

To find out more checkout my blog at Jason Rose

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Article: Twitter Considering Facebook-Style Pages for Brands [REPORT] is a post from: Jason Rose

Article: Use the web to market yourself

Jason Rose — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:41:52 +0000

I recently made an enquiry with a Real Estate agent about a neighbouring office in my area. There were at least eight For Sale signs hammered in the ground so I just picked one of the agents to call.

Aside from finding out more about this property I was looking forward to making this call to experience being on the ‘other side of the fence’ on a sales call. One of the reasons I was so excited was that my perception of Real Estate agents was that they were best of breed when it came to sales, marketing and deal making.

We can all improve what we do and since sales is an important part of what I do with my web design and online marketing business, I was keen to learn a few tips from the experts! However, you may be amazed to discover that during the conversation I was never asked for my name, my number or even my e-mail address. As we both hung up our mobiles, I realised this agent now has no way of reaching me again, even if he wanted to.

I was a bit deflated as I was really hoping to be taught a lesson or two in sales. Of course one isolated incident like is no grounds to make sweeping generalisations and I have always admired Real Estate agents for their charisma, tenacity and enthusiasm. However, the experience did leave me wondering, “How could I share what I’ve learnt on the Internet to help Real Estate agents use the web to their advantage?”

So here’s what I put together.

11 Easy Ways to Use The Web to Market Yourself & Make More Sales

Build your network online

Build and maintain a list of prospects, clients and friends in an online database. Each time you talk with someone new, just ask for their details or get their card and jot down a few notes about them. Enter them into your database and follow them up with a friendly e-mail.

The great thing about the Internet is that you can access it from nearly anywhere so even if you are on the road all day, with your laptop or iPhone you are away!

Tip: You can set up a free online database using Google Docs or you may use paid services like Salesforce.com.

Write a regular e-mail newsletter

The key to e-mail marketing is making the e-mail interesting and useful. If you write your newsletter to educate or entertain your readers, chances are you’ll build good long lasting relationships with them. Take the time to make your newsletter interesting and people will forward it to their friends and help promote your services.

If you’re not sure what to include, write articles about people – an interview, a profile, photos, a client’s case study or a story in the media. People are interested in people – just look at the success of Master Chef and reality TV!

Write a blog

Blogging is probably the most effective thing you can be doing on the Internet as it allows you to bolster your online reputation. Try googling your name and see what comes up. If you want to be found, get a blog and start writing. I’m sure prospective buyers are googling you before they make their decision and blogging is a wonderful way to raise your profile!

Send press releases to PR web

If you want to get some publicity, try sending your press releases to PR Web as well as your list of journalists. Writers from all over the world may pick up your article and that can generate unprecedented publicity. Go to www.prwebdirect.com/

Conduct online surveys

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew what people wanted? Or knew how they’d prefer to deal with you? The good news is it’s easy to find out. Free websites like Survey Pirate and Survey Monkey allow you to create simple online surveys which you can send around.

Tweet on Twitter

If you don’t know about Twitter yet, it’s to time to check it out. If you want to be top of mind, tweeting is great. You can follow industry experts or better still, establish yourself as the expert by posting useful and entertaining ‘tweets’ (ie 140 character updates) and building a base of followers.

Linked In is the biggest online professional network and many people consider it “Facebook for work”. It’s free to join, it’s growing rapidly and it’s the perfect place to connect with your colleagues and prospects. It’s kind of like an online CV and a great way to differentiate yourself.

Hire a Virtual Assistant

As Real Estate agents you’re understandably busy working on deals and pressing the flesh, so why not engage the services of a virtual assistant? You can have documents prepared or research done by offshore assistants and it can cost peanuts. Hire a virtual assistant from $2 to $3 per hour through oDesk.com or Elance.com

Make the most of Google Maps & Street View.

Have you got leads that are interested but they’re too busy for an inspection? You could map out some directions on Google Maps so they can check out the properties in their own time. You could also use Street View to send the prospect a picture of the property too.

List your properties on Google Maps Real Estate

It is now possible for people to search for real estate using Google Maps. It’s free to use and it’s free to list! I think this service will make huge waves. Check out http://maps.google.com.au/help/maps/realestate/

YouTube testimonials:

Get video testimonials from happy clients after a sale and post them onto YouTube. If you carry a digital camera with you can start today. Why not film a video introducing yourself as well? Start a YouTube channel and embed the videos on your blog.

——————

Adam Franklin is Marketing Manager of Bluewire Media - the Brisbane web design company he started with Toby Jenkins. They created the Web Strategy Planning Template and wrote Web Strategy Secrets e-book. You can follow @Franklin_Adam on twitter.

—————–

To find out more checkout my blog at Jason Rose

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Article: Use the web to market yourself is a post from: Jason Rose

Article: Top 5 Facebook Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make

Jason Rose — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:09:49 +0000

Top 5 Facebook Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

While Facebook marketing is on the rise among small businesses, many are still struggling to master the basics.

“Many people have difficulty with just the basic Page set up,” says social media marketing consultant Nicole Krug. “For example, I still see people setting up their business as a profile page instead of a business Page. I have other clients who jumped into Groups when they came out and have divided their fan base.”

Here are five more common Facebook marketing mistakes to avoid:

1. Broadcasting

Ask any social marketing consultant what the number-one no-no is on Facebook, and he’ll likely tell you it’s “broadcasting” your messages instead of providing fans with relevant content and engaging on an continual basis.

“With Facebook, marketers of any size can do effective, word-of-mouth marketing at scale for the very first time. But Facebook is all about authenticity, so if your company is not being authentic or engaging with customers in a way that feels genuine, the community will see right through it,” says Facebook spokeswoman Annie Ta.

Peter Shankman, social media consultant, entrepreneur and author of “Customer Service: New Rules for a Social Media World,” agrees.

“Your job is to interact, not just to broadcast,” says Shankman. “Fans are looking for a reason to connect with you, and they’re showing you that by clicking ‘Like.’ Your job is to give them a reason to stay.”

According to Andy Smith, co-author of “The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective and Powerful Ways to Use Social Media to Drive Social Change,” many businesses immediately ask how Facebook is going to make them money and have that be the focus, as opposed to trying to engage customers and provide a meaningful, authentic online experience. “Marketers need to recognize that people go to Facebook to make a connection or feel like part of a community,” says Smith.

2. Not Investing Adequate Time

Another common mistake is underestimating the amount of time a successful Facebook strategy entails. Many social media consultants report seeing a pervasive “set it and forget it” mentality among small businesses.

“Some small business owners are under the impression that if they set up a Page on Facebook, that’s all they have to do. They think people will just naturally come and want to be a fan of their product or service,” says Taylor Pratt of Raven Internet Marketing Tools. “But it takes much more of a commitment than that.”

It’s not just fan growth that will suffer from this approach — it may also hurt your relationships with existing fans, particularly customers who have come to expect timely responses to their posts and queries.

“Unlike traditional advertising methods such as a radio spot or a Yellow Pages listing, you can’t just create a Facebook Page and just let it run its course,” says Alex Levine, a social media strategist at Paco Communications. “Creating a Facebook Page is the first of many steps, but the Page needs to be updated and monitored constantly.”

3. Being Boring or Predictable

When they’re thinking about marketing, some business owners forget that Facebook is a social place where people share things they find funny, interesting or useful with their friends. Think about what kind of content your fans would actually want to share when planning your posts.

Shankman also cautions against becoming too predictable. “Status updates by themselves get boring. But then again, so do photos, videos and multimedia as a whole. Your job is to mix it up. The moment you become predictable, boring or annoying, they’ll hide you from their feed. So keep it varied and personal — a video here, a photo here, a tag of one of your fans here.”

Creating too much “filler” content by auto-publishing content from your blog or Twitter feed can also derail your efforts. Joseph Manna, community manager at Infusionsoft, recommends using Facebook’s native publishing tools to gain the most benefit from Facebook.

“Whatever you do, DON’T automate everything,” says Manna. “It’s nice to ‘set and forget,’ but the risk is two-fold: publishing systems sometimes have issues, and Facebook places low-priority on auto-published content.”

4. Failing to Learn About Facebook Mechanics and Tools

Since Facebook is a relatively new medium, some businesses have yet to explore all its functionality and they’re missing out on creating an optimal brand experience.

“Many small businesses do not take advantage of the tools to introduce themselves to the Facebook audience,” says Krug. “For example, the ‘Info’ tab is rarely utilized well, and very few small businesses [create] a custom welcome page.”

Krug also sees frequent mistakes around one of the most basic elements of Facebook presence: the profile image. “Most companies upload a version of their logo, but the resulting thumbnail image that shows up in news feeds often only captures a few letters in the middle of their logo — this partial, meaningless image is then how they’re branded throughout Facebook,” says Krug.

Facebook Insights, Facebook’s built-in analytics system, is also often overlooked, and with it the opportunity to analyze post-performance to see what types of content gets the most engagement.

5. Violating Facebook’s Terms

Not only is it critical to know how Facebook works and what tools are available, it’s also important to know the rules of the road — something that many businesses miss.

“Every day I see organizations endangering the communities they are growing by violating the terms they agreed to when their Facebook presence was created,” says small business marketing consultant Lisa Jenkins.

What are the most common violations? Some build a community on a personal page instead of a proper Facebook Page. Others fail to abide by Facebook’s rules around running contests. And don’t even think about “tagging” people who are in an image without their permission.

“Tagging people to get their attention is not only a violation of Terms but can be reported by those you are tagging as abusive behavior on your part — which brings your violation to Facebook’s attention and opens your Page’s content to review,” warns Jenkins.

To avoid these common mistakes, invest time in learning about the Facebook platform, educate yourself on how to build and sustain an audience, and don’t forget to engage with people like you do in real life.

“What sets small businesses apart from large companies is their ability to make personal connections with customers,” says Ben Nesvig of FuzedMarketing. “They tend to forget this when they join Facebook, yet it’s their biggest strength and asset.”

To find out more checkout my blog at Jason Rose

Posted via email from Jason Rose

Article: Top 5 Facebook Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make is a post from: Jason Rose

Acer Releases Dual-Screen Iconia “Touchbook”

Jason Rose — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:35:28 +0000

Acer Releases Dual-Screen Iconia “Touchbook”

TechCrunch

It is rare to find a device that is both baffling and compelling. We’ve been talking about the Acer Iconia for a while now and this dual-screened tablet or “Touchbook” is now available and shipping in the US next month. It runs a Core i5 chip, Windows 7, and has two 14-inch screens made of high-strength Gorilla Glass that allow for typing, multi-touch, and gestures.

Presentation Tools: Keynote vs. PowerPoint

Jason Rose — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:16:05 +0000

Presentation Tools: Keynote vs. PowerPoint

Graphic and Web Design Blog – Inspiration, Resources and Tools

When we need to make a presentation, we often think about using Microsoft Powerpoint. Whether it’s presentations for school, work, home or party, Microsoft Powerpoint seems to be the only choice. But Powerpoint’s got a whole lot of competition: Google Presentation, Impress, Symphony, and its strongest rival, Keynote.

Some of you may have heard of Keynote, the Apple version equivalent of Powerpoint. Loyal Mac users have raved about it. It’s not as popular as Powerpoint, but has received rave reviews from many critics and designers. Which is better when it comes to performance–Microsoft’s Powerpoint or Apple’s Keynote? Let’s take it one aspect at a time.

1. Theme Designs

First of all, theme designs dictate the whole look of the presentation. The theme will set the tone for the whole presentation; whether it’s modern contemporary, old school traditional, minimalistic elegance or psychedelic pop art.

The basic theme designs offered by Keynote are without competition–genius in design and simply gorgeous with 44 standard themes. They are minimalist and cool, so Keynote won the contest both graphically and functionally. Of course, there are several free Powerpoint and Keynote templates for download online, so you won’t run out of choices when it comes to presentation templates.

Keynote Theme Designs

Powerpoint Theme Designs

Making a presentation with Keynote allows you to stand out–you’re going the extra mile, so you’re more professional and more memorable. Everyone else is content using Powerpoint for their presentations, but do you really want to be just like everyone else? A Keynote presentation is sure to impress your boss, employees and clients. Powerpoint is the norm, so your presentation can be forgettable.

2. Transition Effects

Both Powerpoint and Keynote have interesting transition effects. Dissolve, wipes, stripes and 3-D are just some of the transition effects from Powerpoint. Keynote has a lot more options, with interesting effects like Sparkle, Shimmer, Twist and Anagram. If you want a more professional transition, you can use Magic Move. Nothing is more annoying that seeing too many cheesy effects–just get to the point already. Keynote’s Magic Move is a sleek and smooth transition from one slide to another.

Sparkle Transition Effect from Keynote

Dissolve Transition Effect from Powerpoint

We won’t delve deeper with this because while these add dramatic effect to your presentation, we know it’s often not necessary and it’s the content that counts. Let us skip to the next aspect.

3. User Friendliness

Powerpoint is undoubtedly stable and reliable. And, more people are morefamiliar with it. So does it mean that Powerpoint is more user-friendly than Keynote? Maybe because it is familiar; but if you have been using Mac programs all your life, creating a presentation on Powerpoint can be hard–the interface is busy, too many features and buttons, it can be very easy to get lost.

For a beginner, Keynote tends to be more user-friendly than Powerpoint. Users will be able to create a more polished and professional presentation with Keynote than with the Microsoft program. It is versatile, smooth and accessible for any skill level.

4. Graphics

When it comes to graphic quality and typography, Keynote is still superior. It just retains the elegance and minimalist design that is characteristically Apple.

Graphs from Keynote

Graphics by Powerpoint

A unique and extra helpful feature of Keynote is that it supports alpha transparency. You can pull an image and get rid of the background, making it look as if the image is actually part of the presentation.

Powerpoint is great for simple animation. Animation in Keynote presentations is just amazing. You have the ability to move the object, zoom in and back out, move around the map, etc. There is a wide range of choices and aspects that you can customize such as the speed of movement, position, size and opacity. You can build paths using straight lines and Bezier curves. However for stronger animation effects you need a separate program like Flash to simulate more complicated actions.

5. Multimedia Friendliness

With all that’s being said, I’d like to say that Powerpoint is built for functional means, but Keynote is the more powerful application when it comes to multimedia friendliness. While Powerpoint is able to insert media like photos, videos and sounds, it is not as smooth as Keynote. Powerpoint was generally designed to support text-based presentations, so it is not able to support multimedia-heavy presentation as beautifully and as polished as Keynote. Powerpoint needs to use an external application in order to support Flash and video.

Keynote is more media based, allowing a smooth inclusion of all kinds of media. If you want to include a video or audio clip, you can place it on the slide directly, integrating it smoothly into the presentation.

6. Transfer to other Devices

One of the few banes that I can find in Keynote is that it cannot be played on Windows, while Powerpoint can work on Mac. However, you can do so by easy conversion of Keynote to Powerpoint. This can be conveniently done by using the Keynote’s ‘Export’ feature. It can also be converted to Quicktime slideshows.

One of the best features is the Keynote iPad application. This has been so popular that it has even more downloads than Angry Birds. That way, you can carry your mobile presentation all the time. When the need arises, you can whip out your iPad and you’re ready to impress your client, boss or co-worker with your Keynote presentation anytime. anywhere. Remote control application for the iPad and iPhone, so that while presenting you can go about the room away from your laptop, and select the next slide via your iPod or iPhone.

Photo by Krigh

Keynote also allows easy conversion of their presentations to podcasts. It is available for PDF, image, etc. You can send it online, very useful for submitting presentations far away, or when you cannot be present.

Conclusion

Of course both programs have their own good and bad points. In this review, however, we have found more good points in Apple’s effort than in Microsoft’s program.

In a nutshell, here are the pros and cons of Keynote and Powerpoint:

Keynote Pros:

Alpha transparency support
User friendliness and handy tool and format bar
Media-based; easy incorporation of media–sound, video, images, Flash etc.
Very easy to use
Easy conversion to Powerpoint presentation and Quicktime slideshow
Creates professional and sleek presentations; beautiful themes, smooth transitions and fun effects
Easy integration to podcasts, iPad, iPhone, etc.

Keynote Cons:

Keynote program cannot be run on Microsoft, but Powerpoint is available through Microsoft Office for Mac
Unlike Powerpoint, it cannot display the timeline for animations
Cannot support Visual Basic
Can add pages for additional notes

Powerpoint Pros:

Created for text-based presentations so it handles text formatting quite well
Incorporates graphs, images, animations
Compatible with both PC and Mac

Powerpoint Cons:

Very busy interface
Doesn’t load audio and video as smoothly
Large file size especially for large presentations or media-heavy presentations
One word: BORING. Powerpoint is overused by both students and professionals–there’s nothing new here.

In other words, Powerpoint is popular but Keynote is interesting. Powerpoint is democratic, but Keynote is enigmatic. The brainchild of Apple is ultimately king.

Posted via email from Jason Rose

Presentation Tools: Keynote vs. PowerPoint is a post from: Jason Rose

How LinkedIn Is Taking Care of Business [INFOGRAPHIC]

Jason Rose — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:08:42 +0000

How LinkedIn Is Taking Care of Business [INFOGRAPHIC]

Mashable!

LinkedIn recently passed 100 million users, meaning its population is bigger than most countries. But what kind of country would LinkedInLand be? An old, rich, well-educated one.

According to the infographic below, created by Online MBA, 68% of LinkedIn users are 35 or older, 74% have a college degree or better and 39% make more than $100,000 a year. As those stats illustrate, although LinkedIn may not have the buzz of Facebook or Twitter right now, it has an enviable demographic base. The company also is profitable, fast-growing and expanding into new lines of business like news aggregation. As LinkedIn prepares to go public this year, here’s an overview of the phenomenon that Reid Hoffman created 8 years ago.

More About: infographic, linkedin

Posted via email from Jason Rose

How LinkedIn Is Taking Care of Business [INFOGRAPHIC] is a post from: Jason Rose

11 Pro Tips for Better Business Blogging

Jason Rose — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:45:58 +0000

11 Pro Tips for Better Business Blogging

Mashable!

Scott Gerber is a serial entrepreneur, syndicated columnist, public speaker and author of Never Get a “Real” Job. The content of this post was sourced from the Young Entrepreneur Council, a non-profit led by the world’s top young entrepreneurs. You can submit your questions to this group on YoungEntrepreneurCouncil.com.

Blogging isn’t easy — and certainly not for individuals who don’t have the capacity or desire to commit their minds and time to a long-term cause. In an age where everyone and their mother has access to Blogger, Tumblr, Posterous or other flavor-of-the-year services, getting your blog to be well-trafficked, highly syndicated and massively popular is no easy task.

Know this before you consider blogging as a marketing option for your business: Even though you can write a blog, doesn’t mean you should. Not every business needs one, no matter what the “one-size-fits-all” startup books and “experts” say. In fact, for most businesses, it will be an utter waste of precious selling time that will not meet your expectations. Cutting corners or half-assing this exercise will do nothing more than lead you to produce advertorial dribble.

Should you decide that blogging is the right marketing vehicle for you and/or your business, know that there are many tried-and-true ways to organically build traction, create awareness over time and achieve value for your small business. I asked a panel of successful young entrepreneurs how to ensure that your blogging efforts remain on point, effective and primed for success.

1. Become an Industry Expert

Use the blog to position yourself as an industry expert. Write about what’s going on at your company but also consolidate important and interesting industry happenings so that others will look to you as a resource and expert in the field. Make your blog worth reading by collecting valuable content and making it easier to stay on top of for readers.

- Stephanie Kaplan

Company: HerCampus.com

Twitter: @StephanieKaplan

Facebook: Stephanie Kaplan

2. Always Be Adding Value

Absolutely don’t create a advertorial time drain. … We have plenty of those around! Write something that adds value instead. Write something that educates, inspires and informs your audience. Real-life stories written by readers are the best way to keep the content engaging. Success stories in your genre/industry could be a great start to involve masses at both ends, creating and consuming content.

- Devesh Dwivedi

Company: BreakingThe9to5Jail.com

Twitter: @Break9to5Jail

Facebook: BreakingThe0to5Jail

3. Blogging Is a Big Commitment

If you’re not willing to put the hard and persistent effort into building an audience over a prolonged period of time, your best bet might be to look at guest writing opportunities on existing blogs, websites, email newsletters or even in print publications, which have large and established readerships. Every publisher and media company is always looking for quality contributors who deliver value.

- Matt Mickiewicz

Company: 99designs.com

Twitter: @sitepointmatt

4. Reader Loyalty Cannot Be Bought

There is no overnight method to create a respected and popular blog. Remember, general “hits” are insignificant compared to loyal readers — and there is no way to build loyalty immediately. Focus on providing excellent content by balancing both company insights and personality. A good blog to model for you may be 37 Signals‘. Then use social media platforms to share your posts wherever possible.

- Kent Healy

Company: TheUncommonLife.com

Twitter: @Kent_Healy

Facebook: Kent Healy

5. Network, Share and Repeat

“If you build it, they will come” is not how it works with blogs and websites. You need to focus on creating unique content, and when you do post something, be sure to share it with everyone in your network. Never underestimate those in your network because they may just be the people who become your voices.

- Ashley Bodi

Company: BusinessBeware.biz

Twitter: @businessbeware

Facebook: Ashley Bodi

6. Be Passionate, and Show Your Readers Some Love

As we know, anyone can set up a blog in a day or so, but it takes quite a bit more work to be a superb blogger and start realizing the real benefits of blogging. Creating entertaining and informative posts based on specific experiences and statistics is a fast track way to grow a loyal readership. Show your readers that their comments are appreciated, make sure you respond to them!

- Adam Toren

Company: YoungEntrepreneur.com

Twitter: @thebizguy

Facebook: Young Entrepreneurs

7. Solve Your Readers’ Problems

Too many companies focus the company blog on promoting a product line and trying to make more sales rather than focusing on solving readers’ problems. Think of questions and concerns your audience has or better yet, ask them. Then address those concerns on the blog. For example, a mechanic shop can discuss car maintenance tips and tell readers what they need to know before buying a new car.

- Natalie MacNeil

Company: She Takes on the World

Twitter: @nataliemacneil

Facebook: She Takes on the World

8. Don’t Start a Blog, Just Write for Other Blogs

If you aren’t willing to commit to developing a high quality blog (it’s hard), then don’t start one. Instead, develop relationships with other successful bloggers in your industry. Ask whether you can write an occasional blog post for them and point back to your company website. This is a great way to optimize your exposure and stay non-committal about writing a regular blog post.

- Eric Bahn

Company: BeatTheGMAT.com

Twitter: @beatthegmat

Facebook: BeatTheGMAT

9. Know Thy Audience

Your blog content should appeal first and foremost to your customers and potential customers. Think about what they would want to read and form your content around meeting their needs in a unique way. To increase readership, you can include links to these articles in your company email newsletter.

- Elizabeth Saunders

Company: Real Life E®

Twitter: @RealLifeE

Facebook: TimeCoaching

10. Remember the Two-Month Rule

Blogging won’t be a successful marketing avenue for you overnight. It might never be. Here’s a good test: The first two months of starting a blog are the most difficult because it feels like nobody is reading. If you can keep yourself focused on a topic and remain consistent over that first two-month period then you probably have what it takes to run a successful blog. If you can’t, just stop.

- Ryan Paugh

Company: Brazen Careerist

Twitter: @ryanpaugh

Facebook: Ryan Paugh

11. Interview the Big Dogs

Interviews are a great source of content and allow you to tap into others networks. Find the experts in your industry and especially the experts with an online presence who will mention the interview.

- Jared O’Toole

Company: Under30CEO.com

Twitter: @JaredOToole

Interested in more Business resources? Check out Mashable Explore, a new way to discover information on your favorite Mashable topics.

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Posted via email from Jason Rose

11 Pro Tips for Better Business Blogging is a post from: Jason Rose