In light of this weeks 24 hour blackout against SOPA, we thought it would be a good idea to explore what the world would be like without WIkipedia. Check it out below:
Want to connect with me? That is easy, I am always on! You can Friend me on Facebook, Follow me on Twitter, add me to your Circles on Google+ and connect with me on LinkedIn.
The latest edition of the Socialnomics 3 video, an even longer 4:00+ version, has been making the rounds on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. If you are not familiar with the video, it is the world's most watched social media series by Erik Qualman. Based on #1 Best Seller Socialnomics.
Here is the video
Any time this video is updated, it is played, re-played or posted on anyone and everyone's page/profile that likes to call themselves a social media consultant. Is there anything wrong with this? No, not at all. I believe the problem is that too many people see others talking about social media and they convey onto that person the level of expert or they think that person has expertise in social media. Many times this happens because the social media consultant refers to themselves as an expert.
If you are looking for a social media consultant or partner; run like Forest Gump away from anyone, and I do mean anyone that uses the term expert, guru, or cheerleader to describe themselves! No one is a social media expert, plain and simple. Social media is still in it's infancy and we are all students. From the biggest names in the medium to someone that just signed up for Facebook, we are all now and will always be students.
If you are looking to hire a consultant or a firm to work with on social media, consider these tips:
*Check out their Facebook Business Page and Facebook personal account. How often do they post and what kind of engagement do they have with friends or fans?
*Check out their Twitter account. Do they post good information? Do they just RT information? How consistently do they engage with others on Twitter?
*Numbers are not the only thing; but how large of a network have they built? That can be a good barometer of how they can help your business engage and build a network.
*Are they early adopters and do they work to learn new technologies and platforms such as Google+?
*Ask for references of current clients; if they are at liberty to disclose those.
*Ask for references of past clients.
*Ask for information on campaigns they have successfully developed in the past.
*Do they have a blog and/or website that is updated regularly?
This is not a complete or exhaustive list, but it's a start. What are your thoughts?
For the record, I am a social media student, consultant and practitioner.
Want to connect with me? That is easy, I am always on! You can Friend me on Facebook, Follow me on Twitter, add me to your Circles on Google+ and connect with me on LinkedIn.
Guest Blogger – Phil Tucker, Internet Marketing Strategist & with Tucker Hosting
Welcome Phil Tucker, an Internet Marketing Strategist, to JohnLusher.com. I have known Phil for several years and have the pleasure to speak with him often at local events. Phil knows the Internet and has been helping businesses harness it's marketing power for years. Long before we all hung out on Facebook and Twitter together!
If you are curious as to what QR codes are and how they can be beneficial, check out his post below.
Thanks Phil!
What is a QR code?
QR Codes are 2 dimensional barcodes that are easily scanned using any modern mobile phone. This code will then be converted (called "dequrified") into a piece of (interactive) text and/or link. For instance, you walk around in the city and notice a poster for an event that seems interesting. You take out your mobile phone, scan the QR Code and will instantly get more information and a link to a website where you can book your tickets. You don't have to type or remember anything and because QR Codes can be very small, this saves a lot of space on the product as well. The QR Code was patented by the Japanese company . Rather than strictly enforcing the patent, they chose to create an international standard with the QR Code and allow anyone to use or generate them without requiring a license or fee. QR Codes can be used to store all sorts of information including website URLs, map locations, contact information, text notes, and product identification. I first starting seeing practical uses of the QR Codes when Google Maps create a promotion in 2009 for business owners by sending them display stickers that say "We're a favorite place on Google" and offer a QR Code for cell phone users to scan and easily add the business Page Place to their phone. You can see the sticker Google sent to business owners on the front door of one of the Google Places I set up for. What to do with QR Codes? By creating your own QR Codes (called "qurifying") you can make whatever you want more interactive. Put one on your business card, on flyers for a party or poster to promote your products or services. Or use them to help sorting your books or CD's, put them on your keys or tools so you know what they are for. Just qurify any text or website url, put the QR Code on a product and make everything you have more interactive!
So, are you ready to start generating your own QR Code yet? The is a Google Code project that creates QR Codes for maps, URLs, calendar events, and more. But I found BeQRious, which is a company is based in New York City & Europe that has a very slick and robust online QR Code Generator: generator BeQRious.com is focused on supplying news, information, technical solutions of QR codes. They seem pretty passionate in what we do and evangelize the World in possibilities of use QR Codes. So what will you use QR Codes for?
Phil Tucker is an Internet Marketing Strategist with Tucker Hosting, specializing in local search optimization. Phil Tucker has helped hundreds of companies and individuals “make the web work for them”. Phil Tucker continuously educates himself and his clients on new techniques and trends, much of which he shares on the Small Business Marketing Blog
Twitter: @philtucker
Owner at John Lusher Consulting | Co-President at Meetup 2.0 | Board Member Trust House | Want to know more? Check out my About page. Contact me John@JohnLusher.com
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