Vicki VanValkenburgh
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Erin Lariviere
Do you host webinars for customers? If so, what service do you use to host them? So far, I've checked out GoToWebinar and WebEx. Do you have experience using either of these from a presenter's standpoint? Or another service you'd recommend?
70 weeks ago from Internet Marketers, New Media Marketing, Community Managers and Web 2.02 more
Tonyta recommended this
Tony Deblauwe:
GotoWebinar or GotoMeeting are easy. Other ones like Yugma or Fuze have problems. Only drawback is playback of video in the webinar. Often when ...MoreGotoWebinar or GotoMeeting are easy. Other ones like Yugma or Fuze have problems. Only drawback is playback of video in the webinar. Often when you project a YouTube video for example, the audience does not hear anything and sees a black-out image.
70 weeks ago
70 weeks ago
Ryan Koechel:
I personally like webex better solely because it has the feature of calling your phone to get you on the call versus having to call into ...MoreI personally like webex better solely because it has the feature of calling your phone to get you on the call versus having to call into gotomeeting, also call quality of gotomeeting is not that good if some people are on softphones.
69 weeks ago
69 weeks ago
Genna Weiss
Does anyone have experience with social media marketing for nonprofits? I'd love to have you share your best practices! I'm currently doing social media strategy volunteer work for Givology.org and am at the very beginning of the journey to build up their traffic and to get more people to donate to a very important cause--education in the developing world. Thanks!
Sam Rye:
@Genna, you might want to look at the conversations going on at this conference More@Genna, you might want to look at the conversations going on at this conference http://growevents.co.nz/nfp-conference/programme/ and get in touch with one or two of the keynotes.
I'd agree with Raquel to a large degree - SM should be guided in its goals and activity from a broader strategy. However I would also add the SM is rapidly evolving, and you'll need to be agile and flexible with your interactions with the wider community. Your brand is now no longer what you wish it to be, but what your community says it is - social media must recognise and work with this as it's most definitely not a one-way push-only discussion. Take a look at Air New Zealand's social media work for some ideas on how they have responded to negativity and turned it positive, launched programs out of it, and won many awards along the way.
Content is king now, so sometimes it might be that you should be working with an agency to develop this rather than acting alone..
70 weeks ago
I'd agree with Raquel to a large degree - SM should be guided in its goals and activity from a broader strategy. However I would also add the SM is rapidly evolving, and you'll need to be agile and flexible with your interactions with the wider community. Your brand is now no longer what you wish it to be, but what your community says it is - social media must recognise and work with this as it's most definitely not a one-way push-only discussion. Take a look at Air New Zealand's social media work for some ideas on how they have responded to negativity and turned it positive, launched programs out of it, and won many awards along the way.
Content is king now, so sometimes it might be that you should be working with an agency to develop this rather than acting alone..
70 weeks ago
Timothy Johnson III
Hi guys. I need some help. I'm currently handling the social media campaign for a few clients - namely updating their Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages via Hootsuite. The task in and of itself is easy. The hard part is that I feel "fake", instead of "authentic". How do you develop an "authentic" voice when managing social media updates for someone else? Has anyone else had this problem? How did you go about solving it? Thanks in advance!
98 weeks ago from Blogging Ideas, Social Media Marketers, Social Media Marketing, Social Pollination and Brazen Bloggers3 more
Sadya Siddiqui recommended this
Annabel Candy:
Came to give my comment and see that everyone else has alreay left the same advice I was going to give. I don't think you should do it unless you ...MoreCame to give my comment and see that everyone else has alreay left the same advice I was going to give. I don't think you should do it unless you dig the company and/or products. I suppose that's the ideal situation and if you can't do that you'll have to do a little method acting so you can enthuse appropriately:) Good luck!
98 weeks ago
98 weeks ago
Sadya Siddiqui:
@Timothy & @Paul - i've recently joined the bandwagaon ..its not that we dont care , its just that when we run our own 'personal" brands along ...More@Timothy & @Paul - i've recently joined the bandwagaon ..its not that we dont care , its just that when we run our own 'personal" brands along with these other brands , there seems to be some sort of dissonance. for me i'm actually jealous of my own work ! i think im doing so much better handling the corporate SM accounts than im doing my own. While I'm still trying to figure it out...I think its best not to do both simultaneously -schedule different times for your personal brand and for the corporates.
98 weeks ago
98 weeks ago
Ty Unglebower
Every single day this month, Twitter has been down at least 3 times. I maintain that it's hard to take seriously the notion that it's an integral part of the future of society as we know it, when it can't even keep itself running any better than that...I use it, but thank God I don't RELY on it. I'd be pretty boned the last few weeks if I did.
Jon Bishop:
It's been like this since Twitter got started and people have threatened to jump ship a bunch of times and it never happened. They'll get there ...MoreIt's been like this since Twitter got started and people have threatened to jump ship a bunch of times and it never happened. They'll get there some day.
100 weeks ago
100 weeks ago
Vicki VanValkenburgh:
Fortunately, there so many communications tools out there, you can build a lot of redundancy into your network, so if one tool goes down, you can ...MoreFortunately, there so many communications tools out there, you can build a lot of redundancy into your network, so if one tool goes down, you can often get by--at least for a while--with your other tools.
100 weeks ago
100 weeks ago
Lee Berg
Hey everyone, Just posted my initial impressions of the newest 37 Signals book: REWORK - http://leealanberg.com/blog - Anyone else get a chance to read this book yet? Thoughts?
Vicki VanValkenburgh:
It's really more of a book about attitude and motivation than a how-to. I liked it and consider the time and money I put into it well-spent, but ...MoreIt's really more of a book about attitude and motivation than a how-to. I liked it and consider the time and money I put into it well-spent, but still, I wouldn't put it on my list of indispensable business reads.
100 weeks ago
100 weeks ago
Greg Linster:
I thought it was a great book. Many of their ideas run counter to conventional wisdom and maximization type thinking. Humans don't work like ...MoreI thought it was a great book. Many of their ideas run counter to conventional wisdom and maximization type thinking. Humans don't work like computers. It's about time employers figure that out...
100 weeks ago
100 weeks ago
Lindsey Donner
Any advice on tweeting for business? Is it necessary to have 2 Twitter accounts? I have one that's personal + business (as 90% of my waking hours are devoted to matters that affect me as an entrepreneur) and one that's for the team to use strictly as a biz tool, but I have doubts about having both. What are your thoughts?
I'm on Twitter @lindsey_donner and my company also just set up a Twitter @wvc_
Ryan Healy and Jason Mollica recommended this
Lindsey Donner:
Thanks for the information, everyone. Love Brazen Careerist when I need advice! Are there services any of you would recommend other than Tweetdeck ...MoreThanks for the information, everyone. Love Brazen Careerist when I need advice! Are there services any of you would recommend other than Tweetdeck to manage multiple Twitter accounts? I have used several but haven't flat-out "loved" any and thought I'd ask the experts here!
116 weeks ago
116 weeks ago
Samantha Karol:
Hi Lindsey! I manage two Twitter accounts for my company, plus one work/personal, and one personal. I use HootSuite and it keeps me sane by ...MoreHi Lindsey! I manage two Twitter accounts for my company, plus one work/personal, and one personal. I use HootSuite and it keeps me sane by keeping the accounts in separate tabs, but still together in one window. An added bonus: statistics. I've used others, but haven't liked them as much.
116 weeks ago
116 weeks ago
Melissa Breau
Do you ask questions of your readers at the end of a blog post? I'm of two minds about this. I can't decide if it just makes you look dumb if no one responds & limits responses since people feel less welcome to comment if they are not directly answering the question or if it increases response rate... thoughts?
Sarah Bush:
I invite readers to respond to what I've written every time--I actually think it's a mistake not to. It's hard to get people to comment and unless ...MoreI invite readers to respond to what I've written every time--I actually think it's a mistake not to. It's hard to get people to comment and unless you're like Penelope, I think you usually have to ask people to do (the way you have to ask people to buy something if you're selling something). I read ProBlogger's blog a lot and he talks about many ways of asking for comments--he asks for them within a blog post sometimes, which I haven't done, but think is interesting.
119 weeks ago
119 weeks ago
Brian Alkerton:
It's a cliche, but one that's okay to indulge from time to time. I think it's a trap to look at comments as a metric for your success as a ...MoreIt's a cliche, but one that's okay to indulge from time to time. I think it's a trap to look at comments as a metric for your success as a blogger, because it'll push you to write not based on what you believe, but based on what you believe will get a response.
119 weeks ago
119 weeks ago
Andrew Stuhl
How are people using Buzz? Do you like it or loath it?
Louis Gray recommended this
Vicki VanValkenburgh:
I really liked it until I followed Jason Calcanis and came back after 30 minutes to find like 50 items and 4 bazillion comments in my buzz window. ...MoreI really liked it until I followed Jason Calcanis and came back after 30 minutes to find like 50 items and 4 bazillion comments in my buzz window. Ack! I think just following his tweets and being on his email list is a *gracious* plenty of attention to give even a thought leader, so I unfollowed him on Buzz.
119 weeks ago
119 weeks ago
Louis Gray:
Google has made updates to Buzz recently that reduce the impact of following popular users like Jason. Try again and see what you find.
117 weeks ago
117 weeks ago
Kelsey Balcaitis
I found this article interesting- financial institutions searching social media networks to check on potential borrowers and their risks. Do you think this is a good or bad use of social media? Is privacy on the web over? http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/esandberg/detail??blogid=132&entry_i...
Rebecca Thorman:
Wow, this is slightly insane. I mean, I get it - when I was hiring people, I always looked at their profiles, so it stands to reason that other ...MoreWow, this is slightly insane. I mean, I get it - when I was hiring people, I always looked at their profiles, so it stands to reason that other industries will do that too - but as I see that happening, it's easier to see the negative implications. Eventually, it will have less to do with privacy and more to do w/ we'll hide our true selves, and that is certainly bad. I too, would be interested in your thoughts Kelsey.
123 weeks ago
123 weeks ago
Kelsey Balcaitis:
I agree, privacy on the web has become much harder to protect than in the past. It's up to the person to protect it, rather than the network. I ...MoreI agree, privacy on the web has become much harder to protect than in the past. It's up to the person to protect it, rather than the network. I agree with Rachel that credit companies are going to have a hard time determining and proving what is relevant from your social networks. However I don't necessarily see people hiding their true selves. For better or worse, I see more govt. intervention putting restrictions on what companies can and cannot use or do with regards to social networks.
123 weeks ago
123 weeks ago
Stephen Spector
Late last year, one of the significant members of the community I manage was killed in a car accident. I struggled with the issue of letting the entire community know about this or just letting word of mouth handle this and not saying anything. I chose to take no action but wanted to see what you think I should have done? Has anyone else faced this situation? Also, should I do something this year in his name for the community? Not really sure...
Stephen Spector:
When I talked to a few other people in the community there were all aware of the accident. It appeared to me that the other "leaders" in the ...MoreWhen I talked to a few other people in the community there were all aware of the accident. It appeared to me that the other "leaders" in the community were aware of the incident. My thinking was that the major players were aware so I would let things go as I am not sure it was appropriate to bring up to the "masses" in the community.
124 weeks ago
124 weeks ago
Ryan Paugh:
Whenever I'm unsure about something on Brazen Careerist, I ask our Community Leaders what they think. Maybe that would be appropriate in this case ...MoreWhenever I'm unsure about something on Brazen Careerist, I ask our Community Leaders what they think. Maybe that would be appropriate in this case since it's a touchy subject.
124 weeks ago
124 weeks ago
Andrew Lane
Hey - has anyone here used or heard any stories about Headway Themes (http://headwaythemes.com/) for their Wordpress blog? I'm pretty non-technical so it seems like a no-brainer to pay a little bit for WYSIWYG customization but wanted to see if anyone had any experience with the product?
Thanks,
Andrew
Andrew Lane:
Thanks Chad! Those look great, and thanks also for the feedback on Headway!
123 weeks ago
123 weeks ago
Chad Cooper:
One more comment on this, as I don't want to discourage people from using Headway.. It really is a fantastic product. If you have any design ...MoreOne more comment on this, as I don't want to discourage people from using Headway.. It really is a fantastic product. If you have any design chops you can make a very powerful site with it. My plan is to learn web development, then switch back to Headway when I have better design skills. The flexibility to create the layout you want is unmatched. For me personally, I just don't want to lose early visitors due to a bland design.
123 weeks ago
123 weeks ago
Maria Gracia B. Ilagan
Thank you Michael for the suggestion. I will take note of that. Would you suggest as well what color should I try to at least I will have an idea? Im not into web designing and it's kind of hard for me to put two and two together. Thanks a lot!
Vicki VanValkenburgh:
Maria, I had good luck putting together and trying out new color schemes on a great site called colourlovers.com. I don't go there every week or ...MoreMaria, I had good luck putting together and trying out new color schemes on a great site called colourlovers.com. I don't go there every week or even every month, but when I really want to get serious about color for anything on the web, that's where I go. There are also some tools that allow you to hover over something on the web and pick up the color code. There's one in the mac utilities (digital color meter), and there are some free ones you can download from the web, too. Good luck--
124 weeks ago
124 weeks ago
Maria Gracia B. Ilagan:
Thank you Vicki. I visited the site and you are right, they have good looking color combination. I will try it myself. Cheers!
124 weeks ago
124 weeks ago
Andrew Hill
So for everyone who is trying to figure twitter out and has figured twitter out, what strategies do you guys and gals use to get more followers?
I started off by following 2000 people who had similer interests and then got a few hundred followers but in the end it didn't really work. Recently I unfollowed all 2001 and just refollowed the 300 or so that were following me, and guess what, I've now got 200 more followers in almost a week.
What did you or are you doing to become a superpower?
Vicki VanValkenburgh:
I think it's good to start with just a few people talking about things you're really interested in, and really interact with them, following new ...MoreI think it's good to start with just a few people talking about things you're really interested in, and really interact with them, following new people gradually. I think 10 high-quality, interactive followers are worth more than 1000 followers who just want to broadcast to a horde of reciprocal-follower warm bodies. I've reached about 250ish real followers (ie, followers who are actually interested in what I have to say), most of whom I follow back, and that feels pretty comfy for me.
128 weeks ago
128 weeks ago
Vicki VanValkenburgh
Cool! If you get a chance, I'd love to read a blog entry about your experience in putting on a webinar. I think a lot of us web-folk might be interested in webinars as a tool to use from time to time for various purposes, but if most of them are like me, they know next to nothing about putting one on.
Vicki VanValkenburgh:
I'll be interested to see your post--please post a link. Flexibility is often valuable in live, fluid situations. That became particularly ...MoreI'll be interested to see your post--please post a link. Flexibility is often valuable in live, fluid situations. That became particularly apparent to me when I became a parent. :) With little kids, your day can often end up looking totally different than you expect it to look, and after a while you accept that and roll with the punches.
128 weeks ago
128 weeks ago
Ryan Paugh:
Hey Vicki, here's a link to our webinar recording + some things I learned through organizing my first live event - MoreHey Vicki, here's a link to our webinar recording + some things I learned through organizing my first live event - http://bit.ly/6WpYlO ... Would love feedback in the comments section from anybody who had a chance to attend.
127 weeks ago
127 weeks ago
Vicki VanValkenburgh
Hi--I run the official forum for author Laurie R. King and help manage her social media venues. *Waves*
Vicki VanValkenburgh:
BTW--looking forward to the BC webinar, Ryan. I'm a total sucker for a good webinar! It's the perpetual student in me--I actually *liked* going ...MoreBTW--looking forward to the BC webinar, Ryan. I'm a total sucker for a good webinar! It's the perpetual student in me--I actually *liked* going to class in college! :D
128 weeks ago
128 weeks ago
Ryan Paugh:
The webinar should be fun! I'm working out some of the tech details w/ our producers this evening and I'm getting excited.
128 weeks ago
128 weeks ago
Vicki VanValkenburgh
Hi--I run the official forum for author Laurie R. King and help manage her social media venues. *Waves*
Jon Bishop
Anyone else on Google Wave yet? We should get a wave going. Share your google wave id here so we can all connect.
Vicki VanValkenburgh
Love and adore gmail--nothing else will do. Requested wave invite, dinna get one. Waaaaaaah! :..( Needs one!
Louis Gray:
If you still need one, post your e-mail, and we will make sure you get it.
117 weeks ago
117 weeks ago
Vicki VanValkenburgh
Just an enthusiastic fan here. I'd be totally lost without gmail, gcalendar, reader and docs.
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