SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING WITH TWEETGRID

Technology has really changed the way people share their thoughts, opinions, and experiences about businesses. Thanks to social media websites like Twitter and Facebook, a company’s positive image can be bolstered or destroyed overnight.

Those who take the power of social media communities seriously allow themselves the ability to steer through the minefield of public opinion and continue with great success. But companies who chose to ignore the new paradigm we have experienced for the past several years are destined to hit mine and fail.

Reputation monitoring is the big new thing in the world of business today. Community relations now takes place online… in real time… and there’s a secret weapon you can use absolutely free of charge called TweetGrid that will allow you to keep track of what people are saying about your brand as it is happening.

According to Twitter.com, there were 140 million Tweets posted just last month. You better believe that a small but significant fraction of those little messages posted on the hottest micro blogging social community board were from people expressing their thoughts, feelings, or experiences about a business product or service.

Now then… considering the massive amount of traffic pulsing through Twitter each and every day, do you think it would be worth monitoring the site for any instances where your brand is being talked about? Would you like to know when someone says something positive? Or perhaps be in-the-know when someone says something negative about their experience with your business so that you could have the opportunity to corral the unhappy customer and show them that you truly care?

I should hope that you do!

That’s where TweetGrid comes into play. All you have to do is launch the website and set up as many grids that you need in order to monitor what is being said about your business. Pick a few keywords that you think people would use for your business, enter each word into a grid, hit the <enter> button, and there you have it. Each and every time someone makes mention of one of your keywords, it will pop into TweetGrid in real time.

The key here would be to test as many keywords as you possibly can. If there are variations of the names of your business, enter them all. You could even enter common misspellings of your business name. The more the better. The bigger the population of people that frequent your business, the more chances there could be for people to talk up your brand.

If you own a restaurant or a service-related business, you might be surprised at how many people are commenting about your establishment on Twitter. People tend to Tweet a lot about the service they receive, and the quality of food at restaurants, for example. Your goal should be to reinforce and reward the positive comments, and transform the negative comments into good customer service buzz.

Throwing a “thank you” out for positive comments is a no-brainer. But what do you do when an individual says something critical or negative about your business or service? Is it possible to transform such an occurrence into something that could end up building up your reputation?

You bet it is!

If a customer tweets something that doesn’t put you in a positive light, your immediate response and offer to remedy the situation could end up transforming that unhappy person into a happy camper. At worst case, even if they are not ultimately satisfied, more people will trust you and take a chance because they will see that you care.

Simply showing that you care enough to respond is one of the best ways that you can bolster your business’s reputation. However, it goes without saying that you would need to have an actual Twitter account in order to post responses to mentions of your brand, so a little bit of research on how to get started using Twitter and knowing the best way to share your online presence would be in order.

As a side note, most businesses actively posting to Twitter have absolutely no clue as to what to post to be most effective in their marketing efforts. A lot of careless business owners “spam” the Twitter timeline with constant ads, and never interact with others in the community. That is a big mistake. Even if your only activity on Twitter was to respond to people posting about your brand, you would be leaps and bounds ahead of the majority of business Twitterers.

Make the decision now to start monitoring your brand on Twitter and take charge of what your customers reactions are. Turn every situation into a reputation-building opportunity, and watch your business grow leaps and bounds!

Do you have ideas on how to use sites like TweetGrid to better your social media monitoring efforts? Do you have a question about the strategies mentioned in this article? Share them in the comments section below!

Carlton Flowers
Marketing Strategist

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INTRODUCING THE MISSOURI MAYA MOORE FAN PAGE!

Hey folks! I wanted to put together a brief Maya update and a quick podcast to let you know that my big sis Cheri (@Artsymamma on Twitter) has put together a new fan page on Facebook for all of the original

Missouri friends & family that have followed Maya over the years. It is appropriately called the “Missouri Maya Moore Fan Page“, and you can click that link to check it out and hit the “like” button!

For those of you who don’t know, you can check out ALL of Maya’s games with the Minnesota Lynx online. Just head over to WNBA.com and sign up for the free live access. You’ll be able to watch all of the games by streaming them right to your computer.

Something else Id’ like you to do is head on over to Twitter and follow Alan Horton, the commentator for the Lynx, who you will hear on all of the home games. His twitter address is http://www.twitter.com/lynxradio.

If you are the Twitter type, give him a follow and keep up on the latest with the Lynx, and the NBA Timberwolves. Alan does an awesome and calls a great game!

Click the “play” button below and check out the podcast, and let’s get some good Maya Moore WNBA discussions going. Oh, and last but not least, make sure you vote for Maya for 2011 MVP on the WNBA website! Maya is rockin’ it, and she deserves it!

See ya at the next Lynx game!

Carlton Flowers
Maya Moore Family/Fan Extreme

Play Now:

 CZ Podcast 6-20-2011 [4:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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DUPLICATE WEB CONTENT – DOES IT HELP, OR HURT?

I have noticed that there is a rash of duplicate content on the web. That shouldn’t be a surprise. Most Internet marketers are notorious abusers of copying content on the web.

But what gets me is how I am finding so many “reputable” organizations using duplicate content. Whatever the reason, people are copying stuff on the web faster than a classic green-ink mimeograph machine could crank out in the early 70’s. But why?

There are several reasons why people copy and paste information from sites like Wikipedia, HowStuffWorks, or Nexus. There are similar motivations behind purchasing “PLR” articles, or private label rights articles for reuse. I’ll get into that later, but for now, I must rant…

First of all, I have a low opinion of those who promote and use duplicate content. My reason? It doesn’t make the web a better place. It just mucks it up. When you are searching for legitimate information for a research project, it is frustrating when you find valuable information repeated verbatim on seemingly reputable websites. That tells me that there are many more websites thrown together for selfish reasons than those that are truly contributional.

For those of you who have no earthly idea of what I am speaking of, here are some reasons why people post duplicate content on the web:

• to provide “fresh content” that drives traffic to a page selling something
• to keep a blog site current and active when the writer can’t come up with new posts on a regular basis
• to establish yourself as an “authority” on a topic by posting factual information on hot topics under your own name
• to raise the SEO (search engine optimization) value of a web page by loading it up with keyword-optimized articles

Those are just a few of the selfish motivations to copy other people’s information that they worked hard on, providing all of the research and grunt work. But the duplicate content tactics will will blow up in your face and hurt you more than they will help. Plus, it does nothing to make the Internet a better place. Consider these facts:

• search engines like unique content, not copied content
• the original article poster gets the most credit from the search engines
• duplicate content gets skipped during search engine indexing
• duplicate content can sometimes lower your SEO rating
• using duplicate content will not build your reputation as an “authority” on any subject
• duplicate content mucks up the web and frustrates searchers

SO… IS THERE A BETTER SOLUTION TO USING DUPLICATE CONTENT?

Internet marketers and bloggers who are trying to build notoriety might disagree with me regarding the use of duplicate content. Most people argue that they don’t have the time or skill to write their own material. But I am convinced that junking up the web with copied rehashed content will not promote your cause or earn you big bucks in attempting to sell your stuff.

So, what is a person to do? What are the alternatives when you are trying to build up your web presence and reputation when you can’t seem to crank out your own original content? Here are a few ideas that will certainly work, and will make the Internet a better place:

• place copied content in quotations, and then post your short opinion of the information
• summarize articles in your own words instead of copying them wholesale, and give credit to your source
• post copied content in quotations and then tell your readers why this information is vital to their niche
• post an article and give credit to the source, then post discussion questions to spark interaction

That should give you a start. The idea is that you should at least add something of value if you have to use duplicate content on your website. Adding value makes the Internet a better place, and it makes your web page more unique. But keep in mind, the more you learn to contribute original information, the quicker you will establish yourself as an authority or respected blogger.

You want the best short cut to rising to the top? Get over your laziness, do some real grunt work, and start posting your own original information. You won’t be sorry you did.

Carlton Flowers
Guardian of Web Goodness
www.carltonzone.com
www.microbusinessplans.com
www.twitter.com/carltonf

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A-DRIVE OFFERS 50 GIGABYTES OF CLOUD DATA STORAGE FOR FREE

I wouldn’t have believed this if I hadn’t tried it myself. A Drive apparently has the largest free cloud storage service on the Internet for personal accounts. They also have premium services for businesses or those that require more space.

You can use A Drive to backup your important stuff, transfer big files to friends, or use it as your online vault for music, videos, and photos. It’s like having an extra 50 gigabyte drive at your disposal that won’t get zapped in the next thunderstorm!

I can always use extra space to store and backup all of my critical documents, spreadsheets, and graphic artwork that I have created. Because of that, I am also a proud user of Dropbox, but they have a limit of only 2 gigabytes for free service users. They have a nice user interface, and they are connected with several services that offer apps for the iPhone, but space is limited. I still encourage the use of Dropbox, and one of my favorite uses of this service is to transfer eBooks to my mobile device readers such as Kobo and iBooks. Click the logo or link and sign up for your own Dropbox. When you make referrals, they give you more free space.

Dont’ wait until it is too late to start backing up your important documents. The last time i had a hard drive failure, I hadn’t done a backup for 1-1/2 years. I lost tons of irreplaceable family pictures, documents and training modules that I had authored for my business, records like tax returns, and more. Sadly, most people don’t think about doing a backup until it is far too late. So be proactive and get an Adrive and Dropbox right now, and start safeguarding your valuable data!

Carlton Flowers
Guardian of Hard Drive Crashes
www.carltonzone.com
www.microbusinessplans.com
www.twitter.com/carltonf

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IPAD 2 DEBUT ROCKS THE WORLD AND CONTINUES TO SET THE BAR

Apple unveiled the iPad 2 today. I still have no interest in buying an iPad, but I will admit that this model is a temptation. If I had a specific reason to use it other than my primary purpose of a keyboard-free laptop, I would seriously consider it. Well, also if I had five hundred bucks handy.

I’m not shocked at the final details, but I am impressed with the improvements that have been made for the iPad 2. There are enough new features that will more than likely guarantee iPad’s continued market domination. But yet and still, several potential buyers may sit on the fence until enough specific uses for this device come about.

While I will continue to complain about the lack of Adobe Flash capability on the iPad, I can admit that the device would be justifiable for specific use instead of only utilizing it as an Internet browsing device or e-reader. For example, If I had a recording studio, I would take the leap to use this for one applicaiton – Garage Band. I would also use it specifically for editing video clips using iMovie. But for now, I’ll stay on the sidelines and watch as future models develop.

There are quite a few things that make me “ooh” and “aah” about this device, such as the following:

• the 33% thinner form factor (yes, it is thinner than an iPhone 4)
• the new dual-core A5 processor’s tremendous computing power and speed
• the front and rear facing cameras & Facetime capability
• the similarity of the form factor to the iPod Touch
• the new “Smart Cover” magnetic wrapper

As great as these new features might be, there are a few things missing that I will need before I jump into one. Some of the things I would prefer to see that are missing are as follows:

• lack of Adobe Flash support (I can’t use it to build my Flash-based blog site)
• no SD card slot (come on Apple, why not?)
• no Gorilla Glass (I am too hard on my devices, I’ll end up breaking it)
• no upgrading to 4G (no biggie, I can wait another year or 2 on that)
• lack of Adobe Flash support (did I mention that yet?)

Now then… if someone wanted to gift one to me, I would not turn it down. I’d be proudly walking around EVERYWHERE with an iPad 2 if I was forced to take one free of charge. But that’s wishful thinking. Until then, I’ll just settle for playing around with my friend’s iPads when I have my geek get-togethers. But I have a tight budget and a family to raise, so I can’t consider buying this strictly as an enjoyment gadget.

Some say that the iPad is a tremendously useful device, and others say that there still isn’t a strong enough reason to call the iPad a “need“. Are you planning on purchasing an iPad 2? Do you have a specific need that this device would satisfy? If so, please share your thoughts and tell me about it!

Carlton Flowers
iPad Fence Sitter
www.carltonzone.com
www.microbusinessplans.com
www.twitter.com/carltonf

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THE BOTTOM LINE ON THE NOOK 3G AS COMPARED TO THE KINDLE

I’ve beaten this dead horse to a pulp. It started with a live video demo of the Nook 3G at Barnes & Noble. Next I test drove the Nook Color at B&N as shown in my video. I then wrote about issues that were frustrating new Nook 3G owners at Christmas time. Well after all of that, here’s the final analysis…

I’m 99% convinced that the Nook 3G will NOT connect to the Internet over 3G service. Anyone who thinks that their Nook 3G connected to the net over 3G AT&T service must be smoking crack. It never has, nor will it. The Kindle 3G does connect to the Internet over 3G service through AT&T. Useless side fact: the 1st and 2nd generation Kindles used Sprint 3G service, the 3rd generation model uses AT&T.

Before you go trading in your Nook 3G for a Kindle 3, every report I have read is that surfing the net over 3G AT&T on a Kindle sucks. It’s next to useless. It is not something you would want to use as a portable Internet device. So that evens the score, somewhat.But whether or not having the 3G for book downloads on a Nook is worth $50 extra is not something I could give an answer to. That just depends on the user.

Anyhow, there are a few areas where Kindle is better, and a few areas where Nook is better. Kindle apparently has greater access to more books as a whole, has cheaper books, a longer battery life, a better display, and the ability to surf the web on an experimental browser over 3G service. But the Nook has the following advantages over Kindle:

• Nook supports ePub format, Kindle does not
• a lot of libraries use ePub and will lend books you can read on your Nook
• the games are free (chess, sudoku), and come with the device (you have to buy them on Kindle)
• you can add an SD card for more memory
• built on Android platform (makes possibility for apps in the future)
• color touch screen for control of the display instead of physical buttons
• use of Cover Flow on bottom touchscreen
• you can replace the battery
• you can use custom screen savers
• you can go to an actual store for support groups and help
• you can read any book in B&N for 1 hour over their WiFi

The bottom line is, none of the e-Ink devices are worth 2 craps for getting on the web over 3G. They should have never even marketed them as devices for surfing the web. I think B&N was misleading at best and dishonest at worst, and they really didn’t even have to push the web surfing. The main advantage to these devices is ease on the eyes for reading. So I guess if you’re not hard pressed for money, the 3G for downloading books is a nice luxury. It’s not a necessity by any means, but why not.

Getting away from the advantage of e-Ink and looking at web surfing, you’re talking Samsung Galaxy 3G Tab with a 3G monthly contract. I think it’s $30 a month or so for web access over 3G, and the device costs $599. The alternative is to get a Sprint Hot Spot for $40 per month. I can’t remember exactly, but either Verizon or Sprint lets you do a month-to-month contract with the Hot Spot, so there’s no 2-year commitment. Whatever the case, it’s quite an investment. If you’re not an Internet nerd, forget about it. It would be better to add a data plan to your cell phone.

But back to the topic at hand, my choice is still the Nook. I would probably get the WiFi version. I’m still actually thinking about getting one myself because my computer screen is killing my eyes, and I get huge bright spots in my vision after reading and staring at the screen for hours on end. But the reason I like the Nook is the color touch screen at the bottom. I don’t like physical buttons. The touch screen is more “gadgety” and cool. Plus, I like the idea of having the B&N store right here in town where I can take the device if I have problems or questions.

So there you have it. Aside from the fact that I think B&N bamboozled us on the whole 3G web access thing, it’s pretty much a closed case.

Carlton Flowers
Nook Master
www.carltonzone.com
www.microbusinessplans.com
www.twitter.com/carltonf

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THIS IS HOW THEY MESS WITH YOUR HEAD TO MAKE YOU MORE PATIENT

Okay guys and gals, I had to post this. It is just plain cool! Watch this video and you will be amazed at how the different styles of progress bar graphics really mess with your perception. I have noticed the use of these new graphical representation since installing Windows 7, and now I see it a lot more often. I wonder if they could put a graphic on the floor while you are in a 1-mile-long checkout line at Walmart and make you think you’re gonna get through the line faster…

Carlton Flowers
Gadget Nerd
www.carltonzone.com
www.microbusinessplans.com
www.twitter.com/carltonf

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MERCURY BROWSER SOLVES LACK OF TEXT REFLOW ISSUE ON IPHONE

Forever searching for a better browser for my iPhone 4, I have gone back to a browser that I tried several months ago that recently got a serious upgrade! It’s called the Mercury Browser, and they have a free version along with a full-featured version for only 99 cents.

You all know about my beef with Apple and the lack of text reflow on the Safari browser. I recently wrote about the Atomic browser that has the text resizing feature that reflows text after selecting the “increase font size” button. It’s not dynamic reflow, but it gets by. The Mercury Browser recently updated their app and they now have the text resizing feature with reflow kicking in after you resize the text.

I like Mercury browser better than the Atomic browser. It’s half the price had has double the features. One of the best features besides reflowing the text would be the scroll bar on the right side. It is very convenient to have, and easy to use. The functionality impresses me for a smart phone browser, being that you are using it on such a small screen and it actually works.

Check out this browser in the App Store and download the free version to get a feel for what the browser can do. You might find yourself upgrading to the full version once you see how spiffy it is!

Carlton Flowers
Guardian of Frustrated iPhone Owners
www.carltonzone.com
www.microbusinessplans.com
www.twitter.com/carltonf

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HANDS ON TEST DRIVE OF NOOK EREADER

I stopped by Barnes & Noble to test drive the Nook eReader device that we have all been hearing so many good things about. Here’s a 3-part short video series where I point out a few of the advantages and disadvantages of this device. Overall, I give it a passing score as an eReader. The beta Internet browser that is included is a nice extra, but will take some tweaking before it can really be considered as something useful. That being said, check out the videos and post your comments below!

by Carlton Flowers
Gadget Geek Extreme

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I’VE GOT A GREAT WEBSITE… BUT I GET NO TRAFFIC!

So you are a business owner, and you are trying to increase your sales by offering your products or services on a website. You spent a pile of money paying a designer and a programmer to get your site up and running. The day finally came that your site went live, and after all of the fireworks fizzled, you discovered the fact that you have a little bit of a problem… YOU HAVE NO VISITORS!

The buildup and letdown described in this scenario is a common occurrence with brick-and-mortar business owners that are trying to increase their cash flow with web-based sales. Most will turn to SEO “expert” consultants or other marketing consultants and spend yet another considerable amount of hard-earned money to fix the problem and bring the much-needed traffic to their website. But the fact is, they are overlooking the most effective and cheapest solution to the problem… Twitter marketing.

Twitter just happens to be the fastest social media community on planet earth for attracting and retaining new potential clients within a specific geographical area. There is no other way to accomplish such a feat on any other platform on or off the internet. When properly implemented, a Twitter marketing campaign can start bringing in targeted customers within days of getting started. To tap into the ever expansive reservoir of potential clients dwelling within the Twitter community, follow these simple steps:

1. Create A Friendly Twitter Presence – If you don’t already have an account, get one now. Post your picture so people can identify with you as a person. Make several well thought-out tweets to introduce yourself to the community, and tell everyone about yourself and why you are there.

2. Create An Inviting Profile – Your profile should be clear about your business intent, but it should also let people know that you are a human being who likes to interact with others, have fun, and give back to the community.

3. Link To A Custom Landing Page – Create a special Twitter landing page just for your Twitter visitors. Focus on selling yourself before your products or services. By doing this, you will create long-lasting relationships that will translate into sales from life-long customers instead of one-time buyers.

4. Use Twellowhood.com To Find New Prospects – Use www.twellowhood.com to find people in your local target market to follow. Introduce yourself and get involved! This will create the bonds that you need to grow a loyal following of new clients for your business.

5. Post Every Day - Don’t let a day go by that you don’t post to Twitter. Give more to the Twitter community than you take by sharing meaningful information and interact with your followers. This will give you the best long-term return for your investment of time!

For advanced ideas on aggressive Twitter marketing, check out my Twitter Turbo program at my blog site, www.carltonzone.com!

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