On May 8, Dr. Fred Scholl gave a Tech Strategies presentation on his “12 Step Security Program for Your Business”. He has been generous enough to provide the presentation for us, including free and inexpensive ways to safeguard your business against security disaster. Click here to view the presentation.
Business Resource Center Blog
March 23, 2012
Tech Strategies Presented by Verizon Wireless met on March 8 at Comdata Corporation, 5301 Maryland Way, Brentwood. The topic “Increase Your Google Visibility” was presented by Trevor Emerson and Matt Job of Local Search Masters, a search marketing company headquartered in downtown Nashville.
Trevor and Matt taught the audience the importance of:
- Determining what searches are performed by your target market
- Setting up your Google Places page and optimizing it for local search
- Tracking your website’s traffic and analyzing how people are finding you online
- Maintaining an excellent online reputation
Trevor and Matt have shared their PowerPoint presentation with us as a resource for your business! Click here to view the PowerPoint.
March 23, 2012
Businesses can increase their value by growing their company's social media presence. Effective management of social media can offer a small business a competitive edge. Lyris compiled a guide of tips and techniques for engaging customers.
December 16, 2011
Just when you think you’ve mastered Facebook marketing, Google throws its hat in the ring by launching Google+ Pages for its Google+ social network. Google+ Pages allow businesses and organizations to talk directly to customers on multiple platforms such as video chats in customized “Hangouts” or through posts in the Google Page stream. Promotional features – +1 buttons and Google badges – help spread the word about your page and allow users to share recommendations of your content in Google search results. Check out these brands already using Google+ Pages: Train, Pepsi, Toyota and Volkswagon. Learn how you can set up a Google+ Page for your brand by visiting the Google+ site.
When was the last time you didn’ t see a QR code in an advertisement or on a product label? QR, or quick-response, codes are becoming as commonplace in marketing as phone numbers and web addresses. They’re popping up on pizza boxes and cereal boxes, billboards and scoreboards – even on T-shirts and car tags. QR codes are the quintessential call to action and can turn leads into customers if used wisely. And QR codes can elicit a variety of responses – a link to a website, a downloaded coupon, an e-mail or even a phone call. Check out Fast Company’s 13 Creative Ways to Use QR Codes.
The most appealing feature of QR codes is that they are absolutely free and easy to create. We're a fan of qrstuff.com, which offers users more than a dozen input data types, including social media links, e-mail, sms message, Google map place tag and a Paypal Buy Now Link. There are several other free online QR code generators. Check them out and decide which one works best for you.
There are 5.3 billion mobile subscribers worldwide – that’s more than two-thirds of the world population. Smart phone users make up 142 million of that number, and tablet users are not far behind, with sales expected to reach 70 million by the end of this year. More than ever, mobile subscribers are using their smartphones and tablets for traditional transactions such as banking, travel and shopping, as well as for local info and social media.
This means for many businesses and organizations, mobile is no longer an option, it’s a must. But developing an app or mobile website costs way more than you can afford, right? Maybe not. Technological advances have made basic app development as user-friendly (and cost-effective) as posting to a blog. Mashable’s Giles Goodwin shares five tips for easy mobile development. Read all about it here.
August 4, 2011
Email continues to be an effective communication and marketing tool for organizations and businesses – if done right. As most of us can attest, just because you send it does not mean it will be read. Luckily, our friends at HubSpot have created a guide for effective email marketing. The whitepaper lists the most common mistakes e-marketers make and then gives sound advice on how to avoid them.
To Tablet or Not to Tablet? That is the first question. Next, you’ll need to decide which one. With more than 100 tablets on the market, choosing the right one can be a daunting task. iPad or iPad2? Samsung Galaxy Tab or Motorola Xoom? While it’s true that for most tablets the functionality is the same, there are a few differentiating factors to consider before narrowing down your list.
1. Operating System - the fundamental difference between tablets. An operating system is the software that supports the tablet’s function. The Apple iPad runs on the iOs4.3, for example, while the Galaxy Tab and Xoom operate on Google’s Android 3.0 operating system. The Asus Eee Slate runs on Microsoft Windows 7, and the ViewPad 10 from ViewSonic is the first tablet to support both Windows and the Android operating systems. Read more about the difference between operating systems.
2. Adobe Flash - Flash allows your Web browser to process animation, audio, video and other interactive features. Currently, the iPad and iPad2 are the only tablets that do not support Flash, which means if you navigate to a web page with multimedia elements dependent on Flash, you won’t be able to see, hear or play those features. Instead, Apple’s line of smart devices utilizes the HTML5 platform to process video content. What’s the difference? About 47 percent of web pages use Flash, according to httparchive.org.
3. WiFi vs. 4G - Most tablet manufacturers have followed Apple’s lead in offering two versions of their tablet – one that connects to the Internet over wireless broadband and another that can connect either over wifi or a cellular wireless network (4G). WiFi-only tablets depend on the availability – and proximity – of a wireless network. Public places such as hotels, coffee shops and restaurants often grant free access to their wireless networks. With 4G (the loose term for the fourth generation of cellular communication), tablets use cellular towers to transfer data over the Internet, so hypothetically, you would be able to connect to the Internet anywhere within your service provider’s coverage area. However, if you opt for the 4G option, you will have to buy a data package through a wireless provider along with your tablet.
4. Screen Size - Forget what you’ve heard; size does matter. Tablet screen sizes range from 7 inches (such as the Dell Streak) to 10 inches (such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab). While the 7-inch screen is great for e-reading, gaming and browsing the Web, some users find it limiting when it comes to multimedia functions such as streaming video. And a tablet’s size also affects its weight and portability. Just as important as size is screen resolution which refers to the number of pixels per inch that can be displayed. The higher the resolution, the clearer the image. The iPad2 features a display resolution of 1024 X 768, for example, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab’s resolution is 1280 X 800.
For a detailed comparison of the leading tablet models, click here.
We’ve all seen them, and chances are pretty good that a lot of us still don’t know what they are. QR Codes, or Quick Response Codes are everywhere. But, what are they?
That square box is the printed equivalent of a hyperlink online. Instead of clicking on a link on the internet, users would snap a picture of the QR Code on their phone. The phone then processes the code and will then fire up the browser and direct you to the URL that’s encoded.
Think of a QR Code as a one-seat vehicle. There are a lot of “people,” or data types, that want to get from point A to point B, however, there’s only one seat. You have to choose which is the most important to send. Data types that a QR Code can transport include: a phone number, a short text message, V-Card data (think: a virtual business card), social media information or a link to a website.
I’ll spare you the technical jargon that goes into making a QR Code work, but here’s the basics:
QR Code Reader Software
For your phone to be able to read QR Codes you will need to have QR Code barcode reading software installed on it. Check out the list below to find an app for your phone:
Optiscan – The best QR Code scanner for iPhones – it understands all the new trickier encoding types and has definitely kept up with development in QR code technology.
I-Nigma – Probably the most popular decoder/reader application and works on most of the popular smartphones. (Supported Devices)
Quickmark – For most phones, but most noticeably has an Android version and a Windows Mobile version
Barcode Scanner – Another good Android QR code reader. Available in the Android Market in the Applications/Shopping category.
Nokia – Most Nokia’s now come standard with the Nokia’s own scanning software, but this one is good for N78, 6210 Navigator, N80, N96 and 6220 Classic
Google Zxing – For the Android and iPhone plus quite a few others, but not Windows Mobile
SnapMaze – QR code reader for Nokia, Sony Ericcson and Motorola phones (Supported Devices)
NeoReader – A good range of phones and mobile devices (including iPhone and Blackberry) and also available as AppStore download. (Supported Devices)
Jaxo Systems – Runs on most Java-enabled phones (Supported Devices)
OkoTag – The new one from Jaxo. Java, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and Android. (Supported Devices)
Blackberry Messenger – Comes standard with most Blackberry’s these days
Upcode – Support for a wide range of Symbian, UIQ, windows mobile, Iphone, Blackberry and Java phones. (Supported Devices)
So, what does QRstuff.com do then? You guessed it. They make QR Codes out of your data. You can snag your code in a printable format, email it someone or even make a t-shirt with it (seriously). If you splurge an pick up a subscription, you can even submit a spreadsheet full of data and they’ll send you QR Codes holding that same data in return. Pretty awesome.
If you take advantage of their batch processing option, just make sure to take a few extra seconds to make sure that you’re associating the right QR Code with the right product, because let’s be honest (and I’m not being a barcode bigot here), but they all look the same.
Subscriber Services
- Generate QR Code images at user-specified sizes up to 3000 pixels across and at your choice of 72dpi, 150dpi or 300dpi.
- Generate QR Code images in either PNG or PDF format
- Directly download (save) your QR Code immediately, or email it to an email address.
- Batch processing – upload a single TSV file and generate up to 500 QR Codes at a time
- A history facility allowing you to re-generate a past QR Code, or to browse the history of previous codes that you’ve created.
Subscription Rates
- 1 Month: $11.95
- 3 Month: $27.95 (save 20%)
- 6 Month: $49.95 (save 30%)
- 12 Months: $85.95 (save 40%)
- A casual 24 hour subscription is also available for $3.95 if you just want to check out our service, or need to generate a small number of codes (or even a single QR Code) as a one-off task.
website: www.qrstuff.com
twitter: www.twitter.com/qrstuff
Poor LinkedIn ... It may always be the buttoned-up-and-boring old dude compared to Facebook and Twitter, but that is precisely why it can be much more useful than other social networks for creating and nurturing professional relationships, establishing and shaping your personal brand and positioning your company as an authority among competitors.
LinkedIn can be ideal for people who see value in joining the conversation, yet are not comfortable blurring the line between professional and personal contacts. On LinkedIn, the parameters are more set in that the conversations almost always are professional and industry specific. There is an ease associated with knowing even a tiny bit of what to expect, especially for social media newcomers.
Other positive aspects of LinkedIn:
- Unlike Facebook, there is no fear of being tagged in an unflattering photo.
- You do not have to question whether you want to "add" your mom.
- Unlike Twitter, there are several ways to reach out to your contacts without word count limits.
- No one is likely to ask you via LinkedIn to send them anything for any virtual game they play.
If you have not yet created a LinkedIn profile, check it out and register. If you have a profile already, but have not maximized its potential, here are two links to multiple resources that will help you do just that:
100+ Smart Ways To Use LinkedIn
Lara Kretler's LinkedIn Bookmarks
Just for kicks (and for what we thought might be a nice start to our blog), we Googled "What is social media?" And here's what ranked first:
"Social media is media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques." –Wikipedia social
Many people feel overwhelmed or even frightened by the term Social Media. No wonder: It seems so big, so complex, so challenging.
If there's anything we've learned about social media in the past year or so, it's this: You'll never understand its uses, its benefits or even the fun of it until you try it out for yourself.
So that's what our blog is about. We're trying new things – by conducting "Social Media Research Projects" and seeing what happens. We'll be posting our success stories, and probably some failure stories, too. We're mining the web, looking for good resources that we think we can all benefit from, and collecting them here as a one-stop shop for good social media info. And we're creating some of our own resources to help you get started – some videos, slideshows and even white papers.
Social media is a conversation. And in the spirit of conversation, we hope our blog will be as well. We will be posting information here that all of us can apply in some way – to our businesses, organizations or even our personal lives.
Recently, veteran online marketers Erick Goss and Corey Cleek, spoke about the idea of "the wisdom of crowds."
The concept comes from a book of the same name by New Yorker columnist James Surowiecki. Basically stated, the theory is that "large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant." Need real-life proof? Of the three "lifelines" on the game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire, the one that's most often correct is the option that lets the contestant poll the audience for help.
But how about social media proof? Simple--it's all around us. Crowd wisdom can help you buy the right toaster on Amazon, find new movies at Netflix and pick a restaurant at Yelp. As the crowd sends out its daily headlines and news links on Facebook and Twitter, the collective wave can clue us in -- in real time -- to what's important that day.
Is it time to get in on the conversation? Never before have there been more opportunities for organizations to hear from their audience, and never has it been more important to know what those people are saying. For better or worse, your crowd is already talking about you. Tap into their wisdom and you're bound to learn something worthwhile.
