One of my favorite tools to stay connected is Gmail. I currently have about 7 email accounts that I manage through it. Now with that many accounts I need a way to easily add different signatures when composing a message depending on which account I am sending from. This past week I found a blog explaining how this can be done pretty easily using Google Labs for Gmail. Here is a short tutorial show how I am using it. Enjoy. You might want to select HD play and expand to full screen to best view.
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Adding multiple signatures using gmail
Taking control of your Facebook feed
*Note 9/21/2011 . Facebook this week rolled out even more controls to confuse and game what updates are seen by users. So to take control back and away from Facebook, simply go to http://www.facebook.com/bookmarks/lists. Then follow my instructions in the video below. All I use is a simple bookmark in my browser. Please leave a comment if you have any questions.
Most of the world already knows that Facebook is one of the best ways to stay connected. What many people don’t understand is that what they see in their main feed on either the top news or most recent feed, is not a full account of their friend’s updates and activities. Facebook has an algorithm it uses based on activity level, conversation and other factors. Facebook is in control of who’s updates you see.
That can be tweaked though. Like Twitter, you can create lists of your family, co-workers, or all of them. These lists are managed under the drop down menu when the Most Recent tab is clicked. It takes some navigation to see list though. I have devised a quick fix to this by using bookmarked tabs in your browser. Hopefully this tweak will continue to work, barring any changes Facebook makes. Take a look at this quick video tutorial and take control of your account and let Facebook’s algorithms control everyone else. Please leave any questions as comments.
For a deeper look into the Facebook feed algorithm check out a much deeper explanation of the algorithms results article on The Daily Beast
Editorial Calendar: from sporadic to consistent blogging
I first found this great WordPress plugin tool via Chris Brogan’s post. To be clear, Editorial Calendar changed my blogging habits completely. I went from posting sporadically, which is too common for most bloggers, to posting consistently three times a week. Today I asked my friend Justin Lukasavige to do a quick video showing how he uses it. Thanks Justin!
One last note: I use the tool on the fly every-time I get a post idea. I get them in the middle of conversations, while travelling, watching a movie, you name it. Instead of making a note on my iPad, sending myself an email, writing it on my hand, I now open up the Editorial Calendar, think of a quick title and maybe write some notes or add a link. That is it. I think I have nearly thirty draft posts waiting for me to finish. This has given me plenty of material to work with. I absolutely love it and recommend it.
And the winner is: Kindle giveaway
So we have a winner, number 26, Rocco Capra! Actually you all won. I spoke with New Leaf Publishing about offering the Kindle version to all the entrants, and I am pleased to announce you will be receiving a copy (expect an email from me with details from New Leaf in the next few days) . If you don’t have a Kindle you can get a free app from Amazon for your PC, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad,BlackBerry or Windows 7 Phone here. I really enjoyed the stories people told and I hope to comment back to most of them this week. Here is a short screencast showing how I picked the winner. Again thanks to Scott Williams for showing me the method. Thanks again for participating and have a great New Year!
Win a free Kindle with Eric Alexander’s The Summit included
There is really so much I want to say about Eric Alexander’s Book “The Summit”. It is one of those books that you want to read slowly over a few weeks and a short blog post seems out-of-place. For me it was more of a devotional, and actually a book I will probably keep by my bed and process slowly again. Eric’s writing is unpolished and authentic. I felt as if he was sitting there telling each story in person. Eric has led many expeditions, over his career as a climber and outdoor guide, including several with people of various physical disabilities. However, after reading his accounts about these people, the word hero seems more appropriate than the word disabled.
The bulk of the book retells stories of Eric’s climbing the Seven Summits, bookended by the beginning and then the summiting of Everest by Eric and his blind climbing partner Erik Weihenmayer. If you have ever been told you could not do something, The Summit will inspire you to shed all that binds and climb your own Everest.
As a novice climber, I was fascinated by the stories of so many high altitude adventures. One chapter describes Eric and Erik’s climbing Russia’s Mt. Elbrus, and then skiing off the summit in a 9,000 foot run. Descending any alpine peak is a challenge, even when done the conventional way. There are so many stories like this that Eric’s faith in the impossible truly is driven home.
The Giveaway:
At first I had planned to give a copy of the book away with this post, but for a while I have wanted to give something special away. So I decided to make it a new wifi Kindle. The Kindle will have The Summit installed.
Here are the details on how to win: (some methods are borrowed from Scott Williams)
1. Leave a comment here stating that you would like to win the Kindle with the Summit installed. Feel free to share a story of your own overcoming an impossible adventure. The story is not required to be an entry though. To be able to be entered you need to leave a comment on this post or I won’t be able to find you.
2. Post a message on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn with these specifics.
-On Twitter: This url http://bit.ly/f5jMt4Â mention Eric’s twitter name: @highersummits the term #thesummit, and that you have entered to win the kindle with The Summit installed.
-On Facebook: Mention the Higher summits page url http://bit.ly/f5jMt4 http://www.facebook.com/highersummits, this url and that you have entered to win the kindle with The Summit installed.
-On Linked: Mention Eric’s site http://www.highersummits.com/ this url http://bit.ly/f5jMt4 and that you have entered to win the kindle with The Summit installed.
Also, If you are not on any of the above mentioned (this is my favorite of Scott’s ) please state that in your comment here. I would love to interact with you and find out why.
3. Watch the book trailer here or on youtube and share with your friends.
Note: Winners will be selected from the comments on Flurrycreations.com/theblog. Please only leave one comment per person. I will randomly choose one name to win the Kindle, from those that followed the steps mentioned above by 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time 12/27/10. I will then announce the winner here and ship the Kindle Thursday December 30th. Good luck and thanks for reading! Â Also, Merry Christmas!
Stepping out from behind the curtain: an ad campaign revisited
Two years ago I wrote about JCPenney’s viral ad campaign known as the Dog House Video. As the video began to spread around the internet again this Christmas season I took some time to revisit the campaign. Once a company has gained the customers attention, engagement should follow.
Now that the video has millions of views and that the company has established itself as a brand that can make a viral video, customer interaction needs to follow. Like the citizens and travelers in the Wizard of Oz, people have accepted a new type of advertisement where there really is no personal touch. We watch the add, think it is cute and then like they hope, make a purchase. In the meantime the brand does little to secure long lasting trust and loyalty through any sort of interpersonal relationship or reputation.   This is the problem.
Advertising alone will not insulate a brand from fading into mediocrity. The brands that are leading the way have stepped out from behind the curtain. They have trained their staff to engage. My favorites, and the ones I argue will win the race, even have C level Executives who connect with costumers.
Don’t get me wrong. They really did score a hit with the ad. How much more would it succeed if they embraced the new way, and made those customers that were dazzled and entertained into their greatest assets by building long lasting commitment through interpersonal costumer service and engagement.
http://flurrycreations.com/theblog/2008/12/22/9/
Tool Wednesday: Rapportive walkthrough from Andy Traub
My friend and one of my personal tech guides Andy Traub gives us a walk through video of Rapportive and “raplets”, an add-on to manage social media connections and contacts simultaneously. Managing your contacts is probably one of the most important things a good connector can do. I will have more on that in the coming weeks. For now learn from one expert I enjoy learning from. Please leave a comment if you have a question for Andy or a tip of your own. Also if you need help you can contact Rapportive via Twitter here as well as the CEO Rahul Vohra.
How to use Rapportive from Andy Traub on Vimeo.
Why share with one when you can share with the world?
Are you letting the world get a glimpse of your work?
A friend of mine Regina Iovino, who owns a catering business and restaurant had something funny to share the other day. In the past I have helped her dabble in reaching her tribe. She knows that getting the news out to the world through the web is critical to her success, but like many small business owners she struggles with limited resources and time.
Last week I noticed that she had posted on Facebook a beautiful picture of one of her catering event arrangements. Â Like always, it was breathtaking. Right away people were posting comments and liking it. Â I sent her a quick encouragement message. Â Her reply was funny. Â She had posted it by mistake. Â She had planned to only send it to the client. Â Instead she had accidentally placed it on her Facebook wall. Â The results were great.
People ask you questions all the time if you are an expert in your field.  Often they email you them. Instead of just answering individually, take the opportunity to post the answer in a blog or make a forum topic.  Do it in a podcast or YouTube video.  If you have a tribe, share pictures with them about your work.  If your tribe is into your work they will eat it up.  Regina’s tribe sure did!
Be yourself and engage your tribe: innovation over imitation
Be yourself, be remarkable, be unique. This past week I had the chance to meet a few people from Keen Footwear. Keen’s CEO gave the keynote at the Willamette Innovators Night (WIN) 2009 and did a great skit. The main point of James Curleigh’s skit was to be an innovator…not an imitator. I was first introduced to the company by a friend who had a great customer service experience. I am now a big believer in Keen and a recent convert after finding their shoes were the only ones that did not give me pain while I am recovering from foot surgery. To say the least, they have left an impression on me. When I came home that night from WIN 09, I posted a few things online about my experience. As I usually do, I look for a company’s or individual’s twitter account to either engage them in conversation or reference to them in a post on twitter. It took a bit of digging to find Keen on twitter since there was no link on their home page or blog. This surprised me at first but, then again, Keen does not do things like anyone else. I finally did find Keen. They had one post and a little over 200 followers*. Their single post is a request for feedback, a great start; “heard a lot about this twitter phenomena – want to know what the “tweeple” want us to tweet. Ideas and suggestions are very welcome”. In true form they are asking their followers what to do next. So here is my suggestion. Don’t copy anyone. I hear this all the time “I am on twitter now what”? I tell people, “be yourself”. I love the movie Hitch. In it Will Smith plays a relationship/dating coach. He guides men through the dangerous world of relationships with women. His tried and true method has been to drive out the individual and get them to conform to a few key principle that will land them the girl. Like any good PR pro, he teaches them to pose. What he eventually realizes is that true happiness comes when a woman falls in love with a man for who he really is (if he is genuine, kind and honest). The same works for businesses and personal brands. Be who you are and no one else (even if it is a bit ugly at times). Anything else is posing. A company like Keen has an amazing product to stand on (pun intended) and a great following to go with it. All they really need to do is find that tribe and join in on the conversation that is already happening. And like anyone, they are finding ways to reach out to their community with true innovation.
Don’t be mistaken. While Keen has obvious fans, so do you. I just saw someone comment tonight on Facebook that they have no fans. I beg to differ. It might take some digging (not much on Keen’s part) but everyone, if they have a web presence, has some following . When it comes to finding great followers, you are your best researcher . The ones that will shout the loudest will say the most via the web. We have the greatest search engines at our fingertips. I look forward to Keen’s next move.
*Looking further I found Keen’s active twitter account @Keen_Shoes via Keen founder @MartinKeen
And a quick side note to Keen – don’t be like everyone else and hire a marketer with 10 years of traditional marketing experience…which would likely result in you doing exactly what everyone else is doing. Invest in someone that will encourage and guide you in just being you (even if that results in still doing the “Q-tip”), help build on your incredible community, and encourages you to invest in continuing the tradition of developing remarkably innovative products.
Want to know more?
Seth Godin’s Tribes and Purple Cow
Using a social media framework to grow your tribe
Go watch Hitch
*Looking further I found Keen’s active twitter account @Keen_Shoes via Keen founder @MartinKeen
Is Social Media a Fad? Answer from Social Media Revolution
I found this video via @jdale and @tshuttleworth and I had to share it with you. I have had several people this week ask me if Social Media is a fad. Well my simple answer is no. In fact I agree with the statement in the video that “it is the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution”. It is changing our habits, how we digest media, how we connect and engage with people and our description of community. Socialnomics09 did a great job pulling together my favorite quotes and statistics. Enjoy. I would love to hear your comments.
