Wayne Mansfield

3 Unusual Twitter accounts worth following

2012-02-06T13:39:00.002+08:00

Thanks to http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/42610 I found these Unusual twitter accounts

Maureen Evans is a 27-year-old from British Columbia who’s studying for a master’s in creative writing at Queen’s University Belfast. But her 18,231 followers don’t know that… at least not most of them. To them, she’s @Cookbook, and she’s dropping recipes on them, 140 characters at a time. Here are a couple recent ones as examples:

Fettucine Alfredo: boil 16oz(pref fresh) fettucine to aldente. Boil 3â„4c pasta hâ‚‚o/1â„2c buttr; toss well+pasta/3c parm until creamy. Srv w pep.

Irene’s Borsch: brwn onion&garlc/2T buttr; +c beet&tom&stock. Simmr40m; +c tater&carrot&cabbage/3c stock20m; +3T rdvingr&dill. Top w sr crm.

2. @Twaggies

Okay, shameless self-promotion now. Here’s one that will help you pass time when you’re bored at work: If you’ve seen some quizzes on this site by @Yaelbt, you can thank me. Well, you can thank her first, and Jason English second, because he hired her, but also me because I started following her on Twitter after she followed me and found her tweets to be some of the funniest in the Twittersphere. Eventually we figured out we worked across the street from one another (weird, right?), and immediately knew some fun Twitter-based Web site was in our future. That’s how Twaggies was born.

Read a funny tweet lately? Or maybe Tweeted one out that your followers RT-ed because they thought it was hilarious? Send it to us here.

If we like it, we’ll Twagg you. Because, hey, everyone loves a visual, right?

3. @TweetMyJobs

This cool concept connects employers and job seekers instantly using Twitter. Employers can post a job on one of 4,500+ Job Channels, which are location/industry specific, and a notification of the job will instantly be delivered to a job seeker via Twitter. In this economy, there can never be too many avenues for finding work. So if you’re looking, follow them now.

And while we’re not unusual, if you’re not aware, @mental_floss is blasting out cool trivia, amazing facts, and interesting links 140 characters at a time. Follow us here and help us hit 40,000 followers.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/42610#ixzz1lZr23L8b
--brought to you by mental_floss!

37 Ways to use Evernote for Social Media

2012-02-04T10:14:00.000+08:00

Take a photo of your contacts measurements and save them to your personal notebook. Makes ordering your next pair easier.
Take a photo of the page you are reading in a book and use @evernote to make your notes, keeping your book pages clean
keep your web bookmarks in Evernote, then add screenshots to help kick start your memory when looking for a useful website.
Write down coupon codes into a note and continue to add to them when you find them, this makes saving money a lot easier
Make a list of movies that you want to watch on a relaxful weekend with your loved one(s)
Save your blood type in a note which would come in handy if you get hurt or need to know.
Write down your printer’s ink numbers, this comes in handy when you find a great sale on some printer ink. or when your out
Save locations that you would ride your BMX bike/skateboard and share them with other riders/skaters.
BMX – Keep a list of tricks that you want to perform in a certain location, this feature is useful esp. for iPhone users.
Keep track of your loved one(s) clothing sizes.
Keep a note dedicated to ideas that you want to write about on twitter, facebook or your blog
Keep your receipts in a notebook which will help be organizes when Tax season comes around.
Take photos of all of your napkin sketches and put them into individual notes, this helps for getting inspired later on.
Keep snippets of code in a “Code” notebook for easy use of it later on.
Save old copy from your website into a note for later use, so many times I wish I had a backup years down the road.
Take screenshots of websites and other things that inspire you and save them into notes, one item per note.
Use snagit to take video shots of websites/animations that inspire you, save them as .mov and add them to evernote
If you are visiting family and they give you a file/photos, add it to Evernote for easy retrieval when you get home
Keep track of presents that your friends and family want. This helps from being stuck as the last minute shopper.
Save text that you often write in emails into a note so that things are consistent when sending emails to clients
Take a photo and add some notes for a new drink or food that you found and like.
Take photos or scan your kids artwork, that way you don’t have to lug around years of art but you will still have it.
Keep track of which friend or family member borrows something. This saves the date they borrowed it.
Save recipes that sound good as you come across them.
Save prices, photos and text of parts that you want to buy for your car, bike or other vehicle(s).
Take photos of your cars License and VIN numbers.
Tale photos of your cars tire size and pressure and use the info when getting new tires.
Save ideas and concepts which can help when writing a script.
Scan/save your computer specs, this helps when buying new computer parts.
Record audio notes for quick on the go ideas.
Save video game high scores can keep track of your own progress and skills.
Save the list of prescriptions that you are taking and the purpose each one serves.
Write down the dimensions for each room in your house.
Save a list of what light bulb sizes are needed for each room and for what object.
Save photos, text and prices of items that you would like to have in your house.
Take pictures or each page in your notebook just in case you happen to spill something on it, your notes will be save.
Take pictures of interesting locations you come across so that you can find out more about it once get home.

there are another 67 uses here http://www.andrewcmaxwell.com/2009/11/100-different-evernote-uses/

Jack Dorsey LIKES Google + Competition - Good for Twitter

2012-01-31T10:18:00.000+08:00

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey doesn't really seem too worried about competition from other social media like Google Plus and Facebook. In fact, Dorsey said Twitter's ability to discover things in real time is what sets it apart from other social media platforms.

"We definitely see social as just one part of what people do on Twitter," Dorsey said. "We think of it as an information utility and a communications network."

Dorsey pointed out the differences between the micro-blogging website and other social networks during the Digital Life Design Conference in Munich, Germany.

When it comes to Twitter, Dorsey places emphasis on the words "public," "real time" and "simplicity," noting that the social network has always been about hosting public conversations in real time. Simply put, Twitter is also about discovering.

"It comes from a very blogging-centric mindshare," Dorsey said. "You need to compose, and you need to publish, and that goes out to the world, but the biggest value is discovering what's going on in your world in real time--opening up Twitter and figuring out the pulse of the planet."

source: http://bit.ly/AF4Yin International Business Times

6 Features to Master Klout

2012-01-29T22:30:00.000+08:00

Klout is here to stay... and I admit I try and get my score higher... especially after the algorithm dropped me nearly 20 points - 70 to 50. I have got back to 62...

So I search for articles on what to do... I found this one whilst watching the Australian Open Mens Final - it's been going now over 5 hours!! Don't know who will win...

Here is the article: http://bit.ly/txEVYn

The following content will teach you how to use Klout without the mention of Klout Score. Kloutis here to stay. It is not necessary to delete your Klout profile, but you may want to reconsider how your assess your social media engagement techniques based on your Klout Score.

Use Klout's 6 best and practical features to your advantage. Begin by logging in to Klout and join us on the following tour.

1. Recent Buzz. Find out if you are following the current topics in your network's buzzfeed, which is found at the bottom of your dashboard. Klout does a great job organizing like-minded users, so don't ignore this comprehensive feed.

2. Influential Topics. The topics list helps regulate your online reputation management. Make sure your topics relate to your brand. Topical influencers are able to engage their audience on a specific subject.

3. Best Content. Select a topic and click on the "best content" button. This hard-to-find feature is a great way to meet others who have similar interests and post current, reliable content.

4. 90-day Activity. Try documenting the data retrieved by Klout to make monthly analyses of your engagement tactics. Consider setting goals for yourself, such as aiming to increase your retweets or seeking to receive more mentions.

5. Influencers List. Use this list to target your audience. It is simple to add a person or company using their Twitter name.

6. Klout Style. The most creative and innovative Klout feature is the Klout Style (pictured above).Everyone has influence. The Klout Style reminds us that we do not belong in the celebrity category if our mentors are not.

Consistency and focus is a good thing.

To learn more about social content strategy, contact social media strategists and learn how to use the Klout to manage a company or brand online. Remember to take the Klout data for what it is. We may as well practice using Klout to manage online connections since it is not going anywhere.

Do you have a Klout profile? What is your favorite feature on Klout? Share your thoughts

That formula - get more engagement

2012-01-28T15:54:00.001+08:00

Wayne Mansfield

When ever you find yourself reading a professional sales page or brochure and you find yourself getting interested and either purchasing or signing up then you must know that you are reading something that has a whole formula behind it and the way it was written isn't just by chance.

Now it's time you learn that formula: - It's called AIDCA

AIDCA stands for:

A – Attention

I – Interest

D - Desire

C – Conviction

A – Action

AIDCA is how to bring out the message in your sales letters/brochures:

This is how it works:

Get your readers attention – Create an attractive headline
Subtitle – Get them interested, this should be done by getting straight to the point, for example: “Learn how you can drive traffic to your website”
Desire – the reader needs to have a desire to read your sales letter or brochure… the reader wants to know one thing: “what’s in it for me?”
Conviction – This is where the key points to your marketing message should appear.

Action - This is where you are calling your reader to take action. You need to be very clear and straight forward, for example: “Sign up now and get the $20 discount today…!”

Master this formula to grow your business now.

13 People to follow on Google Plus

2012-01-27T09:16:00.001+08:00

Here’s the most accessabile top expert niche authority peeps on Google+

+Mari Smith – Relationship Marketing
+Jack Humphrey – Content Curation
+Michel Fortin Sales Copy for IM
+Barry Schwartz SEO
+Denis Labelle Breaking Google+ News
+Martin Maybruck Mobile Websites
+Travis Campbell Affiliate Marketing
+Trey Ratcliff Photography
+Lynette Young Google+ Community
+Robert Scoble Startups
+Darren Rowse Mega Blog Traffic
+François Beaufort Chrome / Chromebook Guru

+Wayne Mansfield that's me....

10 Twitter Apps - How many do you use?

2012-01-22T19:51:00.000+08:00

Just found this great list of Twitter apps for productivity in managing my Twitter accounts. I am ONLY using 6 of these 10... how about you?

The article starts:

Are you still looking for the best Twitter services and utilities that are able to enhance your tweeting experience and bring more value to it? Look no more for today we will be sharing with you the top 10 Twitter utilities available on the web:

bit.ly: The best URL shortner around used by various Twitter applications directly or to leverage their bookmarklets.
Ping.fm: A highly valuable service that allows you to publish your updates to many social networks simultaneously.
Visibli: Optimizing engagement means sharing great content– even if it isn’t your own. The Engagement Bar shows your brand above each linked page to keep you top-of-mind. Also has analytics.
Tweepi: A great Twitter management tools with stats which allows you to follow, flush, reciprocate and clean up your Twitter account based on users’ activity, engagement, retweets and so on.
Twitter Split: An interesting tool you can install to allow you to track links in tweets you post.
TrueTwit: A Twitter validation tool that helps automate some key services.
Twit Longer: A simple tool which allows you to send longer Tweets.
Twitter Keys: Blog post with a variety of little icons and images you can add into your tweets to make them more fun and expressive.
Follow Friday Helper: Let’s you easily build thank you & other messages to people who mention, RT, etc. you.
TwimeMachine: An easy way to see all your past Tweets.

Do you FourSquare

2012-01-12T18:30:00.000+08:00

Three months ago I meet a young German game developer in Doha and we got to discuss Social Media and in particular FourSquare. So I have been playing with the application since.

So I've been closely monitoring FourSquare, not only as a new social media platform but also from a local user perspective. While most technology businesses have been focusing on the development of location based SMS services, the reliance and support of mobile operators in this region has often been the major stumbling block.

This seems to be the main reason why FourSquare will succeed as the one true location based information platform piggybacking on existing GPS technology and of course, Google maps. Well, that and its simplicity and ease of use. The ability for users to find businesses or places of interest, within your current locality, with one click on your mobile offers vast opportunities for retailers, restaurants, bars and cafe's to attract those within their vicinity. For tourists, the ability to check user reviews and tips provides a tripadvisor-type experience not limited to just hotels, while on the go. For local residents, foursquare offers information on new venues that may previously have been missed.

Like most social media platforms, foursquare is totally dependent on user generated content, which provides its biggest challenge. Therefore, platforms such as this can go either one-way or another in terms of user interest and interactivity. Incentives are traditionally seen as the key to sustaining interactivity, which borrows some of the key aspects of loyalty schemes.

FourSquare cleverly incentivise its users by awarding points, which at the moment only has relevance when viewing a league table between your friends or one for the entire city you reside in. That said, the ability for 3rd parties to link to the foursquare API in the same way as facebook and twitter allow, will surely allow applications such as loyalty programs to establish themselves firmly within the foursquare framework.

So if you want to join me on FourSquare, I am WayneMansfield like I am everywhere in Social Media Marketing.

5 Social Media Tricks You Need to Use

2012-01-11T17:02:00.000+08:00

Reliable Networks Directors Paul Fisher and Karl Bairstow, published this article last week:

Once you get the hang of using social media, in particular to promote your business or personal brand, it is easy to forget that there is always something to learn. We quickly get into the habit of doing things the same way every day and never learn or change. For those of us stuck in a rut of social media, here are some tips to try in 2012. I was using them and I think they really work.

Tweet the Tweeter – I hope you have a habit now to thank people for retweeting (RT) of your content. But really, when you think, why do that? Instead, when someone is kind enough to RT something of yours, go back and find one of their recent tweets and RT this. This is the kind of thank you that they will truly appreciate.

Facebook gratitude – maybe you say thank you to your company’s Facebook fans. But do you go to your customers’ walls and say thank you there? If not, you are missing the opportunity to reach a new audience – your customers’ Facebook friends. Although no clients want you to advertise on their wall, most will not mind at all if you post a simple note thanking them for being good customers.

Social Media Magic

Targeted Tweets – you may have noticed that there are some people on Twitter who have tons of followers and generally generate a lot of buzz. Find out who these people are in your industry and your best Tweet – and only the best of your – the contents of their time to time. You should not be targeted with promotional Tweets about your business. Instead, cultivate a list of “Twitter Elite” in your field, and occasionally send them tweets (using its handle in the Tweet) that you think truly interest them. Finally, when they come to respect you, they will RT your content.

Branding Up – it’s very tempting to use social media to promote your business. But if you are really using social media, you are building your brand. Instead position yourself as a representative of your company, you must position yourself as an expert in your field. A reputation as an industry leader and thinker will serve you better in the long run.

Weekend Warrior – weekends can be a great time to break through the Twitter chaos and get the attention of people who are interested in your content. Early weekend mornings are an especially good time to Tweet. Lots of business folks are up early, catching up on work before their day off begins

Aussies get their mojo back

2012-01-07T08:22:00.001+08:00

Dravid is CLEAN BOWLED!

With Australia now 2 zip up in Test series against India I wonder how many ways from this list we got the Indians out??

Thanks to No Third Man

What are the 11 (yes eleven) ways to be out in Cricket and what are the most frequent dismissals?

In an estimated order of frequency:

Caught
Leg Before Wicket
Bowled
Run Out
Stumped
Hit Wicket
Retired Out
Handled the Ball
Obstructing the Field
Hit the Ball Twice
Timed Out

This video shows a number of the above including Obstructing the Field: Bizarre Cricket Dismissals: 10 Weird Ways to be Out.

No is just a way of saying TELL ME MORE

2012-01-04T05:46:00.000+08:00

Great article from Dan Kennedy:

People start out by saying no to things for many, many reasons. It's sort of an automatic, knee-jerk, defense mechanism. They may not fully understand the matter you are dealing with and may be too embarrassed to admit it. They may not know how to intelligently make a decision. They may lack self-confidence and self-esteem. They may be afraid. They may have financial problems that (in their minds) preclude them from going along with you. There are probably hundreds of possible reasons for "the erroneous no." Don't let it stop you.

Eight Steps for Getting Past No

Determine you are going to exert control over the situation and the other people involved.
Determine you can and will get positive results even in negative situations.
Get your ego out of the way.
Do not confuse refusal with rejection.
Be more interested in achieving positive results than in anything else.
Understand that most no's are erroneous.
Ignore the "erroneous no." Keep making your case. Keep probing for the real reason for reluctance or refusal.
Respond only to real reasons. Don't get caught up in responding to "erroneous no's" - that's like wrestling with a phantom

7 of the Best iPhone Apps for Twitter

2012-01-02T16:56:00.000+08:00

Twitter iPhone Applications

Welcome to yet another Twitter list. Today, 1 will share with you the top 7 Twitter iPhone applications that will make tweeting more valuable and fun at the same time.

Tweetlogix : This application makes following your Twitter friends easier than ever. Its unique rich timeline offers inline image previews and tappable links. It also allows you to tweet photos, videos, and music titles and enables you to mute users, search nearby, follow lists, follow trends, and more. It is a simple, fast, easy-to-navigate application.
Echofon: A clean iPhone Twitter app with push notifications and unread tweet syncing with your computer.
qTweeter: Users with jailbroken iPhones who are also Twitter and Facebook users should check out qTweeter. It’s a pervasive app that runs in the background, and lets you fire off a quick Twitter and/or Facebook status message without exiting whatever application you’re using.
Tweetdeck: Along with Hootsuite, one of the most popular apps used today for managing followers, tweets, scheduling and more.
Seesmic: Seesmic connects you wherever you are. Seesmic mobile CRM and social media management applications empower connected organizations and individuals around the globe.
Boxcar: A good application for adding Twitter, Facebook, RSS and more. It also allows you to read all your messages in one place, whether you’re on the go or at your computer.
Twitterific: Twitterrific is a fun application that lets you read and publish posts or “tweets” to the Twitter community website. The application’s user interface is clean, concise and designed to take up a minimum of real estate on your Mac’s desktop.

and a bonus 3 more...
SocialDash: One of the only iPhone apps that provides access to Facebook and Twitter statistics on things like Klout. This app that gives you a dashboard view of the social you all in one place and conveniently in the palm of your hand.
Tweeb: Tweeb is a Twitter analytics and Twitter follower management app. It’s the only app that provides a simple, digestible, and yet comprehensive view of how you are doing on Twitter. It is built both for the engaged Twitter user and for those involved in social media, who need a fast, dashboard-style view of key stats for their clients.
TweetList: A full-featured Twitter client that highlights Twitter lists. This app was recommended for disabled users.

This list first appeared at: http://tweepi.com/blog/2011/10/top-10-twitter-iphone-applications/

7 Reasons to Use Google+

2011-12-26T21:36:00.000+08:00

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small businessA bulk of the small businesses we spoke with said they feel Google+ is an important social platform because it was developed by Google, one of the Internet’s favorite brands and one of the most influential websites when it comes to site referrals. But small business owners gave a plethora of reasons for being early adopters of the platform. Here are some of the top reasons we heard for using Google+.

1. Get an SEO Boost: Bob Shirilla, director of marketing at Simply Bags, says that his business joined Google+ because he relies on Google search referrals for sales conversions. “Google+ influences search for all the people who have included my business in their circle,” he says. “We have also put a +1 button on each product page. This is a great way to get free promotion from people who like the product to people with similar interests.”

2. Host a Hangout: “Hangouts offer an amazing opportunity for businesses to engage in a highly personal way with clients, customers and industry thought leaders,” says Roger Friedensen, president and CEO of Forge Communications. “Plus, employees in remote locations can hold team meetings to brainstorm with one another from an interface that affords them immediate and easy access to share and collaborate on most of the information materials they might need, such as documents and spreadsheets.”

3. Expand Content Distribution: Phyllis Khare, the social media editorial director of iPhone Life magazine, says that Google+ is a great platform for expanding the publication’s content distribution. “It took us almost a year to get 1,000 Likes on our Facebook Page, and three days on G+ to get that number to Circle us,” she says. “We are gearing up for Hangouts with some of our writers in 2012 to answer iOS questions and a few other fun things with contests and giveaways.”

4. Connect with Early Adopters: If your business falls in the Internet or technology industries, Google+ could be a great place to connect a tech-savvy audience. “The people that are on Google+ already are most likely going to be early adopters of other technologies and marketing channels,” says Jason Pinto, CMO atinterlinkONE. “When we look at what defines an ‘ideal customer’ for our products, that criteria is certainly high on our list.”

5. Segment Your Audience: “The obvious benefit of Google+ is that it allows us to share select content with specific audiences,” says Chad Udell, managing director of Float Mobile Learning. Google+ makes it easy for businesses to segment their audiences and share content directly with those certain groups of followers.

6. Use Google+ to Network: David Greenberg, president of Parliament Tutors, says that his business does not have a Google+ page, but that he uses his personal Google+ page to network and gather contact data and research the “personal side” of relevant contacts, such as journalists and potential clients, so that he can better create a connection with them. He adds that the “About” section of a contact’s Google+ profile is usually a great start.

7. Just Explore: Netronic Managing Director Martin Karlowitsch says, “We currently use Google+ for exploratory purposes. It is still a niche platform, but quickly growing and with a platform giant behind it. Knowing the impact that Google has on the way people find relevant information on the web, Google+ soon can become significant by combining social and search. I want to start early using this platform to be prepared when this inflection point arises.”

Social Media with Richard Branson

2011-12-25T17:47:00.000+08:00

I have just finished reading Screw Business as Usual by Richard Branson. Great read although not a well written book.

Branson asks us to see the world as a place that capitalism can do good and the result is that business will benefit.

There are many examples of Social Media at work... I love his portrayal of the size of the market where people earn less than $100 a year. And he says that social media will unlock this market for us.

According to World Resources Institute Asia and the Middle East have up to 2.9 billion people with an income of $3,47 trillion, and added to East Europe, South America and Africa we get to a $5 trillion market... what are you doing to grab part of this to do good and grow your business.

Here is a sample of the review of the book in Bloomberg BusinessWeek:

Richard Branson

As prose, Screw Business As Usual is clunky and repetitive. Even as a publicity ploy, it’s inelegant: Each chapter ends with a list of Virgin’s philanthropic Web addresses, Twitter handles, and Facebook pages. But as a manifesto from a compassionate one-percenter, Branson’s book is a well-timed call for a more ethical way of doing business.

If we take him at his printed word—and his past success with Virgin demands that we at least trust his business instincts—Branson’s endorsement of socially responsible business practices could catch the attention of even the most profit-driven corporate titans.

9 Top Twitter Utilities to use in 2012

2011-12-18T19:45:00.001+08:00

I use Tweepi.com EVERY day... and 1 of the cool resources it has is the blog written by the team at thoughtpick Here is the latest set of neat tricks you must use for 2012!

Are you still looking for the best Twitter services and utilities that are able to enhance your tweeting experience and bring more value to it? Look no more for today we will be sharing with you the top 10 Twitter utilities available on the web:

bit.ly: The best URL shortner around used by various Twitter applications directly or to leverage their bookmarklets.
Ping.fm: A highly valuable service that allows you to publish your updates to many social networks simultaneously.
Visibli: Optimizing engagement means sharing great content– even if it isn’t your own. The Engagement Bar shows your brand above each linked page to keep you top-of-mind. Also has analytics.
Tweepi: A great Twitter management tools with stats which allows you to follow, flush, reciprocate and clean up your Twitter account based on users’ activity, engagement, retweets and so on.
Twitter Split: An interesting tool you can install to allow you to track links in tweets you post.
TrueTwit: A Twitter validation tool that helps automate some key services.
Twit Longer: A simple tool which allows you to send longer Tweets.
Twitter Keys: Blog post with a variety of little icons and images you can add into your tweets to make them more fun and expressive.
Follow Friday Helper: Let’s you easily build thank you & other messages to people who mention, RT, etc. you.

Secret Sauce from Dell on getting acquired

2011-12-17T07:33:00.000+08:00

I just LOVE the writings of Dave Gardner is a management consultant, speaker and blogger who resides in Silicon Valley. Check out more here: www.gardnerandassoc.com or via Twitter @Gardner_Dave

Here are nine “secret sauce” attributes of Dell’s acquisition process distilled from my interviews:

Dell has a clear respect for heritage, culture, intellectual property, intellectual capital, and risk that the entrepreneurs took in each company it acquires.
Dell preserves the acquired company’s identity. The acquired company appends the Dell name in front of its business name, e.g., Dell KACE, Dell Boomi, Dell SecureWorks, Dell Compellent, etc.
The acquired company must elevate the Dell brand; the Dell brand must elevate the brand of the acquired company. It’s a two-way street.
Dell provides each acquired company with its own profit and loss statement so it can measure and understand its individual performance over time. The company doesn’t get lost in the larger corporation or a business unit reporting. [Note: This financial reporting is for internal use only.]
Dell carefully examines and seeks to understand what each firm is doing in terms of core processes, insisting that core processes change only if there is no great differentiation from standard Dell core processes. If an acquisition has a better approach that is working well, it may continue with that approach. This has been applied in terms of marketing approaches, web sites, customer support, etc. Best practices within an acquired company may be leveraged in other business units of Dell.
Dell doesn’t buy a firm because it can--it buys a company for the underlying value the company brings to Dell customers.
Dell doesn’t look at acquisitions as a means to acquire talent.
The process of accelerating sales starts the day an agreement is signed by both parties. There is no reason to delay the integration process. Dell does ingredient acquisitions (contrasted with blockbuster acquisitions), meaning no U.S. or international regulatory approvals are required for the merger to be finalized. Most acquisitions close in 90 to 120 days. The integration process starts day one while the paperwork is being finalized.
Dell conducts a thorough review of each acquisition after integration is complete to see what process improvements can be incorporated, making it easier for those companies that are acquired later.

Gmail Contacts in Google+ is GOOD!

2011-12-10T09:19:00.000+08:00

Fresh from Paris:

When Larry Page told Googlers that he was tying their bonuses to their abilities in social, it lit a fire under their collective behinds, and got the teams working hand in hand to get Google users able to browse the web hand in hand. That’s why we’ve seen so manyupdates lately. Yesterday, Google made another update, by allowing users to easily manage their contacts and filters right from Gmail and Contacts.

In the official blog post on the Google page, we can see that the biggest update is the ability to easily add a person to a Circle, right from the Gmail panel. Imagine your cousing second-removed on your father’s side has emailed you to let you know that he’s playing in his 18th new alternative rock band featuring an accordian and banjo, and you notice that the email is addressed to over 200 people, you now have an interesting option: add her to the ‘Distant Annoying Relatives’ circle with one click in the right tab of your Gmail, and then set a filter to ignore messages from those people.

Wayne Mansfield's products

The big question is whether people are actually going to do this. I’m a big user of Gmail, and I use the label feature religiously to keep track of the various threads of work I have going at any one time: family emails, work stuff and arts correspondence. I think it may be useful to have every email that comes in from a Gmail user that is within my “Family” circles may be useful, especially if I can filter it to my “family” label and then archive it.

Will you be using the feature? Check out the screenshots below for what it looks like to have Circles deeply embedded in your Gmail.

Source: http://socialtimes.com/will-you-sort-your-gmail-contacts-into-google-circles_b86263

Don't Follow These Don't - Twitter has moved on!

2011-12-07T11:24:00.000+08:00

1. Don’t Be a Showoff

Give Twitter users your features and benefits. Let them know about special deals. Don’t post links to your latest press release, promote articles written by your CEO or make extravagant claims. A good rule of thumb to determine whether a tweet is user-friendly or brand vanity is to ask yourself, “If I didn’t work here, would I care about this?” If you’re not sure, ask a brutally honest friend who doesn’t work at your company.

2. Don’t Use Poor Grammar or Spelling

If your replying 2 a user make sure ur social media intern doesnt do it like this LOL!

Seriously, grammar Nazis abound on the web. Write words out in their entirety, don’t use confusing abbreviations or too many of them, make sure punctuation is pristine and try to keep “lolspeak” and emoticons to a minimum.

3. Don’t Get Too Personal

You might be a real person hiding behind your brand’s Twitter account, but depending on the size and nature of the company, this isn’t likely the best place to share your favorite band’s latest track, or compliment a user’s hairdo. Keep your conversations warm but professional; it’s what users expect from a brand ambassador, and anything else comes off as creepy.

4. Don’t Auto-Tweet

It’s OK to set up tweets to roll out while you’re away from your desk, but think long and hard before you automate an entire feed to stream into your Twitter account. Users can smell a bot from miles away, and the point of Twitter is to be personally engaging more than blatantly promotional. Also, this might go without saying for the tech-savvy marketers among us, but don’t automatically DM new followers; it’s seen as spam. And never DM someone your account doesn’t also follow.

5. Don’t Leave Air in the Conversation

If you’re carrying on a series of @replies, don’t wait a day or two between messages. This isn’t the Pony Express; users will want a reply within a few hours. If you wait longer, they may have already forgotten what you were talking about. And be sure to use standard reply mechanisms so the Twitter web interface and other applications will thread the conversation, in case either party needs to reference a previous comment.

6. Don’t Overtweet

If you’re using Twitter as a 24/7, one-way broadcast system, you’re not having a conversation — you might be just “shouting” at your followers. While some brands have successfully maintained one-way, broadcast-only, no-@reply accounts, many opt to engage directly with their followers. Whichever method you choose, make sure you’re not tweeting too often and flooding your followers’ timelines.

7. Do Shout Out to Users Who Mention You

Especially if that mention is favorable, don’t be shy about tweeting thanks, tips or promotions to someone who’s shown your brand some Twitter love. Most of the time, users are surprised and delighted to find a name brand in their stream of replies. Exercise caution, however, when engaging with users who’ve made negative comments. Those conversations can go very well, or they can backfire. Always remain empathetic but professional.

17 Best One Liners on Twitter

2011-12-02T11:41:00.000+08:00

Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather.. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.
I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.
Sex is not the answer. Sex is the question. "Yes" is the answer.
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
We live in a society where pizza gets to your house before the police
Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake a whole relationship.
The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.
Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich.
We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
War does not determine who is right - only who is left.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Children: You spend the first 2 years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next 16 years telling them to sit down and shut-up.
Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly, and for the same reason.
My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch.

Wayne Mansfield's products

9 Social Media Tricks my Dog Taught Me

2011-12-01T09:04:00.000+08:00

Ah … yes, we all think that we are smarter than our dogs. Don’t we?

In fact, we are supposed to be the masters of our furry, four legged, K-9 creatures, but sometimes they do teach US a new trick or two.

While I was out walking my dog this morning I started to think, that perhaps, my dog can actually teach those of us who are working to develop a social media footprint for our small business some valuable lessons.

I have three dogs that are all rescues, but this post is specific to our (highly) mixed breed dog named ‘George’ and how his personality can help you (US) to discover how to “Do” social media.

Trick 1: Friendly and non judgmental – George doesn’t care who or what you are – - skinny, fat, orange, green, tall, short, a celebrity, etc – - to him, we are all the same. There is no better way to develop trust portals, grow your reputation, and build your small business social media footprint than being open and honest.

Trick 2: Consistent – George is here everyday. If you are attempting to develop your small business reputation in the social space, consistency is key.

Trick 3: Eager – When he knows he is going for a walk or a beach trip, George does an all over body wiggle out of pure excitement that is akin to someone who is being tasered. Now, I am not suggesting that you need that level of enthusiasm, but if you’re passionate and excited about what you are doing it’s going to resonate with your followers, friends, and fans.

Trick 4: Happy – We all have bad days, but very few brands and small businesses pull off sulky and desultory well.

Trick 5: Helpful – George has actually been known to carry a water bottle on a 10 mile run. Are you being helpful and obliging others before seeking assistance for yourself. No matter how big you get, always try to be helpful.

Trick 6: Smart – I don’t know George’s IQ, but I would venture to guess he is pretty smart (in dog terms :-)). Original, smart, and thought provoking ideas will help spread awareness of your small business.

Trick 7: Playful – George does not take himself too seriously and you shouldn’t either.

Trick 8: Loyal – Perhaps one of the most important tips that George can teach us about using social media for small business or brand awareness. If you have followers and fans who continually support your work, repay them by being loyal in return. (Remember karma?)

Trick 9: Persistent – George has been known to eat green coconuts with the focus of a brain surgeon. Never give up!

Source: Mark Hayward http://bit.ly/sCpqie

Too Much Internet Time circa 2008

2011-11-30T04:18:00.000+08:00

This advice was given on October 21st, 2008... does ANYTHING still apply?

How do you know if you're spending too much time on the internet?

The Internet has really opened up our worlds, empowering communication and the exchange of knowledge like never before.

Also photos of cats.

But with it, and all its benefits, come a few quirks as online life collides with everyday life. Our mission today? Well, it's the same thing we do every day, Pinky-- Try to take over the...

Er, wait... no.

Talk about the quirks... The quirks.

Right.

So here are just a few of the signs you might be spending just a little too much time on the internet:

· You're writing notes by hand and don't know how to revise without the highlight and delete functions.

· In one day you can chat with five friends in Canada, three in England, two in the Philippines... plus learn how your buds' Diwali celebration went in Mumbai... And never leave your computer.

· As Sherlock Holmes searches for the Purloined Letter in the book you're currently reading, you find yourself wondering why he hasn't checked Ebay yet.

· You're American, but because of the online friends above, you find yourself regularly saying "zed" for the letter "zee," add unnecessary "U"s to words, and exclaim "bugger" when irritated.

· ...Or the converse of this-- you're English, Canadian, or Indian, and friends wonder where all your beautiful "u"s have gone, and why you now address them as "youse guys" and "ya'll."

· Someone tells a hysterically funny joke at a party, and you respond "LOL! LOL! ROTFL!"

· Your Real World friends are forced to endure elaborate tales of people with names like GhostRiderNumberSeven, SharkGirl, AnarchistAnna and Skitzy42.

· You know what the weather is doing in Spain and Sydney, but will need to actually get up off your butt and look out the window to see what it's doing in your town.

· You mishear Culture Club's "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" as an offer to share your post on StumbleUpon

· You order pizza online to be delivered to you from the shop next door.

· You've written 2,000 Twitter posts, sent 500 emails, and have responded to 20 blog post comments a day, yet still need to send a "thank you" card to Gramma for the sweater from last Christmas.

· You know how to make 37 different kinds of emoticons using only punctuation, but have no idea where to put a comma in a sentence.

· You used to protest things like animal rights or war.... Now you incite forum members to mutiny against specific social media.

· You react to your latest Google Pagerank increase about the same as you did the birth of your child.

· Your mother comments about the spring birds twittering... and you wonder whether you should add them to your Following list...

· ...You also wonder if wireless has finally made it to your neighborhood.

Have you experienced any of the points on this list? If so, then go offline immediately and take a walk

Source: http://www.cabbagesnkings.net/2008/10/signs-you-might-spend-too-much-time-on.html

13 Tips for OUTRAGEOUS LinkedIn traction

2011-11-27T15:46:00.002+08:00

1. Treat your LinkedIn profile like a website

Make sure it is formatted, clean, and free of spelling and grammatical errors. I strongly suggest creating your LinkedIn profile first in a word document – not only so you can “catch” errors, but also so you can get a better idea of what your profile will look like on the LinkedIn website. In some sections of LinkedIn you can also pull in bullets and special characters. Alas – still no bolding or italics other than what LinkedIn itself formats. Another bonus, if you’ve already created your profile in a Word document, sections of it can easily be copied into other social media platforms to keep your branding unified.
2. Know your keywords
Like any website, LinkedIn’s internal search engines weigh your keywords heavily in its searches. Make sure you place your most important search or keywords strategically throughout your profile. Some places you might want to consider are your

Professional Headline
Title Fields
Specialties
Interests
Recommendations

3. Keep your name clean

Put only your first name in the first name field and your last name in the last name field. If someone is searching for you by name, LinkedIn will have a hard time finding you if your last name looks like this: Smith, PhD. John A. (johnsmith@gmail.com) LION 09 92345 67789

4. Keep your photo professional

I recommend a close up and a smile. A full body shot of you and your family, you and your car, you and that fish you caught last week is unclear and unprofessional. I have seen some artists use artistic renderings of themselves – which is clever if your image is still clear.

5. Don’t ignore the “post an update” function
LinkedIn’s update function is much more robust than it used to be (taking some tips from Facebook and Twitter). People can now “like” and “comment” on your updates – which helps to build relationships within LinkedIn. And with the introduction of LinkedIn Signal, the update section can now be a functional part of your SME (Subject Matter Expertise) and content strategy. Make sure you take a little time each day to “like” and “comment” on the updates of network as well. (*Found on the home page.)

6. Personalize your public profile URL

Make sure your public profile reflects your name, your business, or your area of expertise: http://linkedin.com/in/linkedinexpert
Nothing says, “I’m a LinkedIn neophyte” like a public profile that reads: http://linkedin.com/pub/firstname-lastname9890734-akjshfiho

7. Beef up your “Experience” section

“Experience” is not your resume. Make sure the jobs you choose to list support each other. Make sure you put all your keywords in the title section.

8. Utilize the “Experience” description area

Use the 1000 characters in the description section to tell people why they should hire you or your company or buy your product. Tell a “save the day” story. Put in a testimonial. “Experience” is a great place to list “wins”, different companies you have helped, seminars or workshops you have presented, a mini-shot of your personal website. Use this section as the foundation for your Company Profile

9. List your “additional education”

Make sure you list your certifications and licenses as well as traditional education. LinkedIn has now added new sections where you can list areas of expertise, publications, patents licenses and certifications.

10. Get Recommendations

LinkedIn tells you your profile is complete at 3. I recommend at least ten recommendations. And when you are asking for recommendations, give a bulleted list of what you might want them to say so that your recommendation is more than: “She’s nice”. If you are comfortable doing so, you might write a recommendation that the recommender can use or base their recommendation from. You might want to add some of the better recommendations to your website. Ask for recommendations form thought leaders in your field, old employees, and well-known clients.

11. Join strategic groups

Join groups in your own market or industry, your ideal client’s industry, groups that you are interested in, groups that your target prospects are members of, alumni groups, open groups and some big groups (Consider LinkedHR with 370,000 members). Once you join a group you can send a message to strategic members /prospects or invite strategic members to connect with you.

12. When inviting others, tell them how you know them

LinkedIn used to have an IDK “I don’t know” button that could get you in a lot of trouble. Now a person’s response to an invitation is “Accept” or “Ignore”. Nevertheless, when inviting someone to connect with you, I highly recommend telling him or her how you know them or why you want to connect. I would also add the disclaimer: “If you feel you have received this message in error, or simply don’t want to connect, please ignore this invitation.

13. Use “Answers”
The answers section is a great place to position yourself as an SME or thought leader. Answer enough questions and you can drastically increase your exposure on LinkedIn as the “go to” person. Its also a great place to get fodder for blog articles, and to re-purpose blog articles you have already written!

13b. “Give” more than “Get”

LinkedIn is a great place to get information, to get connections, to get clients, to get employees. But follow the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Don’t spam. Don’t infiltrate email boxes with constant sales messages. Instead share valuable information via your groups, updates and answers and let clients come to you.

7 Ways to blitz social media exposure

2011-11-17T11:12:00.000+08:00

Always be posting GOOD content:

1. post to twitter
2. post to facebook
3. post to linkedin
4. post to youtube
5. post to triberr
6. post to ping.fm
7. post to your blog
8. post to quora
9. post to friendfeed
10. retweet good stuff
11. like everything you like...

That's it... when you have finidhed that list, go back to no. 1 and start again!!

11 Ways To Increase Your Twitter Followers

2011-11-13T16:05:00.000+08:00

I thought when I got to 100,000 twitter followers that getting more followers would be easy... that hasn't been the case. It seem that a lot of my followers were only there because of the "follow me, follow you" movement that has been twitter for the last 4 years.

So, having stagnated at 105k, and slowly edging DOWN, it is time to look at creating more followers without going back to the mutual follower model.

This great article was written recently by Kevin Rose. I have made some tweaks from my own experience. Let me know what you think.

Eleven Ways To Increase Your Twitter Followers:

Explain to your followers what retweeting is and encourage them to retweet your links. Retweeting pushes your @username into foreign social graphs, resulting in clicks back to your profile. Track your retweets using retweetist.
Fill out your bio. Your latest tweets and @replies don’t mean much to someone that doesn’t know you. Your bio is the only place you have to tell people who you are. Also, your bio is displayed on Twitter’s Suggested Users page. Leaving it blank or non-descriptive doesn’t encourage people to add you.
As @garyvee says, “link it up.” Put links to your Twitter profile everywhere. Link it on your Digg, LinkedIn, Facebook, blog, email signature, and everywhere else you live online. Also, check out the great feedburner-like badges from TwitterCounter for your blog.
Tweet about your passions in life and #hash tag them. Quality content coupled with an easy way to find it never fails. If others enjoy your content, they’ll add you. Learn more about #hash tagging here.
Bring your twitter account into the physical world. Every time I give a talk, speak on a panel, shoot a podcast, present slides, or hand out business cards, I figure out a way to broadcast or display my twitter account.
Take pictures. Pictures are heavily retweeted/spread around. This one from US Airways Flight 1549 has been viewed 350,000+ times. For mobile pics use iPhone apps such as Tweetie orTwitterific, both which support on the go uploading.
Start a contest. @jasoncalacanis offered a free macbook air if he reached the #1 most followed spot. That never happened, but Jason added thousands of followers…brilliant.
Follow the top twitter users and watch what they tweet. Pay attention to the type of content they sent out and how they address their audiences.
Reply to/get involved in #hash tag memes. search.twitter.com lists the hot ‘trending topics. Look for the #hash topics and jump in on the conversation (see #4 for links to #hash instructions).
Track your results. TwitterCounter will show you how many new users you’re adding per day and Qwitter will email you when someone unfollows you after a tweet

Consider join triberr.com and get the power of tribe mates tweeting to MILLIONS of followers for you. If you want an invite, tweet me at @WayneMansfield.

If you enjoy this content, add me @WayneMansfield or twitter.com/kevinrose
.

Do you give a KLOUT

2011-11-10T15:53:00.000+08:00

Wayne Mansfield

Hi everyone

As you know, I am a numbers freak so when my Klout score dropped by 20 points I wanted to know why. Here is a great article about Klout and why you should care [or not!]

Wayne

This poll analysis was written by Jeremy Victor, editor-in-chief of B2Bbloggers.com. For more of his writing, visitB2Bbloggers.com and follow him on Twitteror Google+.

SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Social Media — tracks feedback from leading marketers about social media practices and issues.

Our poll this week asked:

What’s your opinion of sites that try to measure social media influence, such as Klout? The results:

They’re important, but they’re not the only factor worth considering — 45.45%
They’re not to be taken seriously — 32.73%
Not sure — 18.18%
They’re the best measure of social media performance — 3.64%

Interesting, no? That said though, with this week’s analysis, I thought I would do something a little a different. Rather than me share my thoughts and analysis of Klout, I turned to the blogosphere in an attempt to share a point/counterpoint on the topic of influence. Below I’ve chosen to summarize key points from two of the smartest individuals on the topic.

POINT: Mark Schaefer: Klout is key to building influence with content.

Schaefer argues that the ability to promote content is an essential part of any social media strategy. The ability to promote content is known as “influence.” A social media program needs to be able to gauge that ability if its going to be successful — and that’s what Klout is trying to accomplish.
It gives you the ability to see who can really push the conversation in a space forward. Read the original article here.

COUNTERPOINT: Tom Webster: It’s not the intent, it’s the algorithm.

Klout’s scores are based on a variety of factors, none of which is truly indicative of influence, because they’re based on a flawed set of assumptions about how people relate to one another. At best, it’s creating a score that tells you a person’s potential to influence others. But that score doesn’t tell you whether or not they’ll actually influence the people you’re hoping to reach. Klout is flawed because its assumes too much. Click here to read full article.

Wayne: So there you have it. What do you think??

Wayne Mansfield

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Secret Sauce from Dell on getting acquired

Gmail Contacts in Google+ is GOOD!

Don't Follow These Don't - Twitter has moved on!

1. Don’t Be a Showoff

2. Don’t Use Poor Grammar or Spelling

3. Don’t Get Too Personal

4. Don’t Auto-Tweet

5. Don’t Leave Air in the Conversation

6. Don’t Overtweet

7. Do Shout Out to Users Who Mention You

17 Best One Liners on Twitter

9 Social Media Tricks my Dog Taught Me

Ah … yes, we all think that we are smarter than our dogs. Don’t we?

Too Much Internet Time circa 2008

13 Tips for OUTRAGEOUS LinkedIn traction

4. Keep your photo professional

I recommend a close up and a smile. A full body shot of you and your family, you and your car, you and that fish you caught last week is unclear and unprofessional. I have seen some artists use artistic renderings of themselves – which is clever if your image is still clear.

6. Personalize your public profile URL

7. Beef up your “Experience” section

“Experience” is not your resume. Make sure the jobs you choose to list support each other. Make sure you put all your keywords in the title section.

8. Utilize the “Experience” description area

9. List your “additional education”

Make sure you list your certifications and licenses as well as traditional education. LinkedIn has now added new sections where you can list areas of expertise, publications, patents licenses and certifications.

10. Get Recommendations

11. Join strategic groups

12. When inviting others, tell them how you know them

13b. “Give” more than “Get”

7 Ways to blitz social media exposure

11 Ways To Increase Your Twitter Followers

Do you give a KLOUT

Hi everyone As you know, I am a numbers freak so when my Klout score dropped by 20 points I wanted to know why. Here is a great article about Klout and why you should care [or not!] Wayne

Hi everyone

As you know, I am a numbers freak so when my Klout score dropped by 20 points I wanted to know why. Here is a great article about Klout and why you should care [or not!]

Wayne