• Jonathan Fields: “7 Sneaky Ways to Write Irresistible Headlines” (also see Aliza’s video of Jonathan from SXSW here)
• Harvard Business Review: “How Social Is Too Social?”
• WebProNews: “To Get Clients, You Need To Pull, Not Push”
• Mashable: “10 Essential Social Media Tips for B2B Marketers”
• NPR: “When Employers Make Room For Work-Life Balance”
• NPR: “The End Of 9-To-5: When Work Time Is Anytime”
• GigaOM: “Whatever Happened to Web 2.0?”

What are you reading this weekend?

Who are you and what do you do? My name is Maurice Cherry, and I’m the founder of the Black Weblog Awards, the web’s premier Internet event celebrating Black bloggers since 2005. I am also the creative principal at 3eighteen media, an online media company that handles theme design, email marketing and design, copywriting, copyediting and social media consulting. In this role, I am currently doing some consulting for the Henry W. Grady Health System Foundation, which funds Grady Memorial Hospital, one of the largest health systems in the country. When time permits, I also do some freelance writing on technology for Black Web 2.0 and TechDrawl.

I always start my day with a fresh pot of tea and go through my email and my RSS subscriptions in Google Reader. After that, depending on the day, there’s meetings with clients around town, working on client projects at home or collaborating with other creatives on projects around the city. Oftentimes, you can find me at a Starbucks or at Octane Coffee working feverishly on a new article or on proposals, or coding and designing a new web site.

My portable gear is pretty minimal: I have a Gateway T-Series laptop (aka “Deanna Blu”) with a 320GB external HDD and a Logitech Trackman Marble (I’ve always used trackball mice). My home office has an HP Slimline PC running Windows 7 Ultimate connected to a 24″ LCD monitor. Also, I have a T-Mobile G1, which pretty much never leaves my side and sometimes serves as a 3G modem in spots where I have my laptop and there’s no Wi-Fi.

On the software end, the tools that help me be great are few. I use Freshbooks for invoices and client management, Dropbox for synchronizing files between my two machines and phone (as well as between me and my clients), Belvedere for elegant file management between my machines and my external HDDs (two 1 TB drives) and Thunderbird 3 for mail (tricked out with a few different plugins and filters). I also use Google Calendar and Google Tasks a lot since the updates sync to my phone and my mail client effortlessly. I’m still pretty old school on project management, though — I use Microsoft Project, a Moleskine and a Marvy Uchida LePen.

I have three tips, actually.

1. Get a change of scenery from time to time. Working from home can be great, but explore coffeehouses, restaurants and coworking spaces to give you a change of pace.
2. Realize that occasionally you have to meet your clients where they are. Sometimes, that means they’re not going to be as technically savvy as you are. You can either spend time getting them to your level, or you can slide tackle (à la Nathan Smith) and just get the job done.
3. Track everything. Track your web stats, your finances, your project timeline — track everything you can. It’s the best way to see when you’re making progress.

If you would like to be profiled on WWD, get in touch with me at simon (at) gigaom (dot) com.

Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req): Enabling the Web Work Revolution

• Confessions of a Freeware Junkie

Doriano is a freeware junkie. In this post, he explains where he goes to find the best free tools.

• How to Make a Conference Pay Off

Just got back from SXSW? Meryl explains how to make sure the time you spent at the conference is not wasted.

• Roundup: Social Media Monitoring Tools

Doriano rounds up the current crop of social media monitoring tools

• The Power of Your Little Black Book

We already know everyone we need to know to succeed. Amber explains why.

• It’s the Social Media Strategy Struggle

Aliza asks, “Where does strategy end and where do tactics begin? And what the heck is the difference between goals and objectives?”

YouDo’s interface is reminiscent of desktop notepads, and with its simplicity the analogy works for me.  Each day, the app presents you with a blank page to which you can add your tasks. If you don’t complete the tasks by the end of that day (or at least strike them from the list), the incomplete tasks appear on the “Overdue” list. I do have friends and colleagues who take this day-to-day management approach and I wouldn’t hesitate mentioning YouDo to them if they were in the market for an iPhone or iPod touch app.

YouDo bases itself on tasks and dates versus TaskPaper which uses projects, tasks, and notes as its organizational foundation. All of the task management options are accessible from the main screen; there are no arcane sub-menus to master.

If you manage your tasks a couple of days to weeks out like I do, YouDo lets you scroll ahead to put tasks on future dates, with the option to view them on the “Upcoming Events” tab. While I was OK with this feature early on in my testing of the app, I came to think that it could grow tiresome for some people. While a recent update added a home button and the ability to move tasks to a new day, I still would like to see more date management and navigation features in future versions,

Have you tried out YouDo?

Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req): Enabling the Web Work Revolution

Here’s my video interview with Jonathan Fields, author of the book “Career Renegade.” His blog is about entrepreneurship and personal development.

Stay tuned for more video interviews from SXSW.

What is your favorite web app so far this year?

For the GigaOM network’s complete SXSW coverage, check out this round-up.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub. req.): Enabling the Web Work Revolution

The first was when I interviewed eight-year-old entrepreneur Ryan Ross. During the interview, he said that running a business was easy and fun and everyone should do it. And that if we all did, we could help more people around the world.

Then I had the opportunity to ask billionaire Sir Richard Branson at a recent web conference for his thoughts on keeping his passion alive and giving something back as part of his work as an entrepreneur.

I don’t think it’s an easy feat to stay connected to our core values and who it is that we want to be. No, strike that. I think it’s easy to get so distracted by the “busy-ness” of our businesses that we forget our purpose, our mission, or our vision for our life and who we hope to be.

I want my life to be about giving back, helping others and being of service, but then the days happen. I move from one to-do item to the next, and before you know it, a month or three months or even a year has passed, and I haven’t really spent a big portion of my time encompassing or embodying the traits that I hope will make up the biggest portion of my character.

I don’t know the answer for sure, not yet at least. Maybe we figure it out with time, with age and with wisdom. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I hope there comes a time when I can focus much less on the things I hope to do and much more on the person I want to be.

Maybe instead of (or at least alongside) a to-do list, I should have a “to-be” list and then make a concerted effort to complete them both.

How do you instill more of the “being” even with all the “doing”?

Photo by Flickr user foxspain, licensed under CC 2.0

There are also new advanced options on Zoho Show’s “Publish” menu for sizing embedded presentations, which should prove welcome if you are wanting to integrate Zoho Show presentations on your blog or web site.

Zoho has also improved support for Google Chrome. Previously, if you were a Chrome user you could only view Zoho Show presentations, but now you can have full access to all of its features.

Zoho and its web office applications may not get the headlines like Google Apps does, but its attention to usability and features like those in this update make them a player to watch in the web office market.

Have you tried out the newly-updated Zoho Show?

Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req): Enabling the Web Work Revolution

The best time to deal with this situation is at the start of a relationship. “I treat my consultant/contractor work like a regular job, and set expectations when I first speak with a prospective client. I explain what my work hours are and that I’m not available in the evenings or weekends,” says Deborah Edwards-Onoro.

Like most web workers, you may be flexible and accept occasional out-of-hours work. Still, it could snowball into a regular thing. “Frankly, if you don’t set the parameters ahead of time, you’re setting yourself up for expectations that aren’t going to be acceptable,” says Michele Wilcox.

What if you have multiple clients and they all decide to call on you at the same time, or you bite off more than you can chew? Draw a line under your time by being proactive with these tips.

• Discuss work hours at the start of a relationship. Specify your hours of availability and your flexibility. Set guidelines for special projects and emergencies that require out-of-hours work. These guidelines could include number of days or hours of advance notice for after hours work, list higher rates and how to handle emergencies. Get all of this down in a simple contract template that you can re-use.
• Keep separate phone lines. Web workers should have separate phone numbers for home and business. It’s not professional to use one line for both, especially as there are plenty of telephony options available that can make it possible without a big expense.
• Find a voicemail tool with features you need. Some voicemail providers offer features that give you more control over how the service handles your calls.
• Let calls go to voicemail. Your client may be calling to share a thought without expecting you to answer. Let voicemail take the message and then check to see what the client has to say. Answering every time gives the impression you’re “always on.”
• Turn off the phone. The phone should be there for your convenience. Despite this, some people struggle to ignore a ringing phone.
• Set email guidelines. Tell your clients when they can expect an email response. You can set a rule that you reply within two hours during working hours and then a different rule for after hours and weekends.
• Post your business hours. List your hours on your web site and in your voice mail, or indicate the best time to reach you. Prospective clients will respect your hours if they see your schedule before hiring you.
• Turn off instant messaging, Facebook chat and similar tools. If clients contact you by instant messaging (IM) or on other platforms such as Skype, remember to switch your status to “away” as needed — or turn off the service.
• Be proactive and present. Some clients don’t think to ask if you’re available for after-hours work. Rather than waiting for it to happen, tell the client that you’re flexible and would appreciate advance notice if something comes up. “If a client feels taken care of, he or she may hesitate before picking up the phone on weekends or after hours,” says Michelle I. Zavala.

Some people believe “always on” is the way to stay ahead of competitors, but it can harm your health and work quality. “How can you give your best to a client if they’re calling you, say, in the middle of the night and you’re asleep?” asks Teresa Nolan Barensfeld. “Another point is that your clients won’t see you as a professional if you don’t set any boundaries about your availability.”

Some freelancers say they compromise with after-hours work by taking time off during the day. You may run into clients who need 24/7 support. Steer away from such a set-up by asking questions and understanding their expectations. “Not everyone needs to set these boundaries for themselves and not every business model allows them. However, I have found that I am far more productive if I have a clear distinction between my office hours and the time I spend with my family,” says Laura Sultan.

How do you manage after-hours work?

Photo by stock.xchng user Hans Thoursie.

Here’s my video interview with Shama Hyder Kabani of The Marketing Zen Group and the author of the upcoming book ‘The Zen of Social Media Marketing.”

Based in Dallas, Shama is a real up-and-comer in the technology space, hosting her own Web-based televisions show — Shama.tv — on new media marketing.

Stay tuned for more video interviews from SXSW.

What is your favorite app so far this year?

For the GigaOM network’s complete SXSW coverage, check out this round-up.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub. req.): Enabling the Web Work Revolution

Over the years, my addiction didn’t stop, it merely morphed into new platforms and technologies. When the World Wide Web took off, I found nirvana with web sites like Moochers.com (sadly no longer around) that hosted tons of freeware programs. I couldn’t believe it — sites dedicated to free stuff. It only confirmed that I was not the only one with this addiction.

Fast-forward to recent times and, thanks to the Web 2.0 era of the “freemium” services, I’ve  found myself signing up for services I didn’t even need. Yes, as a technology writer I sign up for many apps in order to review, but I have to admit that I still sign up for many of them that I have no intentions on writing about. I guess old habits are hard to break.

Here’s my list of places to find the best free stuff — from freeware software to free web apps and services — now.

My Favorite Places to Find Freeware

There’s a major difference between freeware and shareware/adware. For me, freeware is the good stuff that comes without the usage restrictions or crippled features that are hallmarks of shareware. Freeware is also devoid of the advertisements that riddle their adware brethren. Here are my favorite places to find new freeware treasures that are safe from annoying ads and potential spyware.

Tucows has been around forever and has amassed a large collection of good, clean freeware.

NoNags is probably the oldest resource in this bunch, having started in 1995! The site hasn’t changed much in appearance, but it continues to provide top-grade freeware.

Snapfiles has been around since 1997, and has an impressive freeware section, organized into categories.

FileHippo doesn’t have a freeware-only section like the other sites in this round-up but I’m including it because I love its Update Checker tool that auto-updates a ton of applications installed on your system.

Kids Freeware does exactly what it says, provides a vast collection of freeware programs, games and more for kids.

SourceForge is the best place to find open-source applications.

My Favorite Places to Find Web Apps

Go2Web20 is the ultimate directory of Web 2.0 apps and services. Its new interface actually makes it fun to find just about any kind of web app you’ll ever want or need. Most of the apps include free basic plans with options to upgrade to premium packages if/when you’re ready to do so.

KillerStartups is another impressive index of available web apps. It’s not as easy to use as Go2Web20, but it does provide helpful mini-reviews for countless web apps.

My Favorite Places to Find Free Mobile Apps

Appolicious maintains a massive list of mobile apps available for the major mobile platforms such as the iPhone, Android and more. However, its specialty is the iPhone. You can filter any of their categories to display only free applications which is quite handy indeed.

Yappler is another favorite of mine not only because it makes it extremely easy to find good free apps for the iPhone but also because it lets you create lists of your favorite apps and games that you can share with anyone via email or on social networks. You can also embed a visual list of your favorite apps on your blog or web site.

Those are my favorite places to find cool free apps. Where do you look?

Photo by stock xchng user Sarej

Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.): Report: The Real-Time Enterprise

As an example, if you have a “Research” notebook, adding “@Research” to the subject line of your email will file it into that notebook. Additionally, you can add tags to your notes by using a hashtag format. So for example, adding the hashtag “#webworkerdaily” to the subject line of your email would add the tag “webworkerdaily” to the filed note.

While this change might seem fairly insignificant, it actually means that you’ll spend a lot less time categorizing and tagging notes after submitting them. Kevin goes into a little more detail and includes some caveats to bear in mind.

What do you think of this change to Evernote?

Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.):

Can Enterprise Privacy Survive Social Networking?

The concept of the book really resonated with me, as recently I’ve been surprised by how hard it is to find anything that I would call remarkable, whether it’s service professionals, books, products, customer service, or even food at restaurants. Everything seems to be declining in quality, and a lot of people seem to be indifferent when it comes to the quality they bring to their work.

It’s unfortunate how rare it’s becoming to hear things like:

• “She’s awesome with [fill in the task/skill].”
• “He’s a rock star [fill in the task/skill/title].”
• “She’s a [fill in the task/skill/title] genius!”
• “He’s expensive, but you won’t find anyone who’s better at [fill in the task/skill].”
• “Oh, you should contact them. They’re wonderful at [fill in the task/skill/service].”
• “They have a waiting list, but it’s so worth it!”

How many people can you think of who are truly remarkable at what they do — not OK, not good, but remarkable?

Although this can be disappointing when searching for a particular product or service, it presents a wonderful opportunity for anyone willing to go the extra mile and stand out, for anyone willing to do more than just show up and watch the clock. As Godin says in his book:

When customers have the choice between faceless options, they pick the cheapest, fastest, more direct option. If you want customers to flock to you, it’s tempting to race to the bottom of the price chart. In a world that relentlessly races to the bottom, you lose if you also race to the bottom. The only way you win is to race to the top. When your organization becomes more human, more remarkable, faster on its feet, and more likely to connect directly with customers, it becomes indispensable. An organization of indispensable people doing important work is remarkable, profitable, and indispensable in and of itself.

If you can be a rock star, truly remarkable at adding value to the lives and businesses that you serve, you win. You’re the one they’re going to rave about, you’re the one they’re going to call on every single time they need help, and you’re the one they’re going to pay top dollar to for the skills and talents you bring to the table.

Exceed expectations. Over-deliver. Out-perform everyone around you. Focus on exceptional quality. If you do those things, your customers and clients will be running to the mountain tops for you.

Think about it. How often are you truly impressed by someone? When you are, isn’t it hard to wait to tell someone about the experience? Now imagine if your customers and clients felt that way about you.

When’s the last time you felt that you received a truly remarkable product or service? How quickly did you share the news with someone around you?

Photo by Flickr user nikilok, licensed under CC 2.0

Tweetshare integrates with your Twitter and then allows you to create a richer destination for your Twitter community. You can upload a file such as an image, video or even a PDF or PowerPoint file. Then you can tweet your followers from Tweetshare with an option to get comments, ask a question or provide a poll about the uploaded file.

Hit Me With Your Metrics

We’re all struggling to better measure our social communications and marketing activities. Tweetshare presents you with useful behind-the-scenes metrics for your file — how many views and replies — pretty much in real time.

For example, I shared an image of me singing karaoke at SXSW, and asked the question: “Did you sing at #Techkaraoke last night?”

Within seconds, there were already seven views and moments later a reply. Within minutes, there were 93 views recorded. I set the duration of the conversation for eight hours, although you can opt to keep the conversation and comments feature open for up to 30 hours, or for shorter durations such as two or four hours.

You can also see a chart of activity over time so you can see the ebb and flow of activity around your content.

Twitter Fan Pages Brand Your Presence

You can take your Tweetshare account to another level of branding without paying a dime by customizing your presence and having a more permanent landing page for your Twittershare activity. Currently, the site uses a templated model where you can upload a header image, change the page color and some information to your Tweetshare page.

You can also add up to ten contributors to your page, meaning you can have multiple approved team members uploading files and posting messages to Twitter and your Tweetshare presence.

Quick, easy, with fast metrics let you expand your Twitter coverage while gauging actual engagement per file-oriented tweet. Sweet.

What is your favorite new Twitter-related app?

Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.): Social Media in the Enterprise

First, let me say that the experience I’m about to describe will not stop me from using the apps I mention. However, I found some weak spots that put me in a jam, and thought I’d share to help you avoid the same situation.

Where TimeDriver Falls Short

I’ve been singing the praises of TimeDriver, the personal appointment scheduler, because I love the way it lets me break my calendar into smaller chunks — or “Books” — and share them with groups of people who I want to see specific open time blocks on my schedule. I have a Book for my phone demos for WebWorkerDaily, one for my women in business podcast, another for my Second Life podcast, and then I set up one specifically for in-person interviews at SXSW.

What I learned the day I arrived here is that TimeDriver doesn’t translate to a third time zone, meaning that I saw the calendar as Alaska Time (where I live and work), every interviewee saw the scheduler in their time zone, and then we both arrived in Austin, which is in Central Time, we both got the meeting times wrong. The way I found out about this snafu? Missing a long overdue meeting with C.C. Chapman, a colleague and friend. Because of the time zone issue, our meeting actually coincided with my flight into Austin. There was very little I could do to rectify the situation from the air.

When I finally did get TimeDriver tech support on the phone (note: they are excellent and patient), the only solution they could offer was a workaround. Basically I should have switched my computer to Central Time before setting up the schedule Book, then reverted back to my time zone. Then the Book would be in the wrong time slots for Alaska and for the interviewee, but the correct ones for Texas. But then I would have to inform the interviewees (of which there are over a dozen) that they have to note the timezone discrepancy and make adjustments accordingly. Yikes.

Until TimeDriver adds the capability of an alternate “common” time zone for when meeting parties are traveling to meet in a time zone other than their own, you’re going to get very messed up using its scheduling Books.

The Quick Workaround With Meetwith.me

In a panic, I spent my night going through TimeBridge’s new scheduling solution Meetwith.me (which I recently reviewed) to see if it could be an alternative solution to my appointment dilemma. Unlike TimeDriver’s Books, TimeBridge doesn’t let you designate different time chunks from your calendar for different audiences. However, I figured out that I could sign up again to claim a second Meetwith.me page using a different email address, and then narrow my time availability to just certain blocks of time during my stay at SXSW.

I was able to then send out invites, get responses back and manage the first wave of responses to nail down times. But later, I realized that after the first wave of responses, more had arrived and since I was using a secondary email address, I didn’t see them and missed a number of interview opportunities. Luckily, some persistent PR folks tracked down my primary email and were able to make contact with me through other channels.

In the course of stressing over my scheduling apps dilemma, I ran into Mark Gingras, the CEO of Tungle, another scheduling app. I told him what I was going through and then scolded him. Why? Because when I tried signing up for Tungle.me to see if it might be a good interim solution, I could not access my newly-opened account. We discussed the third time zone issue, and Gingras admitted that Tungle.me did not have a specific solution for it, but he said it was a much-requested feature and hinted at integrating in the future.

It just goes to show that SXSW can test applications to near-breaking, but also provide unprecedented access to heads of application firms who can troubleshoot for you in-person and on the fly!

How do you manage scheduling in multiple time zones with two or more people and with calendar integration?

For the GigaOM network’s complete SXSW coverage, check out this round-up.

Here’s my short video interview with Scott Stratten of Un-marketing.com.

Statten’s an expert in viral and social marketing, which he calls “Un-Marketing.” He has a lot of followers on Twitter (45,000 plus), and also does a mean karaoke performance (photo here to prove it).

Stay tuned for more video interviews from SXSW.

What is your favorite web app so far this year?

For the GigaOM network’s complete SXSW coverage, check out this round-up.

Someone recently told my business partner that our social media marketing plans were very tactical. She took it as a potentially bad thing. I was hoping it was a good thing. We just weren’t sure either way.

In answer to my questions, McCormack shared some thoughtful insights, which I’ll paraphrase here:

• Strategy ultimately answers the “why” but overlays the “what” and “how.” Strategy is your purpose.
• Strategy doesn’t consider execution — which is a shortcoming.
• Strategy should not happen in a vacuum — it should lead to and be connected to tactics and execution.
• A social media marketing plan, then, should be tactical to achieve strategic goals.

At the Social Media Breakfast at SXSW, Tac Anderson presented briefly about social media strategy. He explained that in his MBA program, strategy was explained to him as:

“…creating operational alignment between all functions and activities of a business.”

Anderson went on to outline three ways that companies are currently handling their “social media strategy:”

1. Bolt-on strategy. Not a good strategy. Company gets blog. Company doesn’t do anything else differently, but has a blog. Company also gets Twitter account. Company is still business as usual internally.
2. Forced compliance. Also not a good strategy. Company forces social media to apply to existing processes. Adding social media to existing policies “sucks the life out of social media.”
3. Make your company optimized for social media. Small nimble companies can do this. What would your company look like if your company changed to maximize social media?

Part of Anderson’s presentation and this blog post was inspired by Shannon Paul’s article, “The Missing Ingredient in Most Social Media Strategies.” In her post, Paul summed up some main issues with the problem with social media strategy:

• Strategy is not a plan
• Strategy is not a timeline
• Strategy is not a goal
• Strategy is not what tactics you will use to achieve your goal

Conclusion

Pulling together the insights of the various folks outlines above and some of my own research, here are my guidelines for creating an effective social media strategy:

1. To be strategic, you must first understand what strategy means.
2. Know the difference between goals and objectives.
3. Do not let tactics lead your strategy.
4. Craft a social media marketing plan that starts with strategic goals, defines objectives, and elaborates on tactics.
5. Don’t forget to measure everything you can and analyze what you measure.

So is the fact that my company’s social media marketing plans are very tactical a problem, if we always start with strategy, articulate goals and objectives and then detail tactics per each objective? I’m starting to figure out that this isn’t a bad thing, per se — we are just over-delivering.

Share your struggles with social media strategy in the comments.