Member since: Sep 28, 2006
Last activity: 2 weeks ago
There is a great article over on Mashable.com at
The Analytics Toolbox: http://mashable.com/2007/06/25/analytics-toolbox
It covers 50+ ways to track and analyze different statistics, usage patterns, visitor behaviors, and a variety of other things about people browsing your site.
Anyone who has questions, feel free to buzz me. I've used a good number of the services listed- however there are a handful that are new (and other ones are evolving every day!)
I wrote an article on my main blog about some new software Microsoft is playing around with. You can read the longer version there, or I clipped part for Biznik here. This type of software will change the web on a fundamental level and open and entirely new door for thousands of small business niches.
Very rarely do I come across software that makes me go "WOW"
Keep in mind that I read almost everything covering new social software.
It is called SeaDragon.
Take a few minutes and watch this presentation. It is impressive. You can also visit the Microsoft Labs site for SeaDragon.
I love being a blogger and social media geek. There are all sorts of tools being developed that allow people to share ideas and insight.
Laughingly, here is one where Stephen Colbert beats up my profession. Watch the video... its only thirty seconds and helps detail why technology forces bloggers to have a sense of humor.
http://eyespot.com/blogs/barryhurd
*P.S. Stephen Colbert really does like bloggers. :)
I have been reviewing a good number of Google and Yahoo marketing campaigns, along with several other services like Idearc, InfoSpace, and a pile of others.
One thing that I have been finding more and more distasteful is that the largest online marketing and search companies out there tend to be the ones that are bending or breaking the most rules (perhaps being the engine themselves, they believe there are no rules?)
As part of a series of articles I'm doing over the next month, I'm asking some tough and hard questions about what online marketing should be about and why "the fine print" in the "big boys" of online marketing tend to be so cluttered with bad clauses.
I released the first one today Google Adwords Qualified Company- Fraud or not? and hope to get some input on it. The Biznik community seems to have a different vantage than many clients I deal with and I wonder what perspective everyone has here.
After reading my article, I would love to converse about what things business owners see when they see a "certified by X" brand.
Does it hold any weight in your buying decision? is this type of thing fraud in your eyes or merely deceptive marketing?
Since I am always bouncing around the social media arena and looking for little tidbits of useful data for my friends here on Biznik, I found the "best blogs about blogs" list being voted on at the BloggersChoiceAwards.com site.
Sadly I'm not on it, but then again I hardly write daily content aimed at new bloggers. However the list of contenders is pretty amazing and you can find some wonderful information by browsing the list.
http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/categories/18
Enjoy~
~Barry
Okay... so I've pulled the famous vanishing act online for a while. Things have been incredibly busy the past few weeks (and that is a good thing)
Last week I was at a Biznik event and I was laughing to myself because I didn't want to network anymore. I was tired (Finally!)
Is there a Biznik-Anonymous group I can join for recovering Bizniks?
In any case I just needed to stop by and say howdy.
After fluttering around the country and speaking at engagements, I have been wondering if there is an interest in a full-blown social media and online marketing course?
What I am thinking is not a single day event or even two days, but a 90 day course of every other week or so- with homework, or a full 2-3 day conference style presentation/training. It would include full online setup, YouTube and video training, podcasts, community sites, and all the other "goodies" people care to know about (some other goodies that are lumped into social media include- cell phone advertising, text messaging, WIFI Hotspots, Geographic branding, and affiliate programs.)
The end-goal of this course would be to get everyone to understand their own industries from a marketing perspective. It would include branding and partnership development, to help iron out all those pesky little areas indie professionals run into.
Anyone interested in such a class or idea can comment or e-mail me through my profile. I would love to hear from parties who are both interested in giving training in niche areas of online marketing and business development as well as members who are interested in attending.
As I research various online and community marketing approaches I came across a local Chamber of Commerce that was doing a marketing class on search engine marketing.
I instantly thought "hey, cool class that I could bump heads with" and read the information on the presenters. I did some research work regarding search engine work, and couldn't find anything that supported a position for them as experts in the field. I did dig up a half-dozen people here in the Northwest that actually had some credentials in search engine work.
To be more specific, I even pulled keywords and took a look at dozens of clients sites trying to figure out if anything they did actually used appropriate and up to date methods. I couldn't find evidence of any that did.
My question being- how does everyone on Biznik overcome, prevent, or repair the damage done by such ill-supported marketing? I feel like a Chamber (or any business association) has a duty to protect its members from incorrect information, but in this case it looks like material went out that could hurt a lot of businesses.
Regardless of whether or not it is online marketing or grief counseling, what would some of you do if you found out someone was speaking/educating/consulting in your field from an unsupported position?
As I zip around cyberspace I often find a great article that supports the consulting business I am in.
In this case, there is so many good ideas that I have to share-
99 Tips to (Cheaply) Brand a Start-up
The great part about it is that the author (and the massive number of comments and readers) add serious merit to my line of business. Building a business using Web 2.0 tools and social media is really exciting for me.
Having spent over a decade in marketing I am happy to know that small businesses have an amazing potential to see massive returns on technology. Ten years ago it wasn't really possible to have a "explosive growth" business model, but the viral nature of online marketing in the past few years has opened a lot of doors for people (including myself)
I spent a good number of years in a corporate marketing group watching the deep pockets of a Fortune 50 company consistently smash little players, but today I'm reading more and more instances of great business ideas that are converting entire industries almost overnight.
Hopefully some of the tips on that article spark some great food-for-thought. If you need someone to bounce those ideas off of, or if you have any questions regarding my area of specialty- buzz me and we will have coffee. :)
I decided to post this event here as a discussion. I often intermingle business and personal networking because I feel that one of the best ways to do business with someone is to know them as a friend. That means understanding who they are, what they do and don't like, and exposing everyone involved to different situations to see how expressive they are.
MUSIC AT THE SHOWBOX
This event is for all the Bizniks who love the city at midnight, enjoy sipping coffee in the strangest little diner, and who love a little loud music that uses explicit lyrics.
A friend of mine invited me to go and I said "sure". If a lot of black clothing and the shadows of urban creativity shock you... then try one of the more calm events.
This isn't about handing business cards out. It will be about enjoying a music show and exposing our minds to a little urban culture. This will be a personal and professional venture- to network on a friendly level. Doors open at 7:00 but we'll be grabbing a bite to eat before hand as well as some drinks afterwards.
You don't have to make before or afters. Everyone is invited. All personalities welcome. Tickets are $25 at the door. (www.showboxonline.com)
I suggest you check out the music before hand via the links below. Anyone who is interested can leave a comment below or contact me directly. I can be reached via e-mail or my mobile phone if you would like to hook up before or after.
MONDAY FEBRUARY 12 @ 7:00 PM
***Personal disclaimer- I am a jack-of-all-trades with most of my personal interests. Next time I am just as likely to do the symphony or art walk. I'm interested in other Bizniks who absolutely blur the line between work and play... so feel free to throw up a general invitation or two and see who takes up a networking opportunity.
I wanted to start a thread about ways people can promote Biznik events (or events in general). Please add on some other ideas!
There are many services for spreading the word about an event you host or are attending.
Do you have a blog? Why not link to the event? Add an article?
Do you have a community bulletin board? Print it and hang it on the wall.
Do you have friends? Invite five of them. Last night I invited my roommate to come make some connections.
Here are some virtual options- vflyer and myspace links for The Sunday Sushi Social at Yamas! on the 18th.
Here is a V-Flyer. You can post it, print it, e-mail it. http://barryhurd.vflyer.com/1/index.html
Here is a myspace event. Got a few friends on Myspace that could be Bizniks? Send them our way Sunday Sushi for Biznik ...
There haven't been too many Biznik events on the weekends... so we are having Sunday Sushi at Yama's in the Bellevue Galleria.
I visited Yama last week- and our friendly server is now a Biznik too!
AnAn Chen will also be serving us at Yamas this Sunday.
If you are not a Super Bowl addict, come on down and enjoy some great food and conversation.
Come on down and enjoy a different kind of Biznik.
Sunday Sushi down at the Bellevue Galleria.
They have some great happy hour food, a good lounge area for having a good chat, and some great dinner items as well.
I am watching one of my favorite movies-
Boondock Saints.
I also have a sweet spot for- The Princess Bride Love Actually
Anyone else want to throw a movie out there?
For all the other parents out there-
I'm a single dad- my wonderful little son turns six in May.
I often educate people on the power of networking through personal relationships- and one of the best personal relationships is family.
My son loves other kids and I'm usually taking him to some fun center or kid-attraction on the weekend. Are there any other Seattle parents here who would like to have a Biznik parenting Saturday where we hit the Science Center or Children's Museum?
I would rather have some interesting parents to chat with while my son bounces around the room, and I'm sure there are some great conversations waiting to happen with some of the Biznik parents I have yet to meet.
I was writing an article for another community and thought it would be a good read for most of the Biznik community as well.
http://www.technicaldisaster.com
It is a simple bullet list of some online community etiquette ideas for new contributors. I'll be writing some more pieces like it in the near future, so if there is an aspect of online communities you would like a short piece on, just let me know.
If you can think of other useful points for the list, please feel free to add them. I love to hear from people regarding how they interact with communities.
One of the things I often get credit for is relying on my one true addiction- coffee.
I can thank the universe that I have such an addiction. It gives me the perfect invitation to sit down with a new soul and learn about what they do.
I do not need to know them, I only have to be willing to share something I love with them. For a brief few minutes, we are just two people enjoying the drinks of our choice.
Sometimes I run across someone who hates coffee. This is not a deterrent or closed door. In fact, it is the essence of why I love coffee. In relying on my love of coffee, I must throw aside my personal security and try something new.
This has led me to a variety of tea, chai drinks, mystery concoctions, wine, beers, and things with names I can't even say. Yet for the most part, I have found that I have enjoyed trying something new since the person I am having it with usually has a love of their own. The energy they bring to our encounter adds to the very experience.
I love the adventure of trying something new, take my bumps and bruises; simply so I can meet new people and enjoy a new relationship.
Now take this mindset and apply it to business.
In a few days I'll be flying to New York City for a large conference to do multiple sessions on the topics of social networking, blogging, and building community. Our company will have ten people at our booth, yet inevitably one or two of us will have a hard day and shrink away from a "bad encounter" on the conference floor.
This will undoubtedly happen to me, when I accidentally spill my coffee on someone I am talking to and they take a swing at me or tell me I'm a clumsy fool. Yet I will take a deep breath, dust off my karmic bruises, and greet the next person as if they are my friend.
Why? Because they well could be.
Even when dealing with business, a primary thought I always have in my head is personal. I wonder if this person would be fun to go hiking with or if they have a recommendation on how I should raise my five year old son.
The personal element works for me. I believe human nature is to relate to others on a human level. Once you find common ground in the types of coffee you like, you can often find common ground to working on a more professional business level. This common ground can be built off anything, including what you may have thought as a flaw.
Being human, requires fault.
I love my coffee. People understand that. I have other faults that I often openly (and repeatedly) admit to.
The point of this message
Is that some disadvantages can also be our greatest assets. We can share faults just as easily as we can share success.
If you learn to look at how you handle your flaws, you can realize that those very things in life actually provide you with a tool for building human relationships.
I wrote an article last week on my blog that received some good commentary and I wanted to share it here. It is about a "critical mistake" I have heard repeated at Biznik social gatherings.
I hope it helps some of you break free of the standard train of thought. :)
I also have to add that I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!
~Barry
I always knew I wanted to become somebody when I grew up. Now I realize I should have been more specific. - Lily Tomlin
Anyone can be an expert, yet few of know how to define themselves in the spotlight. For several years my effort on social networking was focused on defining your personal brand.
I cannot stress the importance of creating a unique identity for both yourself and your business, when a potential or existing client says your name or slogan, you need to have defined it for them (or they will happily define it for you.)
When I used to introduce myself I would say “I’m an online marketer.” But most people would quickly get a strange look on their face and categorize me into the realm of banner advertising, keyword optimized searches, or even the dreaded niche of being an e-mail SPAM agent.
As with all occupations, from vacuum salesman to real estate agents, there are those individuals who cast such a shadow on an industry that everyone gets branded by a few bad souls who abuse the market. Yet for every evil doer out there, there is someone in the industry who serves as a sparkling example of how things should be done, the right way.
Aside from people mindlessly throwing me into a category I didn’t belong, a lot more people also had no clue what an online marketer actually did. They had heard of Google and Yahoo, yet they didn’t know what a SEO expert was, or more recently didn’t know what a blog was.
So like most human souls, few people are willing to admit they don’t know what you do. They would rather make assumptions and categorize you into a definition of their own making. But were does that leave you?
It leaves you standing there, by yourself.
I finally realized this huge mistake. Ten seconds into defining who I was, I had given editorial control of my life to the person listening to my description. The words were all wrong, the listener filled in the blanks, and I left them with a random “wheel of fortune” decision to whether or not they could utilize my skills.
To recover from this error, I built my personal brand.
I started to do this by changing the words I used to describe myself. Rather than focus on ordinary words, I chose to narrow down my brand to statements that encouraged inquiry or that sounded inspirational.
My original answer of “I’m an online marketer” changed to-
“I help people build a name for what they do so that they can establish themselves in their community. When someone asks them what they do or who they are, I’m the guy who helps them answer that question. I also teach them how to carry that idea over to the online world, and I consult with them to understand how communicating online in a community is a lot easier and more effective than they think.”
That answer details what I do. It doesn’t leave room for someone else to define the benefit I offer my clients. However it does lead them to the question – How do you do that?
That question is exactly what I want. My original answer left closed off the inquiry before they ever really knew the benefit I offered. The new answer encouraged questioning and opened the door to more conversation, giving me a chance to engage them on an intellectual level and support my opening statement with examples of how my professional expertise could impact their business.
I'm looking at helping a few people understand the value of online community networking.
Some people ask, what is community networking?
Well its Biznik for one example. Its sitting in the cafe and handing out a card to someone who mentions they do something along your line of business. Its about reaching out to local area groups and offering services and expertise.
I have a few friends that are interested in blogging and I would like to set them up in a blogging community for professional networking, a think-tank of consultants who can share connections and recommendations through the blogosphere.
I'm looking for a half-dozen people who want to develop a tight knit method of using online technology to market thier professional brand.
So if you want experiment and 'join' a small community network of like-minded experts, zip me off an e-mail. This is a personal yet professional project, so I'm doing it free of charge to help my friend (and who ever becomes my friend through this process!)
I'm also hosting an event Thursday night for anyone interested in talking face to face about various ideas- http://biznik.com/events.html?id=202
I was going to start doing an every other week meeting to sit down with like-minded business folk- share a cup of coffee, and get into some deep discussion about our different areas of expertise.
I'll be doing the first one Thursday, Nov 30th. I started an event post so you can RSVP.
The intent is to take casual 'meet and greet' conversations a little farther. I'll be sitting down at my table to specifically talk about my expertise in blogging and online marketing. (and to have some good food). I'll be sharing my ideas on how to grow different businesses models (FYI- I'm specifically knowledgable in real estate, legal, and other 'consulting' fields)
Feel free to offer up some other topics if you'd like to host a conversational table. :)
Lake Forest Park, WA - Thursday, Nov 30 This is an open 'go anywhere' conversation meeting and happy hour combined. I will personally be discussing friendly ideas for doing business online through blogging, search engine optimization, word of mouth, and buzz marketing. We'll break up into small groups of 4-6 individuals to talk about specific questions and trying to dig down into some in-depth conversations.
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