Six years ago, if you didn’t have a Friendster account you were an online nobody. Four years ago, if you didn’t have a Myspace account you were an online nobody. Three years ago, if you didn’t have a Facebook account you were an online nobody. Today, you need a Twitter account, or else, well I’m sure you get the idea.

Social media changes rapidly, often to the point where it’s difficult to draw up rules for it, or even plan where it will be next year. Just like Friendster drifted into obscurity and Myspace into the back alleys of the internet, the logical progression of communities would suggest that one day, reasonably soon in fact, Facebook and Twitter will lose their thunder and become remarkably less popular.

So then why are companies investing billions of dollars into using the latest marketing and communications platforms? Facebook has been hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, and has only just begun turning a profit. If it runs through the same lifespan as its predecessors, what’s to say that it doesn’t die out before it even becomes profitable on the whole? Likewise, Twitter has yet to even open revenue streams, yet it’s consistently being touted as the most popular and influential online platform since, well, Myspace.

The key to mastering these social media platforms is to take a light approach to the amount that your business invests in each one. Of course, this isn’t about direct financial investments – all are private companies – but about the way you invest your marketing muscle and resources. A campaign that bets everything on Facebook’s longevity may not prove a success in the long-term, but a marketing campaign that bets on the lifespan of social media very well could be.

An event that’s unfortunately absent in a lot of people’s minds is the crash of the early 2000s. After ballooning in value – both financial and in pure hype – hundreds of the most exciting web startups came crashing to the ground. Like Myspace, and Friendster before it, what’s to say that the same crash won’t happen to today’s giant social media presences? Sure, they’re posting profits, but not all are, and the few that are still have hundreds of millions in funding to move past. While money is flowing in, how long will it keep coming in for?

There’s a lesson that small online businesses can take from this, even if they are external from the whole social media show. Direct advertising on social media, particularly through PPC and PPM methods, will be effective. It doesn’t depend on the dynamics of the network, merely on the size of it. However, marketing that depends on the dynamics of the network, for example community building over Facebook and Twitter, may prove less effective as time goes on. Communities naturally progress, and the progression for Facebook users could be towards a different website altogether.

So if you want to invest in social media marketing, move quickly and fluidly. The most effective companies, the ones that can leverage social media easily and effortlessly, are the ones that have no problem moving from one platform to another. Tie yourself to Twitter and you might find yourself aboard a sinking ship; invest in a strategy that includes Twitter and you’ll find yourself moving forwards, no matter what direction the platform moves.

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Photoshop is one of those extremely versatile programs that can be used by beginners just dabbling, or professionals who create graphics for a living. Whichever group you fit into, one thing is true about Photoshop: It’s a deep program, and there’s a lot to learn. Even the most experienced Photoshop users are regularly learning new ways to do things with the application.

For those just getting started, it’s overwhelming. There’s so much to learn, even if you just want to do the basics. That’s why this post on Photoshop Basics from Vandelay Design blog is so valuable. The post has links to over 100 tutorials focusing on the basic fundamentals of Photoshop, including:

• Getting Started with Photoshop
• Photoshop’s Toolbox
• Using Palettes in Photoshop
• Working with Layers
• The Pen Tool
• Brushes and Other Presets
• The Type Tool
• Selection Tools
• Clone Stamp Tool
• An Explanation of Photoshop Blend Modes
• Filters
• Channels

It’s a perfect collection for beginners, or those looking to sharpen there skills. So set aside a couple hours (days?) and start to explore!

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Is ‘Geek’ the new ‘Cool’?

Resources
South by Southwest

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Email marketing has become an acceptable option for marketing a business.  It allows you to stay connected to current and prospective clients and provides ways to grow your business and build a loyal following. As a viable and low-cost part of your marketing plan, it plays a big role as a method by which you can distribute, advertise, and promote various types of communication to a wide range of recipients.

Through a targeted email marketing approach you may tailor or personalize your message to your specific audience or niche. In marketing terms, this is called segmentation.

The advantages to using an email marketing strategy to promote your business are many, such as: low cost as compared to traditional mailing costs, the speed at which your message is delivered, and the ability for recipients to forward the message to others who may also be interested. Moreover, email marketing software allows you to track results of your communications, allowing you to evaluate your success and enhance your messages through your statistical insights.

While there are multiple advantages, keep in mind that email marketing is intended to be an enhancement to your other marketing activities. For example, it may be used to lead your prospects to your website, which should be designed to process sales, while your email marketing campaign will highlight the benefits of your offerings and encourage prospects to make a purchase. Your website should also be the focus of other online marketing strategies such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and article marketing. Email marketing allows you to enhance all your marketing efforts and encourages customers to patronize your business and become loyal fans.

Always remember when implementing an email marketing campaign do not overdo it, one of the downsides or disadvantages of email marketing. If you’re sending emails to thousands of people every other day, they’re going to get tired of hearing from you and either delete them or opt out of your mailing list, which will potentially cost you a lot of business. The last thing you want to do is irritate your subscribers by making them feel they’ve been tricked into signing up for something they didn’t actually want.

Email marketing is a very valuable tool to supplement your marketing strategies while giving you an additional method to keep in touch with your customers and prospects to build a loyal following.

Jeannine Clontz, IVAA CVA, MVA, EthicsChecked™, owner of Accurate Business Services is a Virtual Assistant (VA).  ABS provides ‘as needed marketing and social media support, training and consulting to busy entrepreneurs.  Clontz is a writer, author, VA Coach, and speaker on business topics including business ethics. For her free 10-Step Guide to Finding the Right VA, or her FREE Report, Social Media Marketing Benefits, send a request to: service@accbizsvcs.com or visit: http://www.accbizsvcs.com, www.VAbizcoach.com or her book website http://www.entrepreneurialfreedom.com

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A huge thank you to VA Classroom. I actually won this from them. It’s been awesome and I do use it for certain things at certain times… let me explain…

First off let me say, I am not an Apple fanperson. Never have been, never will be. The iPod touch is my first iPod device ever. I cannot say that I am in love with it, but I will definitely say that it is has proven nifty in more ways than one since I got it.

Ok, let’s get this out of the way: Video and Music. Videos are clear and smooth. You can use the built-in Wi-Fi on your home or office network to browse the web and YouTube directly. That itself is pretty smooth. You can also purchase music directly from the iTunes store over Wi-Fi and load them directly to the phone. Overall I’d say this is pretty similar to the experience I have on my Palm Pre.

One thing the iPod Touch has over my Pre, however, is the huge amount of applications available for it. I’ve been able to download apps for many things: Math Quizzes for my children, Duke Nukem 3D for my husband, oh, and also for toting around and viewing work related documents.

Another feature of the iPod Touch is that you can use iTunes to sync with your calendar. The iPod will already check your e-mail automatically for you whenever it detects an available Wi-Fi network. The ability to sync your calendar can be pretty useful, but I still prefer the automatic sync that my Palm Pre offers.

Over all I rate this device as 4 stars. If it was billed as only a game, music, and video device I’d probably have given it 5 stars. But with all the hype I was really hoping for something more useful for business use.

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