wikis http://www.artwoo.com Returned search results for wikis Copyright 2009 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:52:22 +0000 http://www.artwoo.com/rss/wikis Understanding Message Boards -- Get Better Use From Them http://www.artwoo.com/article/understanding-message-boards-get-better-use-from-them http://www.artwoo.com/article/understanding-message-boards-get-better-use-from-them#comments Sat, 15 Jul 2006 22:27:11 +0000 message boardswikiscomputer systemcontactmessage boardbetmise en scene http://www.artwoo.com/article/understanding-message-boards-get-better-use-from-them bet every one of you readers is familiar with s. Probably you've been joining in most of the discussions provided by these boards online or you probably have designed a message board for your group. Well, the concept for message board has long been commonly heard among many people. Children and adults alike are familiar with this concept. However, if you haven't heard about message boards yet, then note the following facts.

The Basics

Message boards are also known as internet forums or discussion boards. They are basically a web application that serves for online discussions. They are also considered as the modern heir of the bulletin board systems as well as existing Usenet news systems that were far-flung in the 1980s and 1990s.

What does a bulletin board system means lies on the idea that it is a running software that allows users to have into the system through phone line and then carry out actions such as downloading software and data, reading news, exchanging messages with other users, and uploading files.

Speaking of computer system, the message boards generally appear to be part of a website. They encourage the computer users to involve or participate in the online discussions. This simply means that that the computer users have the chance to start topics and discuss issues with one another. If we will look at it as a whole system, it seems that "team work" is present there.

Message Board and

There are some times when message boards comprise most, if not all, the content of a particular mise-en-scene. Also, most of the time, the users are not allowed to edit or to change the one's post on the forum. However, since message boards are usually controlled by the known site "administrators" and "moderators", these people have access to the posting as well as on editing. It is this feature actually that compares message boards to wikis, a website that allows the users of the forum to add content. Unlike message board, the wikis gives the full authority to the users in editing the content written on the pages.

Message Board and Weblogs

Aside from wikis, message boards are also often compared to weblogs. I guess most of you are familiar with weblogs or blogs. Well, these are but another form of internet application that contain periodic, reverse chronologically ordered posts on a common webpage. The difference between weblogs and message boards basically lies on the fact that message boards mainly grant the board uses to employ and discuss topics that are sometime referred as "threads". Weblogs, on the other hand, only permit one or few users to post an entry. In addition, most of the message boards apt to be more spiked in focus, while weblogs apt to be more particular to a particular topic or issue.

Generally speaking, a message board or internet forum has certain characteristics that differ greatly from the other web applications. It can be flat, which means that each response from the other user within a particular topic is listed in chronological order. It can further be threaded, where every post is linked from a parent post. Who Else Wants To Get Their Hands On My Closely-Guarded BILLION-DOLLAR Collection Of 73 Winning Advertisements and Sales Letters- FOR FREE! Visit http://www.billiondollarads.com Active hyperlink must stay with the article. ]]> Don't Fall Into The Pixel Or Wiki Page Trap http://www.artwoo.com/article/dont-fall-into-the-pixel-or-wiki-page-trap http://www.artwoo.com/article/dont-fall-into-the-pixel-or-wiki-page-trap#comments Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:15:02 +0000 million dollar homepagewikimyspacefree geocitieswikipediaadvertiserswikis http://www.artwoo.com/article/dont-fall-into-the-pixel-or-wiki-page-trap million dollar homepage was a novel idea. flocked to purchase pixels and the creator collected more than a million dollar. Now there is a gold rush to buy pages.

However, today the Alexa ranking of million dollar homepage stands at 48,000. It will continue to decline. The same fate awaits the paid wiki pages.

These type of web sites lack in sustained traffic for a long time. Why do you visit a web site? You go to a web site for getting information or accomplishing some tasks, interacting with your online network or sharing your feelings, having some fun or making a purchase. You do not visit a web site to stare at a page full of pixel ads or read a random wiki page.

The has more than two million english language articles. It is full of comprehensive information on any imaginable topics. It is the largest information repository known to human race.

Ask a 12 year old kid her favorite information source and her answer will be Wikipedia. There are niche on "how to", travel, politics, space, etc. There is no reason for a web surfer to visit a paid wiki site for anything.

The paid wiki sites are not even wikis. A wiki is a collaborative tool for adding, editing, and sharing information by a large number of people in a single space. Similar topics are linked together for easy navigation. The crowd intelligence makes it possible to record information accurately and completely.

However, credit goes to the paid wiki developers for portraying , not even , type pages as wiki pages. Advertisers fall into the trap and moron reporters tout it the greatest invention since the slice bread.

Look at a paid wiki page. It is full of logos, banners, menus, color scheme, etc. of the site it resides on. Even MySpace allows you to customize your pages.

A better option for advertisers is to start creating Squiddo lenses or pages on any topic for free. Squiddo provides you all the free pages you need to create contents on any topics you wish. You can also make money from Squiddo if your lenses are popular.

Another option is to get a 10 year lease on a domain and redirect Google Blogger pages to the domain. You collect money using AdSense.

If you pay for website pages, evaluate the system based on the following four criteria.

1. Customization: You should be able to fully customize your pages, removing all logos, banners, menus, and color scheme of the site.

2. Traffic Model: The site should have a web model to attract visitors for a long time.

3. Page Promotion: You should have complete control of when and how your pages are linked on the homepage of the site. It should not be random.

4. The site should not monetize by placing ads on any pages.

Use these four filters to evaluate a site that sells you pages for traffic and fun. Dr. Deepak Dutta, creator of the oldest online classified site: http://www.classifiedsforfree.com, has launced Million$Dig, http://www.milliondollardig.com, for users to create fully customized traffic pages for financial gains and a chance to win one million dollars. ]]> Are You A Webmaster Looking For Free Content To Put On Your Websites? http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-a-webmaster-looking-for-free-content-to-put-on-your-websites http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-a-webmaster-looking-for-free-content-to-put-on-your-websites#comments Thu, 10 May 2007 00:19:53 +0000 affiliate marketerstechnology marketerswebsite resourceebooksfree internet contentresource websitewebsite web http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-a-webmaster-looking-for-free-content-to-put-on-your-websites website resource for this purpose. This website is a collection of around the world. It has everything from to Videos, MP3, Audio and even educational content as well, plus many more eye-catching features. This website resource is a new edition to Web 2.0, which was created by Brad Fallon.



Affiliate Program

This new content is looking for individuals who have free content they want to contribute. Which means, basically, that this resource is completely interactive. Now, I know you are thinking I get all of this great stuff but can I add my own as well? The answer is simply yes. If you have free content, you can make a contribution. Do you have eBooks, videos, audios, and more, that you want to share on the Internet? If so, this webite resource is just for you.



What type of content are they Looking for?

This new website resource is looking for content such as reports, articles, audio, video, video eBooks, and viral affiliate reports, also affiliate programs you may be involved in. They are looking for free content as well as paid content, this means you have a new home for that new product or service of yours, that you want to make money at. For Internet and , you get access to a goldmine of products and presentation for free. This is a must for Internet Marketing Newbies and the more experienced marketers as well.

Cost is Free:

Free for now to all members who join. You get all of these great features absolutely free of charge. You can also refer your family friends and customers right now and they can join free with you. Now, not all of the people you send will join, but just think of the number of people you just sent and how many people they will send to it. Wow, that's a lot of new people who know about your website.



Web 2.0:

This website is also able to support Web 2.0 technology. Marketers are going to be changing the way they now market their ideas online. Web 2.0 is the second-generation of social networking suites such as wikis. These sites emphasize sharing and teamwork between their users. Dawn Pruitt Member of Free IQ http://301url.com/joinFreeIQ Affiliate Of The Month http://301url.com/9SP. Right now! A FREE give away worth $427 dollars is in progress. Just for visiting this website you are intitled to download this spectacular video package @ http://freeiq.com/secretaffiliateweapon ]]> Marketing And Web 2.0 http://www.artwoo.com/article/marketing-and-web-20 http://www.artwoo.com/article/marketing-and-web-20#comments Sat, 12 Aug 2006 10:27:15 +0000 websites peopletraditional marketingwikiscontact customer serviceupscomputerserrands http://www.artwoo.com/article/marketing-and-web-20
Why Web 2.0 marketing? Well, it makes sense for starters. Let's look at a rundown of the general characteristics it is supposed to have. First, it's interactive, which means that web pages are no longer static and they don't take a million years to load anymore. They have applets, pop-, and that actually let users play a game, get product information, and quickly.

Second, it fosters user/consumer participation. Instead of just reading information and reviews posted on the websites, people can write their own reviews on Web 2.0 platforms. This gives the idea that rather than being plain promotions, these reviews are from people who actually used the product. Consumers don't readily trust online promotions but if they actually wrote a review for a product, there's no reason not to believe what others say about other products. Thus, there is instant trust online.

Third, applications like broadband internet encourage people to use and stay online longer. Statistics show that more and more people are using computers for tasks that they normally use a paper and pen for since Web 2.0 came along. Planning, organizing, filing taxes, and even banking. What's more is that they are also using computers for like shopping. For businesses using Web marketing, this translates to a larger consumer base.

Fourth, Web 2.0 marketing is cheaper than options. If you're familiar with http://Myspace.com, try looking up the square burger character from the latest Wendy's commercial -- it has its own account. Not only that, so far, 90,000 people are connected to it. There are thousands of free advertising from a free social networking site.

Of course, Web 2.0 does not eliminate the customary banners and press releases. But why not bank on a cheaper and more efficient marketing option while you're at it? Is Web 2.0 just a buzzword, a revolutionary concept, or just another Web flub? Well, nobody's sure at the moment, but it sure is a good business tool. For more valuable information on Web 2.0, please visit http://www.whatisweb20.net ]]> Online Degrees You Can Get From Online Education http://www.artwoo.com/article/online-degrees-you-can-get-from-online-education http://www.artwoo.com/article/online-degrees-you-can-get-from-online-education#comments Thu, 02 Nov 2006 14:27:06 +0000 associate degree in nursingmailelectronic voting systemsnursewikisjobmp3 players http://www.artwoo.com/article/online-degrees-you-can-get-from-online-education job without a post secondary degree. The reason being that everyone has a degree so employers view having a post secondary degree as the new bare minimum. A degree in higher education should therefore be your top priority after you graduate from highschool. Also, if you think the program of your choice doesn't have an online equivalent, think again - there are over 1,500 different types of online degrees you can choose from.

1. Associate Degrees

The lowest form of post secondary education is the associate degree. While you will be able to get a good paying job with such a degree you won't necessarily be able to advance beyond that position into a position of more authority. For example, an might get you the night shift as a , but not the lead nurse or hospital coordinator. This is equivalent to a two year program.

2. Bachelor's Degrees

As an undergraduate you will complete a major that lasts three or four years in study. The most common Bachelors that are awarded are in the arts and sciences.

3. PHD Masters Degree

A doctorate is the highest level of education and places you at the same level of knowledge and competancy as an instructor. With minimal additional training you would be qualified to teach the subject to students of your own.

4. About E-Learning

E-learning is an all-encompassing term generally used to refer to computer-enhanced learning, although it is often extended to include the use of mobile technologies such as PDAs and . It may include the use of web-based teaching materials and hypermedia in general, multimedia CD-ROMs or web sites, discussion boards, collaborative software, e-, blogs, , computer aided assessment, educational animation, simulations, games, learning management software, and more, with possibly a combination of different methods being used.

Along with the terms learning technology and Educational Technology, the term is generally used to refer to the use of technology in learning in a much broader sense than the computer-based training or Computer Aided Instruction of the 1980s. It is also broader than the terms Online Learning or Online Education which generally refer to purely web-based learning. In cases where mobile technologies are used, the term M-learning has become more common. For more great online education related articles and resources check out http://onlineeducationadvice.info ]]> Why Wiki's Don't Work http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-wikis-dont-work http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-wikis-dont-work#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:20:00 +0000 intellectual endeavorproviding valuable informationinternal processeswork timewikiscommon goalprocess management http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-wikis-dont-work process management team which document all of our ".

So it must be clear to everyone that don't work and this will be the shortest knowledge paper I have ever written.

No, fortunately it is not as simple as that. Many corporations have deployed excellent WIKI's to the corporations they serve.

Some companies have actually been seriously surprised about the amount of WIKIs they actually had, but did not know about before they actively went to look for them.

WEB 2.0 technologies are often deployed from the edge of the company and not from the center. Different departments see the value in sharing information but the company as a whole has not yet realized the value.

Another part of the problem is the fact that it is being end-user deployed, and when the end-user leaves or is reassigned their PC running the WIKI is removed or even decommissioned with the resulting loss of knowledge (No one dares to tell IT about the underground WIKI running on that PC).

This causes a number of problems for the organization trying to deploy a WIKI. The big idea behind a WIKI is collaboration, which is defined by Wikipedia as:

Collaboration is a process defined by the recursive interaction of knowledge and mutual learning between two or more people who are working together, in an , toward a which is typically creative in nature.

But often all of the focus is on deploying the WIKI and not on the purpose of it. Questions like:

and#61656;What are we going to use it for? and#61656;Are we ok with being used to author WIKI articles and#61656;How do we manage the content?

Does it take time to collaborate? Yes, it takes lot of time to collaborate. You will have to get your best ideas out of the drawer and put them on paper. You will have to put it on the table (into the WIKI). You will most likely have a number of revisions of it before you make it public to others and then you will also have to discuss it with other people including receiving their ideas, feedback and suggestions.

Is it hard work to collaborate? Yes, it is hard work. You have to put a lot of energy into it and that too is hard. Especially because your normal work does not go away while you are collaborating.

Is it painful? Yes, it is painful to the ego for me to come up with my very best idea and put it on the table. It is painful when others have a look at it and give feedback (criticize it) which have to be taken into consideration. But it actually make the idea better and kicks off a new dimension of idea development.

Will collaboration result in better and sustainable business results? Yes, and that is actually why it is worth it, but it should be clear by now that it does not come free of charge.

It must however be clear that no one creates and delivers value all by themselves. It is team work, people working together as a group or as partners. The CEO of a big corporation does not deliver the products or services alone. He is a part of a team.

What you need to know: Implementing a WIKI is going to be hard work. Not only because of the implementation of the tool itself but because of the change in peoples' heads that have to be accomplished as part of the project.

Encouraging people to pour their knowledge, which many people consider their capital or job guarantee, into an online tool for everyone to see and comment on is difficult. Getting them to receive feedback and improve their idea, text or knowledge can be even more difficult.

Finally, working with a tool like WIKI is very different to what employees' are used to. The flow of information is mainly through e-mail and maybe occasionally through a FAQ in the company Intranet. Using a WIKI is a completely new way and much more interactive than what they might have been used to.

The WIKI is a wonderful tool which can be used to gain almost real-time information about the outside world. Companies are deploying WIKI's with information about what the competition is doing including information about upcoming products,/solutions and rumors about what they have in the pipeline, upcoming legislation that will influence the company, hot trends in their industry gained from industry specific magazines, conferences (presentations made available on WIKI) or personal meetings with clients etc.

The collected information is not made available on the WIKI but also pushed to all relevant employees using RSS Feeds.

What you need to do: Be clear on the fact that you are about to change the culture from knowledge protection over knowledge sharing to knowledge development =96 corporate knowledge that is.

Make it clear to the team that knowledge sharing and capturing will be an integrated part of everything the company or department does in the future. Getting a great idea and getting help from someone else whereby turning it into a paradigm shifting idea requires team collaboration.

Teams that collaborate on all levels are generating business value at a much higher level than people cooperating because cooperation is simple a group of people splitting up a certain amount of work, then departing to their workspace and doing the work. No idea's are developed and no collaboration on how to do things better, faster, cheaper, smarter etc. takes place and no business value is increased.

You need to start small to ensure that you can push the team to performance. Do the following:

1.Define your desired knowledge or content =96 what would you like to store?

a.Write down a description of the type of knowledge you want to work with - whether you are or not right now.

2.Clarify the desired outcome (what is there to gain by capturing this information =96 value)

a.What are the most important outcomes you want to achieve

3.Narrow it down to the two or three highest priority outcomes that you can actually help to improve, reach or realize 4.Gear every decision towards improving those outcomes 5.Be boringly consistent and innovative in the way you do it 6.Revisit often to see if you are on-track

Expand the selection as you get going and the culture starts changing from knowledge protection to knowledge sharing or narrow the selection if you find it difficult to get going. Success is not in the number of values you are able to pursue but in the knowledge sharing.

Keep an eye on who produces knowledge and who doesn't. Those that doesn't, should be coached and helped. Don't go with the wrong assumptions and think they are bringing no value. More than once have statements like "Jones over in the other department knows but he keeps it to himself" been made and shows that the knowledge sharing organization has not yet been achieved.

Summary Going from protecting ones knowledge to sharing it with everyone in a team, department or company can be an awesome experience but it can also be a very exhausting one. Starting small and working on changing the culture towards becoming knowledge sharing instead of focusing on the tool are the first steps to success.

Being consistent while investing the heart blood, sweat and tears necessary in getting it going is the route to success. Jan A. Jensen is a speaker and consultant working internationally on helping businesses with management- and organizational development, business acceleration, project- and RFP consulting. He is founder and president of Z-Solutions (http://www.z-solutions.net) E-mail him at article@z-solutions.net ]]> Internet Marketing - How Important Is Web 2.0 To Your Business? http://www.artwoo.com/article/internet-marketing-how-important-is-web-20-to-your-business http://www.artwoo.com/article/internet-marketing-how-important-is-web-20-to-your-business#comments Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:15:00 +0000 natural complementsocial interactiontraditional searchwritten contentfacebooktaggersvideo sites http://www.artwoo.com/article/internet-marketing-how-important-is-web-20-to-your-business traditional search, where you get comprehensive results back for terms, social bookmarking sites give you results based on what people have tagged and made popular with their votes.

The bookmarking and sites are labeled "Web 2.0," and they also include , podcasting sites, wikis, and every blog on the planet. What makes the sites in Web 2.0 different from the rest of the Web is that the content in them is all user generated. Think of My Space, , and Flickr. When You Tube was sold to Google last year for more than $1.6 million, people started paying closer attention.

You can tag blog posts, web pages, and other at places like del.icio.us, BlinkList, or Scuttle. Share photos at sites like Flickr, and videos at Google Video or You Tube. There are Web 2.0 sites for every type of medium. Here's how it works: You see a great blog entry here, for example. You can go down to the bottom of the post, and click one of the bookmarking buttons for Netscape (now Propeller), Furl, or Ma.gnolia. When you're taken to those sites, assuming you're a member, you'll fill in a description of the post and you'll tag it using appropriate keywords. So, for this post, you might choose the tags, Internet marketing, Web 2.0, and social bookmarking. What makes this so cool is that your tags are open to the public, unless you specify that you don't want them to be, so that other can see them.

Think of tagging as being related to search. It's just a . You get some pretty great results from Google, but they won't necessarily be the sites that people are enjoying the most, though they may be the most relevant. Social bookmarking allows you to see popular pages.

Web 2.0 is a great viral marketing technique for your Internet marketing business, too, if you go about tagging your own posts and the posts of others. Just be sure that you're transparent about what you're doing, and avoid spamming. If a site forbids tagging your own material, then don't do it. You could be banned for life from the site, and you don't know how important to your Internet marketing business it might become in the future. I doubt that anyone suspected that Google would be tops in search way back in 1998 when it was just starting.

You won't always find what you're looking for when you search the tagging sites, but you should be in there getting familiar with the territory for the sake of your Internet marketing business. Subscribe to several sites and notice how people are tagging your products and services. What makes this great is that you can use the taggers as a control group and it won't cost you a single dime. Internet marketing businesses who aren't using Web 2.0 to some degree are really missing the boat. Be sure yours isn't one of them. Tellman Knudson is CEO of http://OvercomeEverything.com and a master of list building. Get Your Free List Building CD, a month Free in Tellman's List Building Club, and a Free consultation with one of our List Building experts... Now at http://listbuildingpower.net ]]> Understanding Social Media Marketing http://www.artwoo.com/article/understanding-social-media-marketing http://www.artwoo.com/article/understanding-social-media-marketing#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:08:55 +0000 http://www.artwoo.com/article/understanding-social-media-marketing A lot of people are confused by the term "social media marketing" and believe that it is only advertising on a social networking site, where networks monitor what users are doing and place ads next to them, hoping they will get a click. However, social media marketing is actually about different kinds of collaborations between people and finding ways that individual fans of a particular brand product or even a company can endorse it themselves on various social media sites like MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and others.

Social media marketing differs from industrial media marketing in that industrial media generally uses very expensive tools requiring a great deal of financial capital to publish its information, where as social media marketing uses fairly inexpensive tools that enables anyone anywhere to publish or access information. Both social media and industrial media have the capability to reach a small audience of one or two, or large audiences of millions. However, the time lag is generally much longer between a communications from industrial media as compared to social media when responses can be instantaneous. In addition, there are currently few, if any, limitations on social media such as on pages or hours. The audiences are encouraged to be active participants, to add comments, or blog or even edit articles or stories, as they deem necessary.

Social media optimization, or SMO, uses methods that generate publicity through social media and online community websites. There are many different types of technologies and applications for social media like blogs, vlogs, wikis, emails, podcasts, instant messaging and many more. Two of the most popular reference services are Google and Wikipedia. You can share photos at Flickr, videos at YouTube, personal music at Last.fm, microblog on Jaiku and Twitter. Besides the now universally known Facebook and MySpace, you can also go social networking on Avatars United, Youmeo and Second Life (social network via virtual reality).

Experts insist that social media is here to stay. Companies are now recognizing the need to be more involved in social media marketing, because it is through these channels that they can hear most quickly and honestly what consumers need and want. Businesses are learning that they now no longer wield absolute control over the behavior and buying decisions of their consumers. By paying attention, for instance, to a pro- or anti- product blog from a consumer, marketers have access to open customer discussions they never had before and then, in turn, open their own dialogue to be able to drive the needed change quickly.

Social media marketing opens up a world of fast-flowing creative experimentation where an idea can be tested online in the morning and by afternoon there is a response. Social media techniques should be combined into the marketing mix to optimize the places where the impact can be maximized. The key element in successful social media marketing is to be swift but make sure to drive change in proactive way rather than being reactive.SEOSapien is a SEO Company. We offer affordable and guaranteed search engine optimization services. You can visit our site at http://www.seosapien.com for more information and SEO Prices.]]> 5 New Communication Technologies To Supplement Email http://www.artwoo.com/article/5-new-communication-technologies-to-supplement-email http://www.artwoo.com/article/5-new-communication-technologies-to-supplement-email#comments Mon, 09 Oct 2006 06:27:06 +0000 face to face communicationeffective communicationtechnology emailglobal naturetime zonesface to faceunfortunately http://www.artwoo.com/article/5-new-communication-technologies-to-supplement-email effective communication with its customers. Communication doesn't just convey information, it inspires trust, builds credibility, stimulates involvement and generates loyalty. But in today's global, hi-tech, rapidly changing business environment, how do you ensure you're communicating effectively?

THE BENCHMARK - FACE-TO-FACE

There's no doubt that face-to-face communication is the most effective method for most people. Why? Because of its two-way nature. It's about dialogue. Listeners are not passive participants. When someone talks to us, we send a continuous stream of responses back to them. Some are verbal, but many/most are not. These responses have the power to actually change the message being disseminated by the talker. What's more, they have the power to change how other listeners' interpret that message. (Similarly, other listeners have the power to change your interpretation.)

, however, the of business makes it impossible to conduct face-to-face meetings for every communication. So what are the alternatives? Specifically, what are the alternatives offered by technology?

EMAIL - THE STARTING POINT

The benefits of email are numerous and well known, and include (but are not limited to):

•Email is an excellent mechanism for distributing information to people. It is fast and cost effective.

•It is incredibly convenient - you can readily communicate across .

•It provides a useful electronic paper trail.

•It can save a great deal of time because most of the fluff surrounding a phone call (the social niceties) are seen as unnecessary in email.

•It allows recipients to read and respond to messages in their own time.

•The wording, grammar and punctuation in an email can be considered and edited before finally sending.

But email does have its limitations:

•Its lack of social niceties is a double-edged sword. Without the benefit of other communication cues, it's sometimes hard to interpret the tone of an email, and this can make some messages ambiguous.

•It isn't ideal for critical communication. For many people, emails are not 'real-time' communication. We all have that unaddressed email sitting at the bottom of the list. Because emails are so easy to ignore, they're also easy to forget.

•Ironically, email's dissemination effectiveness has been one of the major impediments to its communication effectiveness. It's so easy to send emails - and they're so anonymous - that our inboxes are now flooded with SPAM. Consequently, emails are viewed with some suspicion. It's sometimes hard to identify legitimate emails, but it's very easy to just hit Delete.

•Because email senders are typically geographically (and often culturally) distant from their recipients, they have no immediate visual and aural cues to help them tailor the message as they type.

But there's no need to 'throw out the baby with the bathwater'. Email is an excellent solution to many communication needs. And for those it is ill-equipped to handle, there are newer, more appropriate technologies that are built for the job...

WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES - THE PERFECT SUPPLEMENT

Web 2.0, a term coined by O'Reilly Media (an American media company) in 2004 refers, to a second-generation of internet-based services that let people collaborate and share information online in new ways.

Web 2.0 technologies are well defined in www.wikipaedia.org, which suggests that these sites allow the users of the sites (members) to create and share content, including exploring and discussing ideas, opinions, initiatives and issues. Web 2.0 is all about communication. It is the evolution of the internet from an endless library of static pages to an endless world of conversations. These pages can be restricted to particular individuals (eg the executive), or open to all members. The only difference is that the interaction takes place in cyberspace, and those taking part can be sitting behind a keyboard just about anywhere on the planet.

Importantly, a reader's understanding of the message in a Web 2.0 communication is determined, not just by the publisher, but also by the responses (e.g. comments) of the audience. What's more, the publisher's actual message tends to be far more fluid as it, too, is informed by the responses of the audience. In other words, Web 2.0 services are far more like face-to-face conversations than any communication technology before them.

So what are these emerging technologies that we should be keeping an eye on? The two most notable are 'Wikis' and 'Blogs'. The following definitions are from http://www.wikipedia.org, an online encyclopaedia developed as a wiki.

•Wikis - A wiki is a type of website that allows users to easily add, remove or otherwise edit and change content. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for collaborative authoring. Examples include Wikipedia (wikipedia.com) and wikiwikiweb (http://www.wikiwikiweb.com).

•Blogs - A weblog, which is usually shortened to blog, is a type of online diary or journal which allows one to voice their opinion on something. Blogs often provide commentary or news and information on a particular subject. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media. Blogs are usually text based, but they can include photographs, videos or audio (podcasting). Blogs can be presented in a way that creates a conversation between users. As an example, see the Sydney Morning Herald travel blog (http://blogs.smh.com.au/lostintransit/).

THE USES OF WEB 2.0

As with face-to-face social gatherings and forums, online get togethers attract a broad spectrum of participants eager to engage, entertain, befriend, advise and lecture.

It was reported in The Australian (Tuesday 8 August 2006) that the social computing element of Web 2.0 has recently been embraced by the US Government. The US State Department has started including blogs and other Web 2.0 concepts to deliver public information to citizens. It is also using wiki style services to improve information by permitting small expert communities to improve advisory services.

The same article advised that Australia's leading information advisory body, the Australian Government Information Management Office, had begun experimenting with the use of blogs, wikis and other Web 2.0 technologies.

As new online social networks mushroom, they are becoming increasingly focused on niches, ideally suited to membership based organizations and the NFP sector. Examples of general public social networks include My Space (http://www.myspace.com), Classmates (http://www.classmates.com) and Bikely (bikely.com).

OTHER USEFUL TECHNOLOGIES

•SMS - Short Message Service (SMS) is a service available on most digital mobile phones (and other mobile devices, e.g. a Pocket PC, or occasionally even desktop computers) that permits the sending of short messages between mobile phones, other handheld devices and even landline telephones.

•Podcast - Podcasting is the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio or video programs, over the internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.

•Webinars - Web conferencing is used to hold group meetings or live presentations over the internet. In the early years of the internet, the terms "web conferencing" and "computer conferencing" were often used to refer to group discussions conducted within a message board (via posted text messages), but the term has evolved to refer specifically to "live" or "synchronous" meetings, while the posted message variety of discussion is called a "forum", "message board", or "bulletin board". A webinar is a seminar which is conducted over the World Wide Web. It is a type of web conferencing. In contrast to a Webcast, which is transmission of information in one direction only, a webinar is designed to be interactive between the presenter and audience. A webinar is 'live' in the sense that information is conveyed according to an agenda, with a starting and ending time. In most cases, the presenter may speak over a standard telephone line, pointing out information being presented on screen, and the audience can respond over their own telephones, preferably a speakerphone. Whilst not necessarily considered Web 2.0, Webinars can also be a useful mechanism for information distribution and discussion amongst membership based organizations and SMS can provide important or urgent confirmations.

CONCLUSION

Email is - and will continue to be - an incredibly useful and convenient communication tool. In fact, with the emergence of new technologies that are either more direct, more immediate, or more like face-to-face communication, email is improved. As businesses supplement their email usage with other communication technologies, email will be increasingly reserved for those communications to which it is ideally suited. Gerald is GM, Sales and Marketing of Software Design Group (SDG): Website Development, Design, Search Engine Optimisation, Network Support, Outsourcing Solutions, Help Desk Support, Application Development, Hardware and Software Sales. Gerald.chait@sdgtechnology.com.au or http://www.sdgtechnology.com.au ]]> You Can't Manage Knowledge http://www.artwoo.com/article/you-cant-manage-knowledge http://www.artwoo.com/article/you-cant-manage-knowledge#comments Sat, 24 Mar 2007 09:39:58 +0000 quotsix degrees of separationsocial networkingstanley milgramknowledge managementemailwikis http://www.artwoo.com/article/you-cant-manage-knowledge Knowledge Management (KM) vendors say, you can't manage knowledge. To manage something you need to know what you've got and you need to measure it in some way.



You can't do either of those things with knowledge. The vast majority of knowledge is inside people's heads. The technical term for that is and;tacit knowledge.andquot; And there's no clear way to evaluate how much there is or how well you're using it.

So, forget Knowledge Management and think about helping people solve problems. After all, that's what knowledge management is supposed to do. Design your support systems so they help people do what they already do naturally. If you're like most people, you probably use four sources of help to solve problems.

You probably start to solve a problem by mining your own mental resources. Have you dealt with something like this before? Does this problem remind you of another problem or situation? Do you know anyone who might be able to help you?

That takes us to a second source, your buddies. How often have you faced a problem and thought, andquot;Who do I know that might know the answer to this?



Most often, the first person you call or won't know the answer you're after. But he or she can put you on the trail of someone who does. Psychologist studied how this works. In his andquot;small world experimentsandquot; he determined that you can find someone who can help you within six contacts. In popular jargon that's andquot;.andquot;

There are several technology tools you can use to help your people do this more efficiently. tools will help you identify connections.



Simple discussion groups and help people get to know other people with specific expertise. Set us discussion boards or email discussion lists that help your people share shoptalk. In shoptalk groups, people learn about both their work and their peers. Both kinds of knowledge help at problem solving time.

Traditional databases can help your people solve problems. Use your formal databases, but supplement them with databases that can do free text searching so your people can search resumes and project reports for key words.

In today's world, you'll almost certainly look online for problem-solving information. In the Google Age, many people use the net as a main source of answers.



But Google should be just the start. Mine the web sites that you find with Google. Use Google to find experts that you can contact directly. Go a step farther. Visit Amazon and search for books on your topic. Note the authors. Search for them on the web. Read their books.

That's another source, printed material. Books and journal articles are great sources of information. Don't neglect them just because this is the andquot;Digital Age.andquot; And don't forget that many older journals and books may not be online at all.

None of these sources stands alone. The magic is in the mix.

Your brain may call up the memory of your friend who is an engineer and who may be able to help. He or she may recommend a journal article that you find online or a book from Amazon or your friend's library.

In the real world, Knowledge Management isn't all about fancy technological systems. Effective knowledge management is a collection of tools that help your people discover and use their knowledge and the knowledge of their peers to do a better job of solving problems and building profits. Wally Bock helps organizations improve productivity and morale. He is the author of Performance Talk (http://www.performancetalk.com/). He writes the Three Star Leadership blog (http://blog.threestarleadership.com/), coaches individual managers, and is a popular speaker at meetings and conferences. ]]> The Ultimate Social Networking and Bookmarking Tools to Accelerate Your Online Income Part1 http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-ultimate-social-networking-and-bookmarking-tools-to-accelerate-your-online-income-part1 http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-ultimate-social-networking-and-bookmarking-tools-to-accelerate-your-online-income-part1#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:57:28 +0000 google mapsgoogle docs spreadsheetssocial networking sitesbookmarking webinternet marketerebaygoogle http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-ultimate-social-networking-and-bookmarking-tools-to-accelerate-your-online-income-part1 Internet marketer then it is important to understand the latest technologies used on the web. You should have a clear understanding of Web 2.0. You can improve your sales through social networking and social bookmarking.

Web 2.0 is a concept or a term used to describe the evolving changes with the World Wide Web today. It defines the trends of the new technologies and web design used to enhance creativity, share information, and create collaboration for users. Web 2.0 has forged large web-based communities like , blogs, wikis, and even folksonomies. The term Web 2.0 is also considered to be the new version of the World Wide Web. There are no technical specification changes but changes in the way people do things on the web with their design of sites and how to capture the users.

Web 2.0 has four different levels which embody the principles. The four levels include level-0, level-1, level-2, and level-3. Level-3 is the most Web 2.0 oriented and only exists on the Internet. The effectiveness is derived from inter-human connections from websites like , Craigslist, Skype, Wikipedia, and more.

Level-2 of Web 2.0 works by the use of applications. They can be used on or offline but gain the most advantages when used online. Flickr is known to be a level-2 site. This is a community generated tag and photo database that allows people to share their information.

An example of level-1 Web 2.0 is Docs and Spreadsheets. A common one used for music is iTunes because it has the ability to store music and purchase music. Level-1 applications work online and offline but gain many features when they are used online.

Level-0 applications are the true Web 2.0 trends that work excellent offline and online. These include things like MapQuest, Yahoo, and . However, mapping applications can also be considered to be level-2 when users need to go back online to add contributions to the sites.

Web 2.0 sites allow users to be interactive and not only retrieve information they are looking for. This means that people can build on the facilities of a site. The websites today provide networking which allow the users to run applications through their web browser. Users practically own the data on a site and can exercise control on a website.

A Web 2.0 site encourages users to participate and as they do, they add value to the site applications. Traditional sites limited users to being able to read information and become a part of a mailing list for newsletters. The Web 2.0 interface on websites have an interface that is rich and user-friendly. They might be based on Ajax, openlaszlo, or Flex. Many of these sites also have social networking features too.

User participation gives web surfers the freedom of adding to sites their input and their collective intelligence by participating in online discussions, forums, postings, and more. This makes a site worth going back to because the users have their own name on the site and they have their own place on the site which is branded by them.

When you have a Web 2.0 website that allows users to brand themselves into the site and collectively join others in discussions and things that interest them, they are sure to return. This not only generates traffic but it generates repeating users. These are people who feel they have an ownership in the website too.CW Teo, an experienced affiliate marketer for years currently owns http://www.FireballPlanet.com.sg. His passion for online marketing has prompted him to create an ecourse on WEB 2.0 to help promote the excellence use of Social networking and Social Bookmarking. To find out more, click here: http://www.Aboutweb20.com]]> Comparison Shopping: The Flip Side Of Searching http://www.artwoo.com/article/comparison-shopping-the-flip-side-of-searching http://www.artwoo.com/article/comparison-shopping-the-flip-side-of-searching#comments Sat, 20 Jan 2007 02:27:02 +0000 comparison shopping sitesken griffey jrpricegrabberfroogleshopwikishopzillacolor wheel http://www.artwoo.com/article/comparison-shopping-the-flip-side-of-searching
Search engines like .com" >http://Shopzilla.com and .com" >http://Froogle.com are great for increasing your web store's exposure, as well as doing your own product market research. But according to Kevin Ryan, of .com" >http://ShopWiki.com, his new company is NOT your typical comparison shopping search engine. It offers some cutting edge attractions that e-tailers and consumers alike should love:

1. It has "the most exhaustive selection of stores, about 120,000, and 60 million different items," enthuses Ryan. http://Shopping.com and .com" >http://PriceGrabber.com, two popular , only list about eight or nine thousand stores each. ShopWiki crawls the entire web, giving you more choices, more small stores, and better prices.

2. It has innovative new search functions:

• Rather than narrowing your search category by category, new technology enables the engine to decipher lengthy, specific text searches. For example, instead of searching for "baseball cards," then for specific players, then for years, simply enter ". rookie baseball card." Or type in "diamond ring less than $10,000 more than 1 karat," and the engine understands the numbers and the concept of "more than" and "less than".

• It offers a patent-pending . Instead of entering "red pants" and seeing hundreds of shades of red on various slacks, you can enter "pants" in the search line, then click on the color wheel to select one of 50,000 different colors. The engine will only bring you trousers close to that shade.

• The price slider lets you easily set the parameters on what you're looking to spend.

3. It gives you buying guides, known as wikis, that are written and edited by users. It has over 1,300 buying guides that explain the criteria for choosing various products. If you're in the market for a grill, you can find articles and reviews and read up on the different kinds of grills, and the benefits and drawbacks of each. There are general knowledge wiki sites, and travel wiki sites, but this is the first ever Shopping Wiki Site. It's a great learning tool, and can empower you to make informed buying decisions.

But How Does It Help My EBiz?

ShopWiki is a wonderful resource for market research--you can check out other retailers, and see who else is selling your product, how they're selling it, and what they're selling it for. It's important too that you can see your competition across all platforms because different markets have different price structures.

It's also a great tool for driving traffic to your store at no cost to you, and with no work on your end. If your e-store's not already listed in their enormous database, go to the Help section at the bottom of their homepage, scroll down to Merchant Information, and click on Add Your Store. Type in your domain name to ensure that ShopWiki will crawl your site and index your content. Add your own wiki--you can write or edit a buying guide, or you can put a wiki that describes your business and what you do, on your own page on the site. Says Ryan, "It's clean, it's easy to find things, it's fast, and it's very complete." Chris Malta and Robin Cowie of WorldwideBrands.com are the Writers and Hosts of The Entrepreneur Magazine EBiz and Product Sourcing Radio Shows. http://www.productsourcingshow.com for more FREE eBiz info from Entrepreneur Magazine Radio! ]]> Web 2.0: Are We Bowing To A False Messiah? http://www.artwoo.com/article/web-20-are-we-bowing-to-a-false-messiah http://www.artwoo.com/article/web-20-are-we-bowing-to-a-false-messiah#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2007 19:29:59 +0000 writing a book reviewsocial networking sitestriglyceride levelscomputer screenstatic billboardwriting a bookmarketers http://www.artwoo.com/article/web-20-are-we-bowing-to-a-false-messiah triglyceride levels?

Whoops, I'm sorry... do you even know what Web 2.0 is?

Web 2.0, in a nut shell, is the latest evolution in the online experience. The World Wide Web is now... ready... here it is: a tad more interactive, technologically speaking.

Where does Web 1.0 end and Web 2.0 begin? Beats the heck out of me! I'm basically your average techno-phobe =96 the proverbial anti-Geek, if you will.

Nevertheless, Web 2.0 typically refers to an assortment of internet-based communication tools and services =96 such as , wikis, and "new and improved" chat functionalities.

review on Amazon.com is apparently considered Web 1.0 technology.

I know all of this is a big whoop for some of you, but for others it's equivalent to the coming of the messiah (for either the first or second time, depending on which operating system you're laboring under).

Is Web 2.0 a Boon or a Bane for Consumers and Countries?

For most , their company's website has been a rather of sorts. But now, thanks to Web 2.0, a website can provide visitors, prospects, customers and selected victims, with a certain degree of "give and take".

You can talk to them, they can talk to you; you can learn more about them, they can learn more about you; they can "experience" you, you can "experience them" =96 in short, the level of communication through a has been enhanced.

Some though fear that Web 2.0 will enable online marketers to become even more intrusive and annoying... or liberating. China, Saudi Arabia and other fundamentalist and ideologically illogical regimes could be in for a big-time headache.

Nevertheless, Web 2.0 will eventually give way to Web 2.5, then Web 3.0 and 4.0 and so on, until ultimately, long after we're all dust, a computer screen will become a real =96 not virtual =96 portal into whatever exists on either side of the screen.

Actually, there probably won't be a screen anymore; it'll be more like a turnstile. Yes, the veil will have been lifted. And the tag line, "Reach out and touch someone", will have reached its fullest potential.

Here's the Problem...

Nothing has really changed. Web 2.0 will not sell your product or service for you. Web 2.0 will not negate the importance of salesmanship in print, in video, in audio, or any permutation or combination not yet assembled.

All the "old" requirements and admonitions about how to sell, and sell well, are still in full force.

The Top 10 Steps to Sell Your product =96 Even When Using Web 2.0

1. You need to identify a qualified market =96 those who are ravenously hungry for your product or service. Throwing mud on the wall and praying it will stick, won't work =96 never has, never will.

2. You need a hi-quality product or service that will satisfy your market's hunger, or fix their pain. No snake-oil scams permitted.

3. You need to know how to grab your market's attention in a stimulating and compelling way, so they know your product or service exists. Waiting for the phone to ring is not a marketing strategy.

4. You need to prove your product or service's value, unequivocally detailing at length =96 why and how your product is worth the price asked. Nothing is obvious when it comes to selling.

5. You need to make an irresistible offer. Why must your target market buy your product or service =96 and buy it now. Not to buy and not to believe is everyone's natural first choice.

6. You need to remove all risk =96 by offering a solid, confidence-building guarantee. "Trust me" is not a guarantee.

7. You need to anticipate all possible objections, and overcome them. And don't think for a moment there won't be any. There will always be objections and concerns =96 especially for a first-to-market product or service.

8. You need to ask for the order! Bashfulness and timidity has no place in sales. Ask, and only then shall you receive. Forget this, and you can forget the sale.

9. You need to clearly explain what your prospect must do, step by step, in order to buy, subscribe or inquire. Lead them to your order page.

10. Take nothing for granted.

Web 2.0 is a tool =96 another road to get you to market. It will not replace salesmanship. It can though make online marketing and sales more effective... if you know what it takes to wrap up a sale in the first place.

Are you absolutely beside yourself =96 giddy with delight because Web 2.0 has finally arrived to help you sell more, sell faster, make you richer, smarter, sexier, and lower your triglyceride levels?

Whoops, I'm sorry... do you even know what Web 2.0 is?

Web 2.0, in a nut shell, is the latest evolution in the online experience. The World Wide Web is now... ready... here it is: a tad more interactive, technologically speaking.

Where does Web 1.0 end and Web 2.0 begin? Beats the heck out of me! I'm basically your average techno-phobe =96 the proverbial anti-Geek, if you will.

Nevertheless, Web 2.0 typically refers to an assortment of internet-based communication tools and services =96 such as social networking sites, wikis, and "new and improved" chat functionalities.

Writing a book review on Amazon.com is apparently considered Web 1.0 technology.

I know all of this is a big whoop for some of you, but for others it's equivalent to the coming of the messiah (for either the first or second time, depending on which operating system you're laboring under).

Is Web 2.0 a Boon or a Bane for Consumers and Countries?

For most marketers, their company's website has been a rather static billboard of sorts. But now, thanks to Web 2.0, a website can provide visitors, prospects, customers and selected victims, with a certain degree of "give and take".

You can talk to them, they can talk to you; you can learn more about them, they can learn more about you; they can "experience" you, you can "experience them" =96 in short, the level of communication through a computer screen has been enhanced.

Some though fear that Web 2.0 will enable online marketers to become even more intrusive and annoying... or liberating. China, Saudi Arabia and other fundamentalist and ideologically illogical regimes could be in for a big-time headache.

Nevertheless, Web 2.0 will eventually give way to Web 2.5, then Web 3.0 and 4.0 and so on, until ultimately, long after we're all dust, a computer screen will become a real =96 not virtual =96 portal into whatever exists on either side of the screen.

Actually, there probably won't be a screen anymore; it'll be more like a turnstile. Yes, the veil will have been lifted. And the tag line, "Reach out and touch someone", will have reached its fullest potential.

Here's the Problem...

Nothing has really changed. Web 2.0 will not sell your product or service for you. Web 2.0 will not negate the importance of salesmanship in print, in video, in audio, or any permutation or combination not yet assembled.

All the "old" requirements and admonitions about how to sell, and sell well, are still in full force.

The Top 10 Steps to Sell Your product =96 Even When Using Web 2.0

1. You need to identify a qualified market =96 those who are ravenously hungry for your product or service. Throwing mud on the wall and praying it will stick, won't work =96 never has, never will.

2. You need a hi-quality product or service that will satisfy your market's hunger, or fix their pain. No snake-oil scams permitted.

3. You need to know how to grab your market's attention in a stimulating and compelling way, so they know your product or service exists. Waiting for the phone to ring is not a marketing strategy.

4. You need to prove your product or service's value, unequivocally detailing at length =96 why and how your product is worth the price asked. Nothing is obvious when it comes to selling.

5. You need to make an irresistible offer. Why must your target market buy your product or service =96 and buy it now. Not to buy and not to believe is everyone's natural first choice.

6. You need to remove all risk =96 by offering a solid, confidence-building guarantee. "Trust me" is not a guarantee.

7. You need to anticipate all possible objections, and overcome them. And don't think for a moment there won't be any. There will always be objections and concerns =96 especially for a first-to-market product or service.

8. You need to ask for the order! Bashfulness and timidity has no place in sales. Ask, and only then shall you receive. Forget this, and you can forget the sale.

9. You need to clearly explain what your prospect must do, step by step, in order to buy, subscribe or inquire. Lead them to your order page.

10. Take nothing for granted.

Web 2.0 is a tool =96 another road to get you to market. It will not replace salesmanship. It can though make online marketing and sales more effective... if you know what it takes to wrap up a sale in the first place Barry A. Densa is one of America's top freelance direct response copywriters. Visit http://www.WritingWithPersonality.com and see how Barry easily and quickly converts prospects into buyers using "salesmanship in print" =96 and while there, sign up for his highly regarded FREE ezine, Marketing Wit and Wisdom! ]]> The Internet is Not Complicated http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-internet-is-not-complicated http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-internet-is-not-complicated#comments Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:57:20 +0000 brand marketersmedia expolefeverspr practitionersvideos imagespopular artpodcasters http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-internet-is-not-complicated
On September 20 and 21, the Convention Center in Las Vegas will play host to the 2008 BlogWorld and New , the first and only industry-wide event on blogging with the largest blogging conference and trade show filled with seminars and talks from prominent figures in the industry. For bloggers, vloggers, and new media and social media people, this is the place to meet suppliers and developers, learn how to monetize, promote your blog and build your brand. Marketers, and Media and should also take advantage of the blogging phenomenon and find out how bloggers can bring in business.

There are still many people who do not have Internet at home or in the office. But whether or not you have online access anytime, much of the Internet remains unexplored. What newbies do not understand is that there is more to the Net than webmail and surfing. But how do you get started? Watch The Common Craft Show. "Explanations in Plain English", creators the call it. Using "paperworks" and simple language, the videos familiarize the viewer with different things you can access and do online, such as social media, podcasting, twitter, wikis and blogs.

Viral videos or form? You've seen them before--mashups of videos, images and sounds in new and totally unexpected ways, giving life to content that's fresh and innovative. Nobody can stop you from making them yourself and sharing your creations to the world. http://Totalrecut.com provides you with the tools and know-how you need to get into remix culture. Forget the restrictions, scare tactics and issues meant to harass creative individuals. Show the world what you can do, learn about copyright issues and join contests. Let's make the world a safe place for remixing and spread remix culture. The future depends on it.

Get more from Google through two of their services. First, lend a hand and test-drive Google Experimental, which could just change how the world searches for information. Sign up for one experiment and say what you think of them. There are three running at the moment: Keyboard shortcuts, Keyword suggestions, and Alternate views for search results. The last one has three cool components--view additional info, on a timeline, or on a map. Students will love these.

Google Hot Trends lists the top searches daily; Google Trends lets you search for trends. The latter shows the cities, regions, languages, and trend histories of the trend keywords. It also retrieves news items and graphs searches according to period and region.Jon Caldwell is a professional content manager. Much of his articles can be found at http://guidetoeasyinternet.com]]> 3 Great and Free Online Tools For Consultants and Freelance Professionals http://www.artwoo.com/article/3-great-and-free-online-tools-for-consultants-and-freelance-professionals http://www.artwoo.com/article/3-great-and-free-online-tools-for-consultants-and-freelance-professionals#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:50:27 +0000 usable portionsdocument serversblessing and a cursegooglefreelance consultantsgmail accountscheduling tool http://www.artwoo.com/article/3-great-and-free-online-tools-for-consultants-and-freelance-professionals blessing and a curse: email, RSS feeds, blogs and newsletters, not to mention your favorite websites; ; and task managers are all useful tools but it's rare that you have the time to really look through them all.

As result, you can often be behind the curve on news, project revisions, and grocery shopping.

I've collected a few of my favorite tools here to help you stay on top of things. They are all free, easy to setup, and will give you good information in a .

1. Reader: http://reader.google.com/

Google created this free tool that lets you aggregate news feeds (RSS/Atom), then sort filter, flag and share them without hassle. As you'd expect, you can search through the articles using Google's technology: this is a great time saver because once you've done the search, you can subscribe to its feed. Basically, you get to automate sorting through ALL your news sources rather than have to pick through each one.

If you have a , then you already have a Reader account, but you can setup separate ones for work and personal news in a few minutes. To get the most out of this tool, you'll need to spend 10-15 minutes copying and pasting the URLs of your favorite RSS feeds, but once they are setup, you will be happy you took the time.

2. Remember the Milk: http://www.rememberthemilk.com

This is a task management and . It has a premium version that will let you sync with your mobile devices, but the free version is powerful enough for most users (me included). This is especially helpful for and contractors that work with a number of clients: you can create individual lists of tasks for each client, set deadlines, estimate hours, add notes and tag tasks so similar activities are searchable. You can also share task lists online or print them out. The best features are the ability to email tasks to your lists and the reminders which you can receive by phone, email, text message or via chat.

3. Zoho: http://zoho.com

Zoho offers a full suite of productivity tools, all geared toward online collaboration.

There are paid options, but you can create anything from spreadsheets to wikis for nothing. It also has a cool app call Zoho Show which lets you do online presentations -- great for sales calls. Once you are setup, you will also have the ability to share documents and work on them in real-time with your colleagues. This feature plus built-in chat makes dealing with multiple contributors a snap.

If you need more specialized tools for invoicing, CRM, or data management, then you can check out their business apps. I'm a big fan of Zoho Projects which is their online project management tool.

Conclusion

There are a lot of great tools out there. As an online consultant, I tend to get sucked into a new application every week, but the key thing is to make sure you have what you need for doing business efficiently. The three applications I've talked about above are geared toward getting you results and keeping your cost low. Big organizations often spend millions to get the same functionality and their solutions are not half as good. With these tools, you should have an easier time staying on top of developments in your industry, managing and prioritizing tasks, and collaborating on projects.

Best of luck to you.Christopher Boulanger is Online Manager for Diversified Recruitment, Inc. (www.dricareers.com), an online career portal for minority professionals, as well as, a freelance online marketing consultant focusing on SEO, PPC, and website usability issues.]]> Profiting From Online Social Networking http://www.artwoo.com/article/profiting-from-online-social-networking http://www.artwoo.com/article/profiting-from-online-social-networking#comments Fri, 14 Jul 2006 00:27:06 +0000 social networkingtraditional marketingdatamonitorwikisforrester researchshopping productsquality http://www.artwoo.com/article/profiting-from-online-social-networking Shopping Products for Yahoo! Shopping, delivered a presentation entitled andquot;: The Peer Pursuasion Marketing Tool.andquot;

According to Kosciewicz, the Web today has grown into an andquot;architecture of participationandquot; that facilitates social networking through devices such as blogs, , RSS, podcasts, and more. has published studies that show that is continuing to lose credibility. For example, in 2002, 78% of respondents in a survey said that ads are a good way to learn about a new product. In 2004, that number had dropped to 46%. In 2002, 14% of respondents agrees that companies generally tell the trust. As pathetic as 14% is, in 2004, it had declined even further - down to 7%. Social networking as a means of marketing overcomes this lack of consumer trust because it relies on the word of the consumer rather than the word of the producer. Research from reported that 85% of repondents in a survey indicated that word-of-mouth from friends, family, or colleagues is more trustworthy than corporate-generated content.

So how do you take advantage of social networking to sell more product? Simple - you open yourself up. You plant the seeds of a community to grow up around your site by using devices such as blogs, customer reviews, and forums to give a voice to your customers or prospective customers. The caveat is that you must be high . You must have high quality service and a high quality product. If not, avoid this marketing method.

Kosciewicz outlined four important rules for using social networking on your web site:

1. Guide but don't control. 2. Never censor. 3. Don't be afraid of the negative. 4. Don't be paranoid.

If you open up a forum on your site but then restrict what people are allowed to say, such as removing posts that are negative toward your company or that mention your competitors, then you will do more damage than good to your reputation. Use negativity as a way to improve your business. If people are negative, look at that as feedback and act on it. Make changes, and then let your community know about it. Don't worry about your community talking about your competition. Your attitude has to be that you are the best, so why worry about it?

As a community develops around your web site, certain members will establish themselves as more influential than others. They will be more outspoken, and will be the ones who often respond to others. Cultivate these members, because they can be powerful allies. Once you have identified the more influential members of your community, contact them regularly, give them free product, become their friend. Feed your influencers information, and they will distribute it for you. But do not make it appear that you are only interested in them because they can help you sell stuff. You need to be genuine.

Measuring the impact of social networking is difficult. Unlike other forms of marketing, there is no direct connect between social networking activity and sells. What you will want to do is track traffic to pages such as customer reviews, referral links, etc.

Social networking can be a powerful marketing tool, if you have a high quality product and are not afraid of an open dialogue with your customers.

If you would like help implementing a social networking strategy for your web site, call Work Media at 1-888-299-4837 or email info@workmedia.net. Jerry Work is a partner in Work Media, a Nashville-based Internet marketing firm that specializes in helping companies implement aggressive, multi-pronged Internet marketing plans. Check out WM's blog site, http://ICanBeFound.com, for more articles about Internet marketing. http://WorkMedia.net ]]> The Social Bookmarking Phenomenon http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-social-bookmarking-phenomenon http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-social-bookmarking-phenomenon#comments Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:27:09 +0000 quotbookmarked urlsyoutuberss newsfeedscollective bodypodcastsnetworking http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-social-bookmarking-phenomenon networking and socializing are being introduced on a rapid fire basis and are the new consumers of online attention and time. Blogs, wikis, , , video socialization built around applications like ...all of these are recently formulated methods of communication that seemingly overnight have developed millions of participants.

One of the networking methodologies that has evolved from Internet architecture is the phenomenon of and;social bookmarking.andquot; One of the more popular sites is del.icio.us. On this site the notion is that you, the web surfer, share interests with others who have web access via your . It's the same concept as bookmarking favorites with your browser, but the collection of favorites has a coding system and is shared with others. You build a library of URLs that reflect your interests and that you consider worth visiting. You add a personal andquot;tagandquot; with a keyword that characterizes the site.

You can andquot;subscribeandquot; to tags so that you see every new post with that tag. That in turn can take you to the poster's entire list of favorites which may prove to be a new trove of information for you. del.icio.us allows you to go through the same exercise with podcasts, which are now scattered across the Internet galaxy like asteroids.

Others on the web have access to your library and thus to your personal interests. Utilizing a web based application (in this case, del.icio.us) participants are able to search through sites that others have bookmarked, using not only a standard search term but the tag that has been used to characterize the site. Tags form a of URLs and thus, a body of knowledge - and collective access to those tags forms a community of people with common interests. Included in the process is an optional personal profile, which provides your email address and allow others to communicate with you personally.

One of the drawbacks to this format is that a tag search is going to get you every commercial website out there who has laid claim to the same keyword. It takes a lot of scanning and scrolling to find sites that have been tagged by individuals instead of search engines.

There are several platforms out there for social networking. Flickr (www.flickr.com) is a site that uses uploaded photos for networking purposes instead of URLs. www.43places.com is a site where you upload your travel experiences, travel photos and travel interests along with your profile. Wists (www.wists.com) is a andquot;social shoppingandquot; exchange where the bookmarks are all about commercial shopping sites. The level of personal communication allowed by social networking sites is up to you: on 43 Places you can post your photo but refuse personal email. You can also hold the line at public access to your favorites library on del.icio.us.

Other social bookmarking platforms (or tools) as they are called, include:

- Backflip - Blinklist - blogmarks - Connotea - de.lirio.us - feedmarker - Jots - Lookmarks - Scuttle - unalog - Spurl - Simpy - Wists - Yahoo! My Web 2.0

They all have an assortment of tricks and widgets that make their sites a little different. Some of them have fairly sophisticated search methods for their subscribed users; some allow you to andquot;bundleandquot; tags for search purposes; most provide lists of the most popular bookmarks and the recent posts. It's all an interesting experiment in 'distance sharing'. Making use of it for professional (research) or personal uses simply requires taking the time to become comfortable with the methodology and then learning how to get maximum usage out of the tagging system. Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for http://www.apollohosting.com. She helps clients understand how a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, andamp; VPS hosting to a wide range of customers. ]]> Web 2.0 As A Marketing Tool http://www.artwoo.com/article/web-20-as-a-marketing-tool http://www.artwoo.com/article/web-20-as-a-marketing-tool#comments Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:20:00 +0000 customer loyaltycontactmarketing metricsaccenturesource marketingmarketing toolsshareholder value http://www.artwoo.com/article/web-20-as-a-marketing-tool customer loyalty is imperative for any brand.

The following should help to illustrate this further:

1. An increase of customer loyalty of 1 percent is equivalent to a 10 percent cost reduction (source: Bain and Co.)

2. The probability of selling to a new prospect is only 5 percent to 20 percent while the probability of selling to an existing customer is 60 percent to 70 percent (source: )

3. Customer loyalty accounts for 38 percent of margin, 40 percent of revenue growth and 38 percent of (source: Research).

Employing Web 2.0 to gain greater loyalty from customers:

Increasing the degree of engagement with the customer can lead to an increase in customer loyalty. Among the ways and means that are available in this day and age, for engaging successfully with the customer, Web 2.0 is among the most effective ones. So, the marketers who build their strategies around it, along with other , are likely to reap substantial benefits in terms of customer loyalty. These technologies are moving fast towards the mainstream and those who do not incorporate these into their arsenal are likely to have to rely mainly on price-competition in order to increase sales.

The Web 2.0 technologies enable marketers to reach out to potential customers or clients in ways that are more interactive and through which they can a larger number of people than methods that are more traditional in nature, besides being able to analyze the results effectively.

This has made it easier for businesses that are midsized or small to compete with larger ones, more than ever before. Online videos, wikis, blogs and other such applications allow them to interact with existing and prospective clients or customers, in more ways than before and more economically, as well, as these are less expensive than methods used traditionally. Some of the ways in which marketing can be done through Web 2.0, while making the best use of the funds allocated for the purpose, are as follows:

Sites for social networking:

As the average Internet user tends to use social networks more and more often, it has become possible for companies to benefit from the creation of user-groups centered around their services and products and try and have existing as well as prospective clients or customers join these. Through such networks or groups, not only can the users ask questions from company representatives or from each other, but also invite those known to them to join. Information regarding new service or product offerings can also be posted there, in addition to making announcements in real time.

In addition to that, a younger target group that often does not take sufficient notice of services and products that are advertised traditionally can be reached out to through sites like MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, etc. However, even as it is fairly simple to create content on any of these sites, it is essential to refresh the concept periodically, in order to retain interest.

Blogging:

Blogs not only help customers differentiate a company's products and services from the alternatives available, but also to do so at a negligible cost for the company. This enhances their appeal as tools for a company's marketing effort to reach out to prospective clients or customers and to begin to establish relationships with them.

Therefore, blogs have the potential to provide an advantage to those businesses that make use of the medium of communication that these provide, over those that do not.

Here, too, fresh content has to be provided regularly, in order to retain interest.

Press releases:

Press releases have become a marketing tool for communicating directly with consumers, as news websites, among which Google news and Yahoo news are quite prominent, have caused the syndication of news to become much simpler and more prevalent. These sites carry huge amounts of content in terms of press releases. Since substantial results are unlikely to be attained through news that is boring, even if it is optimized quite well, it is important to announce something that is newsworthy. Also, the message might get diluted if the keywords being focused upon are too many and the information being provided is too much. When looking for more information and resources related to marketing Private Label and Master Resell Rights Products, viral marketing, e-book marketing, internet marketing resources and ecommerce, visit http://www.moneytreecentral.com for complete details. ]]> How Social Media Benefits Corporate America http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-social-media-benefits-corporate-america http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-social-media-benefits-corporate-america#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:10:02 +0000 targetsales and marketingstudy showed thatwikismedia outletsmagazine readershipmedia vehicles http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-social-media-benefits-corporate-america


Organizations of all types and sizes are recognizing the ways in which social media can help them better understand, respond to, and attract the attention of their audience.



As a result, businesses are now jumping on the social media bandwagon at a rapid pace, embracing blogs, social networks, , and other vehicles to achieve their marketing and public relations goals.



What types of benefits can corporations achieve with an effective social media strategy?



* Get the Message Out Faster =96 and To More People

Social media enables more rapid sharing of information. It may take hours, or even days, for a new announcement to reach the end consumer through traditional channels. Why? Because when a press release is issued, a journalist or writer must first wade through all the lingo to find the key points. Then, the content must be re-purposed in article format, and sent it to an editor or proofreader before it is published.



Social , on the other hand, allow for instantaneous dissemination of not just news, but images, audio, video, and other multimedia content as well. And because releases geared toward social contain only key highlights, pertinent facts, and hyperlinks to related statistics and quotes, the information they contain can be immediately picked up and posted by bloggers and other online journalists.



Social media also provides more widespread coverage, enabling breaking news to reach a much larger and broader reader base than standard media outlets alone.



While and the number of available print publications continues to decline, the number of consumers using the Internet to access and share information continues to rise sharply. For example, one recent almost one out of every four Internet users =96 over 41 million people total in 2006 =96 visits MySpace on a regular basis.



* Improve Branding

Social media, and blogs in particular, can be a highly useful tool for enhancing both awareness and image. Blogging can help "spread the word" about a company, its products, and its services to more people, dramatically increasing brand recognition and awareness.



Additionally, social media can enable executives to gather input and feedback directly from their target audience, and use that intelligence for more effective reputation management. Insight into why people like =96 or hate =96 a brand is needed to help change and control audience perceptions and preferences.

* Boost the Impact of Direct Marketing

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a key component of today's direct marketing and lead generation strategies, and social media has proven its ability to significantly complement SEO initiatives.



Many social media techniques =96 such as frequent use of common jargon and key phrases, title tags, ticker symbols, and links to blogs and other relevant Web content =96 can help dramatically improve search engine rankings.



Additionally, while SEO relies on just a handful of popular search engines such Google and Yahoo to drive target prospects to a site, social media expands the potential audience by creating alternate channels.



For example, when content is published to a site, and that content is then linked to from del.icio.us or reddit, it can generate a tremendous boost in Web traffic. Many companies also find it much easier to generate compelling content that is likely to be picked up by bloggers, than it is to keep up with the "rules" required to rank high in today's popular search engines. SHIFT Communications is a full-service public relations agency specializing in high-tech, consumer, and social media public relations. SHIFT has offices in Boston and San Francisco. To learn more about high-tech PR visit, http://www.SHIFTcomm.com. ]]> New Media Marketing Growth http://www.artwoo.com/article/new-media-marketing-growth http://www.artwoo.com/article/new-media-marketing-growth#comments Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:19:59 +0000 new media marketingdirect mailmarketing mixmarketing communicationsweb video productionspodcastsconsumers http://www.artwoo.com/article/new-media-marketing-growth
Despite the proven efficiency, online have still not been appreciated or understood as well as these should be. The should be designed after giving due consideration to management of the company's reputation online, as the media business continues its shift towards the World Wide Web.

Product reviews, blogs, message boards and , among other mechanisms, are part of online communities that provide forums, where suggestions, questions, criticism, praises, etc., are posted. The businesses often take an active part in the establishment of such communities, so that customers who feel satisfied by their services or products can come together and share their experiences. All this forms part of the concept of new media and incorporates a fair level of transparency.

Rather than believing advertising dispensed through the print media, television, and radio, are increasingly known to believe opinions and advice obtained from peers, who have tried out a service or product. Referrals and Internet research are the basis of decisions to purchase, more than ever before, and statistical evidence is now available to show that there is truth in this contention. Therefore, the premise that points towards influence among consumers being lost by advertising of the traditional type is gaining credence and can be used as a powerful argument in favor of the promotion of .

Potential risks might actually be mitigated through answers that are transparent and honest and aimed at solving issues, even though one view is that weaknesses of the business are likely to be exposed to competitors, besides individuals, who might post comments that could be highly critical, at times.

Podcasts, blogs, , RSS and other such technology applications driven by the Internet effectively aid the process of new media marketing.

Despite that, numerous organizations are yet to engage customers in online communication.

This is often because:

1. Several individuals have been asked to leave employment on account of some of the content on their blogs having been found to be objectionable by their employers. So, it is evident that many companies still do not have proper guidelines in place for employees who engage in digital communication.

2. Often, it is not clearly specified as to which department is supposed to interact online, as part of the new media marketing process.

3. IT personnel are often required to assist public relations or marketing professionals with implementation of marketing initiatives that are based online, since they are not capable of doing it on their own. This is despite the fact that the key messages of the organization are meant to be articulated by the PR or marketing professionals.

4. Despite what is evident from the trends, marketing budgets of organizations continue to allocate more funds for traditional and, often, offline channels of communication, even as marketing communications that are based online continue to become more efficient.

5. The readership of newspapers continues to decline in the US and the broadcast audiences continue to become increasingly fragmented, along with increase in the hours spent online daily by users.

The following have also changed the situation in favor of the new media:

1. The growth of wikis, podcasts, blogs and other such media that are generated by consumers.

2. Conventional media is trusted less by people than in the past.

3. Since conventional media content has become homogenized, on account of consolidation in the entertainment and media industries, some niche markets are not being catered to sufficiently.

The capacity of conventional media to cover daily happenings is increasingly becoming restricted, partly on account of the advent of new media. So, as the impact created by press releases in the conventional media decreases, it is advisable for companies to leverage new media to communicate with existing as well as prospective customers or clients, rather than corporate communications or public relations. This should be done despite the attempts of newspaper companies to overcome the challenges they are surrounded with.

Database marketing, websites, content management, blogs, search optimization and podcasts should all be employed as a part of the new media marketing communications programs. When looking for more information and resources related to marketing Private Label and Master Resell Rights Products, viral marketing, e-book marketing, internet marketing resources and ecommerce, visit http://www.moneytreecentral.com for complete details. ]]>