martedì 31 gennaio 2012

Have no text at the bottom of the slide

Yesterday I conducted a presentations workshop in Pune. It was a workshop on basics of presentations to under graduate students from all over India and was held as part of Sympulse, the annual management fest at Symbiosis Center for Management Studies UG. The workshop was successful and I too enjoyed a lot.

While I will write about the workshop and what I taught there in future posts. This post is about a simple feedback I received from two students. A lot of my slides had text at the bottom and this was getting difficult to read for students at the back (especially if a slightly taller person was sitting on their front). Here is a sample:

The lesson for all my future presentations is simple: Have no text at the bottom of the slide.

Original Page: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AllAboutPresentations/~3/WLREVGJiSfI/have-no-text-at-bottom-of-slide.html

Inviato da iPad

5 consigli per lanciare la tua startup su Facebook

Sui social network i clienti non sono sconosciuti da sommergere di pubblicità, ma persone con cui intavolare una discussione. Ecco come sfruttarli al meglio

Original Page: http://italianvalley.wired.it/news/2012/01/31/promozione-startup-facebook-19262.html

Inviato da iPad

When to Share Sensitive Information with Your Team

Being the boss means you are often privy to information that your team isn't. You may learn that a major client is unhappy with your service, or that senior leaders are considering outsourcing your team's work. At these moments, it's easy to feel stuck between your bosses and the people you manage. Do you share the information? Or do you protect your employees from it? Whatever the news, it's up to you to decide whether, when, and how to tell your team.

What the Experts Say
There are of course times when you are not allowed to share the news — your company has been acquired but the deal is not finished, or someone on your team is being let go. But there are a whole host of instances when it is up to you. At those times, you're likely to feel pressure from one side or another. "It's very rare people don't want to know the news even if it's bad," says Michael Useem, the William and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management at the Wharton School and author of "Four Lessons in Adaptive Leadership." But it's important to assess each situation individually and to remember it's not your job to coddle employees. "We're not their parents, we're their bosses," says Linda Hill, the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and coauthor of Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader. Telling or not depends on the situation, but these guidelines can help you make the decision.

Know your natural tendency
When it comes to privacy, we all have a preferred approach in our personal lives. Some tend to keep things quiet, while others are more of an open book. In your role as a manager, though, neither end of the spectrum is ideal. "If you're too private and people aren't getting the information they need to do their jobs, you need to get over it," says Hill. But if you're being too transparent — divulging too much information — it can come off as unprofessional. If you understand your biases, you'll be better able to counteract them and find a middle ground.

Question your motives
If you find yourself chomping at the bit to share news with your group or, on the flip side, resisting a conversation you think you should have, question your motives. Are you feeling guilty about harboring information? Are you afraid of people getting mad at you? "Understand your reasons for telling or not and ask yourself if they are legitimate," says Hill. Definitely don't share news if you are simply doing it to make yourself feel better. You shouldn't pass your anxiety on to your employees. At the same time, don't keep quiet just because you're uncomfortable or can't figure out how to deliver the news.

You should also question whether or not your motives are manipulative. Don't hold back information to gain or prevent a certain outcome from your people. For example, Hill says she takes issue with companies that know they have to lay people off but don't tell in the hopes that employees will work hard until the bitter end. Secrecy in this case is deceitful.

Tend toward transparency
Both Hill and Useem argue that managers should typically be as transparent as possible, especially when it comes to negative messages. "You need to give them bad news if it's going to impact their work or career in ways that are material," says Hill. Telling also allows you to enlist your team's help in solving the problem. Openness builds your credibility, which Useem describes as "cash in your account." Employees will trust that you're going to tell them what they need to know. Then, if at some point, you can't tell them everything, they are much more likely to understand.

Frame it about the future
If you decide to share, make sure your delivery includes a degree of hopefulness. "Frame the news so they can absorb it and do something about it," says Hill. Useem concurs and says that leaders have a responsibility to show people what the path forward is. For example, if you need to tell your team that you lost an important project bid, you can say something like, "While this is definitely bad news, we are going to double our client development efforts and work towards securing three smaller projects by the end of the year. You can help by reaching out to your network and reporting any leads back to me." Useem says that no matter how bad the news you need to convey optimism. Of course you don't want to give anyone false hope. "Overstating the likelihood of success can lead to disappointment later on," says Useem.

But don't over share
Also realize that total transparency may be unnecessary and overwhelming to your employees. Resist the temptation to share news when you don't have complete information and to delve into details when it will cause more harm than good. "People have a hard time coping with probabilities on the down side," says Useem. Instead of hearing there is a small chance of the negative outcome, they are likely to panic and assume it's a done deal. Hill agrees: "You don't need to share your entire thought process with people."

When to keep your mouth shut
There are also times when you are not at liberty to disclose information because of corporate policy, or a directive from your boss. In these cases, if you feel your employees should know the news, challenge the rule or decision by talking to upper management and making the case for telling. But without permission from above, don't go against policy. You could put your job at risk.

Principles to Remember

Do:

Ask yourself why you want to tell or not and assess whether it's a legitimate reason
Lean toward being transparent if possible
Frame the news so that people know what they can do about it

Don't:

Hold back information because you aren't sure how to deliver it
Flout company policy if you want to share something you've been asked not to
Give your team every detail about a decision — tell them just what they need to know

Case study #1: Give the necessary information
Rocky Pecoraro, the principal of Pecoraro Recruiters International, had some pretty bad news to share. Several months earlier, Rocky had placed Gerald* in the position of director of food and beverage at a resort hotel. Gerald's supervisor was disappointed with the new director's performance and wanted to terminate him. Rocky promised that he would talk to Gerald to see if his performance might be turned around. Rocky did just that, but refrained from telling Gerald that he would be fired if his behavior didn't change. "I had a previous experience on a different position where the individual walked off the job fearing he was to be fired anyway," Rocky explains. So I didn't feel that I had to tell [Gerald] every detail and have it hanging over his every move. It would have been too much pressure," Rocky says. Instead, he told Gerald to work harder at adapting to the hotel's culture and meeting expectations. Gerald listened to the feedback, and after venting frustrations of his own, worked with Rocky to do a better job. In the end, Rocky's supervisor was pleased with the changes he saw and agreed to keep Gerald on board. "Ultimately I believe most of us want to know the truth and not have to discover it on our own," Rocky says. But if I had told [Gerald] the whole truth about what [his] supervisor said exactly as it was, it would have been detrimental to their future relationship."

*Not his real name

Case study #2: Enlist them in coming up with a solution
Suchitra Mishra had been leading a close-knit central account operations team at an IT company in India for three years when she found out the group was to be disbanded. She knew the decision, which was to be carried out in four months' time, would negatively impact everyone as they were reassigned and given new responsibilities. "We would have to learn new skills and new style of working" with new peers and bosses, she says. "This is not easy to do at any stage of a career and I expected stiff resistance and negativity. As a leader, my first instinct was always to 'protect' the team, to not let anything demotivate them." But she realized this would benefit her more than it would them. Instead, she decided to share the news immediately in a sit-down meeting to help ease the transition and give the team time to "accept the inevitable." "The reaction was a mixed bag of emotions — anger at management for changing something that was working, fear about their jobs, and unhappiness about having to make a fresh start," she says. But she also encouraged the group to focus them on the future "Letting them know as soon as I knew gave us time to strategize and work on a plan to ensure smooth transition for both us and the departments everyone eventually moved to," she says. Her superiors were also happy because she managed the change without a drop in productivity. 'You have to trust your teams enough to process all information — good or bad — for them to feel valued and empowered to deal with all situations," she says.

Original Page: http://feeds.harvardbusiness.org/~r/harvardbusiness/~3/ooL2hIUfKTc/should-the-boss-protect-or-inf.html

Inviato da iPad

Un confronto fra MacBook Air e Pro: GHz o SSD, questo è il dilemma!

MacBook Air VS MacBook Pro TheAppleLounge.com Un confronto fra MacBook Air e Pro: GHz o SSD, questo è il dilemma! Il 2012 dovrebbe essere ~~l'anno~~ ~~della profezia Maya~~ l'anno dei SSD (Solid State Drive). Nei prossimi mesi si suppone che si possa avviare una produzione massiccia di SSD il cui costo si dovrebbe aggirare attorno a 1$ USA per 1GB abbattendo i prezzi per 1GB attuali che sono doppi (o addirittura più che tali).

Apple ha capito l'importanza dei SSD rendendoli di serie sui MacBook Air. Va ancora diversamente per gli altri computer designed by Apple in California per i quali i "dischi" a stato solido rimangono opzionali.

Ma perché questa scelta? I prezzi dei computer non "sottiletta" di Apple lieviterebbero troppo, penseranno alcuni. Meglio offrire agli utenti più esigenti (si legga come Pro) un maggior quantitativo di RAM e GHz, diranno altri. È giusto lasciare la scelta della personalizzazione del computer all'utente, proporranno altri ancora.

Forse, più prosaicamente, gli SSD sui MacBook Air sono il modo con cui si può offrire un prodotto "limitato" dando l'impressione all'utente medio di avere un computer estremamente potente.

Continua a leggere: Un confronto fra MacBook Air e Pro: GHz o SSD, questo è il dilemma! (...)

Un confronto fra MacBook Air e Pro: GHz o SSD, questo è il dilemma!, pubblicato su TheAppleLounge il 31/01/2012

© gibi79 per TheAppleLounge, 2012. | 22 commenti |
Tag: HyperX, Kingston, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, samsung, Solid State Drive, SSD

Original Page: http://www.theapplelounge.com/?p=72549

Inviato da iPad

lunedì 30 gennaio 2012

6 Presentation Links Worth Clicking

When I was in the States last year, I met up with Nancy Duarte… and she interviewed me. She's now written up the interview on her blog. Find out more about my story and why I'm passionate about helping people be better presenters – and particularly helping people overcome the fear of public speaking. Here's the link: Nancy Duarte interviews Olivia Mitchell.

And here's five more links to great writing on presentation skills:

Even TED speakers get nervous
TED is an elite conference where invited speakers give 18 minute talks on the ideas they're passionate about. In this short post on the TED blog, TED speakers talk about what it's like to give a TED talk. Main takeway – if you're not nervous , you're not pushing yourself enough – you're playing safe.

What you can learn from Dan Pink
Another of Andrew Dlugan's signature speech critiques (scour his blog for many others). This one features a 2009 TED talk by Dan Pink which is worth listening to in it's own right. Andrew has a wonderful talent for deconstructing a talk and showing us why they work (and occasionally why they don't).

An elegant way of addressing the elephant in the room
Diane DiResta was about to teach a class of young girls when she was told that their school principal had died unexpectedly the day before. How did she handle it?

Jon Thomas's best 20 posts on PowerPoint presentation design
Jon's blog is a fantastic treasure trove of slide design advice and now he's collated a list of his best posts that will help you create visually engaging and effective PowerPoint presentations.

Speaking Perfection is a Myth
This is a recurring rant of mine – and it's well-articulated in this post by Rich Hopkins. If you fall prey to the disease of perfectionism, then you need to read this.

If you've recently read a great article on presentation skills, do leave a link to it in the comments.

Original Page: http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=5174

Inviato da iPad

Find a Presentation Designer Here

Are you looking for a presentation designer? I've been asked so many times if I could recommend a presentation designer that I've decided to publish a list of PowerPoint and Keynote slide design companies and freelancers. I asked each presentation designer to talk about their approach to presentation design and to give me an example of a slide that represents their brand.

I've used a very traditional method to order these presentation designers – it's alphabetical based on the principal's last name.

You'll see a tremendous variety in approaches – from business focus, to scientific rigor to aesthetics.

Rick Altman, Better Presenting
There are plenty of PowerPoint trainers in the world. There is also no shortage of speaking coaches. And finding a marketing consultant to help with message and branding is not terribly difficult. But finding a consultant with demonstrated expertise in all of these critical areas of presentation is not so common. Rick Altman is one of the few in the presentation community who blends presentation design, best practices, and software technique to serve his clients.

This finished slide, for the largest insurance provider in the United States, began as a typical slide, with far too many words, no white space, and no visual focus (text is greeked to respect company privacy). Pairing down the text to hone the message is just the first part of the solution; integrating an evocative visual is critical to giving the message its emotional weight. Finally, using PowerPoint's support for semi-transparency allows the text and the image to be blended into a single story.

Claudia Bennett, Cestudio Design
The best presentation has the speaker's message simple and right to the point and educates the audience in the subject message matter while keeping the story line alive. Like a good movie! I feel privileged to count myself as one of the few presentations designers worldwide able to work in both English and Spanish. I'm based in Boston, Massachussets, USA.

Chantal Bossé, CHABOS
I have a passion for visual communications. Since I created CHABOS in 2004, my main goal has been to help entrepreneurs, trainers and speakers improve their presentations and performance with a real "visual communication" tool.

To convince audiences we need more than just pretty slides; we need a convincing and inspiring message! My approach to help clients set themselves apart from the crowd: flexible presentations. It gives them the possibility to tailor their message to the audience's needs on the spot. It does take more time, and of course practice to master content structure and the use of the technology. But presenters willing to go that route have a memorable impact on audiences. Some clients have even increased their sales with this presentation method, and greatly reduced the need to design new slide decks all the time.

When people are not comfortable with this method, I stick with regular linear presentations but with very few bullet lists, using instead meaningful visuals and one idea per slide.

Jeff Brenman, Apollo Ideas
Apollo Ideas is a presentation consulting and design company. We help people with great ideas develop and deliver presentations that convince, inspire, express, captivate, evoke, teach, move, entertain, sell, engage, challenge, motivate audiences. Our mantra, "Clear Simple Expression", is part of what sets our work apart. Everything we create is tested against three criteria: 1) Is the message clear? 2) Is the story simple to understand? 3) Is it expressive? A "yes" to all three defines Apollo Ideas style.

Louise Cunningham, Halo Media
Halo Media is a design company with a passion for presentations! Our focus is on the content flow and visual appeal – transforming your content into a professional, well-designed (and hot!) presentation. We've produced PowerPoint and Keynote presentations for well-known brands across the globe including:

Coca Cola | Unilever | Orange (France Telecom) | GTS Lufthansa | Nestlé

We are South African based – this mean's we are in line with GMT time (1 hour ahead of the UK), English is our first language and our exchange rate suits your pocket!
You'll find our showreels on our site… we look forward to hearing from you!

Mike Davenport, Stick Figure Simple
I believe people are overwhelmed with information. They can't cut through the mind clutter anymore. I believe people want easy to absorb information. Information they can grasp in a glance so they can learn, lead and find opportunities faster. Better. Easier. I believe people want simple communication – the simpler, the better.

Ever have that relieved feeling when someone says, "Wait, let me draw you a quick picture?"

It works. Simple pictures make communication better. And simple pictures – stick-figure-simple pictures – sweep away complex information, leaving us with what really matters.

Nancy Duarte, Duarte Design
A good story changes how people think, feel, and act–moving them to buy a product, embrace an idea, fund a cause or join a movement. Presentations have the potential to transform audiences by connecting authentically and communicating persuasively through the power of story. Duarte is the global presentation leader, with expertise honed through more than twenty years in practice, two top-100 Amazon business books, and global training curriculum based on the award-winning methodology. We apply visual storytelling techniques from cinema and literature to build engaging communications, high-concept campaigns and transformative experiences that inspire a groundswell response in any audience. Our presentations unfold across multiple channels, whether it's a live keynote or breakout, video or multimedia content delivered on demand, or an immersive, user-navigated experience. Through a highly collaborative process, we'll work closely with you to write, design, produce, and deliver a presentation–in any form–that accelerates the reach and impact of your message.

Artur Ferreira and Rogerio Chequer, SOAP
SOAP – State Of the Art Presentations – was created by business consultants who, after participating in business presentations, realized that most of the presentations were boring and ineffective, and so opportunities were being lost. SOAP brought together elements from Design, Advertising, Consulting and Storytelling to develop a unique methodology that we call Soap System.

SOAP System touches on all the components of a presentation: defining the approach, writing the script, creating the visuals and coaching the presenter.

Our goal is to leverage strategic moments with impactful messages, stories and visuals that lead the audience to your objective.

Our leading-edge design studios are equipped with the latest technology for graphic design, animation, video production and other interactive media.

Ana Foureaux Frazao, AnaFxFz
I create designs that attract, inspire, and motivate people to respond to visual messages. My conceptual designs are original artwork focused on innovation. I am a Mac-based designer but proficient in a broad range of design applications for both Mac and PC. I am multilingual, with solid international experience, and have designed keynote and pitch presentations for high profile speakers, book authors, and technology entrepreneurs from around the world. I am currently based in San Francisco, California, where I launched AnaFxFz Communication Design, a studio focused on Presentations, Branding, and Information Design.

Sandra Johnson, PresentationWiz
Sandra Johnson is on a mission to help people use PowerPoint responsibly. By combining marketing communications and design expertise with known audio-visual learning tenets, her presentations bring her clients' ideas to life in a way that connects with and compels audiences.

Johnson is a 20-year marketing communications veteran who has developed and successfully implemented marketing communications programs for clients like 3M Health Care, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and Porsche Cars of North America. Her strategic expertise and creative PowerPoint design and strategic consultation skills have made her a valuable resource for her clients since forming her PowerPoint presentation business in 2001.

Since 2008, Sandra has been recognized by Microsoft Corporation as one of a handful of Microsoft PowerPoint Most Valued Professionals (MVP) in the US.

Philippa Leguen de LaCroix, Cornerstone Presentations
At Cornerstone Presentations in London we do things differently: we're into the science of how our brains process information, and we use this science to create strategically designed, highly-targeted slides that communicate effectively and engage the audience.

In fact, the multimedia learning science we follow actually proves that traditional onscreen bullet points are not only a tedious PowerPoint habit – they are also detrimental to your audience's capacity to learn.

We're a small and expert team and we take time to understand your business and your messages. Our scientific approach has been a big hit, and more importantly, hugely successful: we've helped our clients win millions of pounds worth of business.

With excellent design and scientifically proven techniques – we're confident that we can improve your presentations significantly. Give us a call or drop us an email for an informal chat about how we can help you.

Jason Leow, PopcornPrez
PopcornPrez is about crafting presentation experiences that delight, so that we deliver "presentations to have popcorn with" – which is our tagline. Ultimately, a delightfully great presentation experience is about getting buy-in to a product, service or an idea. I always tell my clients that I'm really a business consultant with a specialty in presentations. What I am really doing is to help businesses achieve their business objectives through visual communication and design.

We also love sharing our design inspiration and knowledge with more serious presenters/presentation designers, through a laterally-inspired curated blog where we get the kick out of connecting seemingly disparate pieces of information into inspiration for presentation design!

Rowan Manahan, Fortify Services
I come from a corporate background and have been crafting presentations at every level since 1989. From flipcharts, OHPs and 35mm slides to the latest in Slideware technology, I have seen the best and the worst that goes on when people stand up to speak. What makes for a good presentation, speech or talk?

(1) Having something that's worth saying
(2) Having an audience that wants or needs to hear what you have to say
(3) Having the time to turn the thing that's worth saying into something that's worth listening to

My company, Fortify, can transform your presentation delivery, content and technology to whatever level you need and I work closely with every client on every project. We start at the end – what do you want to happen as a result of the presentation? – and work our way back from there, to determine the optimal approach.

Magda Maslowska, Haute Slides
My presentation design philosophy has been developed both through my interest in cognitive science and over 7 years of practice as an information graphic designer. This means carefully selecting design elements such as photography, icons, typography, colors and layouts so they dance harmoniously together emphasizing the idea.

I focus on visual persuasion and information retention through story, design and appeal.

Story is the heart of the presentation. An effective presentation is an equal partnership of data and emotional connection with the audience.
Design is about problem solving, organizing and presenting data to transform it into valuable, meaningful information.
Aesthetic appeal serves an integral part of how we feel about the things we see.

Creative and production processes are based on years of experience developing audience-centric high stakes presentations for global technology leaders. The goal is to make slides both beautiful and meaningful with a purpose to effectively communicate the message.

Miguel Monteiro, Tribe Presentations, Portugal
At TRIBE Presentations, our main contribution, as design and communication professionals, is helping to build contents and add-value through visual illustration, optimizing understanding and achieving the best adhesion of audiences to the messages delivered.

Dave Paradi, Think Outside the Slide
I help executives and professionals sell ideas that are not easily understood, like technical or financial information, so the audience gets it. I start with the structure of the message and help create slides that enhance what you say.

I am not a designer, I don't use graphics software, and that's exactly why I might be right for you. I have an MBA, wear a suit and understand the bottom line orientation of business executives. If you are an executive, sales professional, engineer, or analyst who has to create and deliver presentations regularly to win business, update others, or inform a group, there's a good chance I can help you.

I won't craft a gorgeous set of slides or make your slides "pretty". In my training workshops and consulting assignments, I provide practical advice to help you create and deliver persuasive PowerPoint presentations to colleagues, executives and clients.

Carl Pullein
Simplicity in design, naturalness in language and restraint in content. That is the fundamental approach to my presentation design and delivery philosophy.

We are teaching Korean people to present in English in a much more communicative and natural way that gets results.

Jan Schultink, Idea Transplant
Idea Transplant is a presentation design firm headed by Jan Schultink. Jan is a presentation designer without a formal training in graphics design. Instead, he spent 10 years as a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company. This experience has taught him how to craft stories for a CEO audience.

Jan is based in Tel Aviv, but the majority of his clients are abroad (thanks to the Internet). These clients range from the smallest startups (fund raising pitches) to the largest multinationals (sales presentations, analyst presentations).

Jan is the driving force behind Idea Transplant, one of the most popular blogs about presentation design.

Scott Schwertly, Ethos3
The question here isn't whether or not our designers are good or not. Our ironclad egos are 24/7, impenetrable self-esteem shields, and we feed them everyday. The question is whether or not design matters for presentations, and the answer is a resounding yes.
The aesthetics of your presentation are divided into two categories: expedience and resonance. Our designers are expedient because they walk around looking at things and ingesting lifelong lessons from their observations–it's like Neo learning martial arts in The Matrix. Our designers are resonant because they are fully formed emotional creatures that have been augmented with 4+ year degrees entirely focused on how imagery precipitates change.Not everyone needs presentation design help. Take Ethos3: we don't hire it out because we already do it. For the rest of you, let our skilled team turn your expertise into expedience and resonance. This is the correct interpretation of today's horoscope.

Jon Thomas, Presentation Advisors
Presentation Advisors was founded on the cornerstone of my favorite quote, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. (Leonardo DaVinci)" Designing your presentation is less about repeating the presented information in visual form, but creating a visual backdrop that accentuates the information being presented by presenter. It requires visuals that engage the audience's senses, giving them a visual cue to tie to the information being presented. It means fewer words, more images, unique fonts and large images. It's about delivering your message in its simplest form (but no simpler).

Presentation design is also about weaving narrative throughout the presenter's story. Since audiences have little time to hear a sales pitch but lots of time to hear a great story, presentations require a narrative format to truly resonate with an audience.

Simplicity + Beauty + Story = Presentation Advisors

If you're a presentation designer and you'd like to be added to this list, let me know via my contact form (please don't use the Comments for this purpose).

And readers looking for a presentation designer, tell me what could make this post more useful for you? Do let me know in the Comments.

Original Page: http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=5188

Inviato da iPad

Come creare il font della vostra grafia in pochi minuti [HOW TO]

Sì, questa è la mia grafia, ma non l'ho scritto a mano, E potete farlo anche voi!

Original Page: http://www.ninjamarketing.it/2012/01/30/come-creare-font-della-vostra-grafia-in-pochi-minuti-how-to/

Inviato da iPad

11 modi per aumentare immediatamente le visite del tuo blog

Ma c'era bisogno di piazzare quell'odioso "immediatamente" nell'headline? Sì perché ci sono tati modi per aumentare le visite di un blog, e non tutti danno dei risultati osservabili il giorno dopo.

aumentare visite

Ammetto che ho pensato di scrivere questa guida dopo aver letto l'articolo di SEOMoz, ma non temere: l'articolo che stai per leggere (e spero per condividere e commentare) è un concentrato della mia esperienza di blogger. Mica poco, eh?

1. Usa Facebook, Twitter e Google Plus

Usa Facebook, Twitter e Google Plus per condividere i tuoi contenuti ma (banale ma indispensabile precisazione) fallo con la giusta mentalità.

Questo vuol dire non usare i social come un surrogato del feed rss e non condividere solo gli aggiornamenti del tuo blog: devi entrare in contatto con le persone, postare risorse utili, diventare un punto di riferimento per la tua nicchia.

Consiglio extra: guarda come fanno SEOmoz e Smashing Magazine!

2. Inserisci i bottoni social

E poi ti lamenti che nessuno ti retwetta o che su Facebook non c'è traccia del tuo blog. Certo, se continui a fare il superiore e a non voler inserire i bottoni per condividere sui social…

Ormai ci sono mille modi per inserire i pulsanti in qualsiasi punto dei post. Io seguo un paio di semplici regole:

Uso i codici originali ed evito i plugin.
Mi limito a pochi social.
Li posiziono in vista, all'inizio dell'articolo.

Per avere i codici di inserimento ti consiglio di visitare le rispettive pagine di Facebook, Google Plus e Twitter.

3. Pubblicizza vecchi articoli

I contenuti freschi sono indispensabili in un blog, e questo lo sappiamo bene, ma con i social network puoi facilmente pubblicizzare anche vecchi post.

Io uso Twitter e Facebook per ripubblicare i miei articoli e ricevo feedback positivi: è importante condividere sempre contenuti aggiornati e avvisare i lettori che stanno per leggere un contenuto datato.

4. Usa i link su Youtube

Quando pubblichi un video su Youtube puoi inserire una descrizione. Io qui metto sempre i link che voglio spingere così usciranno anche nella descrizione di tutti i link condivisi su Facebook.

Ecco una descrizione completa di questo piccolo trucco per aumentare il click al sito da Youtube.

5. Commenta

Lasciare commenti nei blog e nei forum è un buon modo per farti conoscere e per aumentare le visite del tuo blog. Basta far riferimento a queste regole basilari:

Scegli blog con un target simile al tuo.
Scrivi un commento di qualità, quasi un guest post.
Migliora la leggibilità dei commenti con la formattazione.
Metti i link giusti.

Quello che devi evitare è altrettanto semplice: non esagerare con la tua nota polemica, metti solo i link necessari e non uscire fuori tema. Non vorrai mica passare per uno spammer…

6. Pubblica un sondaggio

La gente va matta per i sondaggi perché è bello sentirsi chiamati in causa, ed è bello sapere che c'è qualcuno a cui interessa la propria opinione.

Creare un sondaggio sul tuo blog è facile: basta avere un account Google e impostare un poll con la piattaforma Docs; la difficoltà si racchiude nell'individuazione di un argomento interessante per la tua audience.

Il mio pubblico è interessato a queste domande? Sono uscito fuori dai loro interessi? Le domande che sto facendo sono comprensibili a chi mi legge? Queste domande sono fondamentali quando pubblichi un sondaggio.

7. Crea un'infografica

Le infografiche sono fantastiche, riescono ad attirare condivisioni e link (quindi visite) come fa il miele con le api. Ma ci devi saper fare, non è semplice creare delle infografiche davvero interessanti.

La verità è che io non sono un gran esperto di infografiche, per questo ti consiglio di fare visita al blog di Pasquale Gangemi: qui troverai tutte le indicazioni necessarie per muoverti alla grande nel mondo delle grafiche informative!

8. Cerca le giuste keyword

Vuoi farti trovare da chi usa Google & co? Quando scrivi il tuo prossimo articolo cerca e usa le giuste keyword nel tag title, nel tag alt delle immagini e nel testo: ecco un'immagine (fonte SEOmoz) che ho usato più volte e che riassume esattamente le strategie migliori per lavorare con le keyword.

keyword blog

Questa è come si presenta una pagina ottimizzata per le "chocolate donuts". Da notare che all'interno del testo non c'è una semplice ripetizione della parola chiave, ma un'alternanza di sinonimi e combinazioni simili.

E per trovare le parole chiave più performanti? Ci sono ottimi strumenti messi a disposizione proprio da Google oltre al classico AdWord, ovviamente da affiancare a questo video di Madri.

9. Usa una firma HTML

Pensa a quante email mandi al giorno. Ora pensa a quanti click puoi ricevere se alla fine della tua email inserisci una firma con un link che porta al tuo blog.

Vuoi saperne di più? Ho qui un bell'articolo che ti spiega come creare una firma HTML che funziona.

10. Scrivi un guest post

Quando scegli di scrivere e pubblicare un guest post non fai solo qualcosa di buono per aumentare le visite, ma anche per regalare buoni link al tuo blog e far conoscere le tue capacità ad un pubblico più ampio.

Impossibile descrivere il lavoro di un guest blogger qui, ma posso consigliarti un paio di articoli che elencano i trucchi e i piccoli errori che rovinano i tuoi guest post.

11. Pubblica un tutorial completo

In un tutorial, ovvero in una guida, c'è tutto quello che ti serve per risolvere un problema e sono sicuro che alla fine non potrai fare a meno di condividerlo, di linkarlo e di consigliarlo ai tuoi amici.

Questi articoli sono delle fonti inesauribili di traffico, a patto che tu riesca a scrivere una guida esaustiva e a trovare un argomento che non sia stato già affrontato da un centinaio di blog.

Link utile: per avere qualche idea in più ti consiglio di leggere questi 8 punti per scrivere un tutorial.

Quindi tutto si limita ad aumentare le visite?

No, assolutamente. Aumentare le visite è il primo passo, poi devi concentrarti sul target che ti interessa. Devi raggiungere la tua gente e aumentare le visite tra le persone che stanno cercando esattamente i tuoi contenuti.

Ma questo è un altro articolo ok? Adesso dimmi se mi sono dimenticato qualcosa e lascia i tuoi consigli nei commenti!

Fonte Immagine

Ciao! 11 modi per aumentare immediatamente le visite del tuo blog e' un post scritto da Riccardo Esposito, signore e padrone di My Social Web, che ti consiglia di dare uno sguardo anche alle Guide per Blogger.

Vuoi leggere ancora qualcosa?

Original Page: http://www.mysocialweb.it/?p=12014

Inviato da iPad

LinkedIn: 5 consigli di personal branding 2.0

5 utili tips per fare diventare il 2012 il vostro anno professionale!

Original Page: http://www.ninjamarketing.it/2012/01/30/linkedin-5-consigli-di-personal-branding/

Inviato da iPad

Concordia, il funzionamento della macchina salva-combustibile

Il mare agitato ha impedito a Hot Tap di lavorare. E servirà quasi un mese per portare via il carburante: il disastro ambientale non è ancora scongiurato

Original Page: http://daily.wired.it/news/ambiente/2012/01/30/concordia-giglio-naufragio-combustibile-hot-tap-19255.html

Inviato da iPad

How to Write a Speech: Make Money from Your Mind

How to Write a Speech: Make Money from Your Mind, and Overcome Your Three Major Challenges
By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

These are my notes for my keynote speech at Lady and the Champs HOW TO Speaking Conference 2012.

Interesting statistic: 100% of all GOOD speeches are not written, they are rewritten.

"How do you write a speech?" Not in a custom-made suit and high heels.
Chances are your masterpiece is NOT going to be created in one sitting.
You open your mind to accept thoughts, ideas, and concepts that will then be developed.

Patricia Fripp and Darren LaCroix getting ready for Lady and the Champs

Good starting point: Reflect on your life, family, career, and expertise.
What stories do you tell at dinner parties and family events?
Many of your best ideas will come in conversation, often in noisy places, with the notes written on soggy cocktail napkins or church bulletins.
Save your ideas for when you need them.

Process: Start with ideas and a note pad, then a Word file (while you can still read your handwriting), next a flip chart, then PowerPoint, then rehearse both formally and informally. Record, revisit, and revise.
Work for focused, extended periods.
It is never too early to start.

First big challenge: What is your subject? You do need a focus.
You may say, "Patricia, I can talk about 10 topics with equal authority."
Good for you. Pick one. Use the process to perfect one…then repeat.

Second big challenge: Your self-confidence.
Frequently asked question is, "What can I talk about with authority?"
Your summer vacation? Apart from your friends, who would care?
Needlepoint? Yes, for other needle pointers. That will pay modestly.
If your goal is to be well paid, is your message valuable to entrepreneurs, associations, or corporations?
Turning point for Patricia Fripp: When she realized she was an expert on how to start, build, and promote a small or medium-size business.
Speech examples that were delivered and adapted from 1976 to 2012:
How to Get, Keep, and Deserve Your Customers
How to Promote Your Business High-Tech, Low-Tech, No-Tech, and Totally Shamelessly

Third big challenge: Getting started.
Start with your family and life experience in chronological order.
Robert Fripp: "Any point you want to make in your speech, you can find an example from your family."
How did the advice, inspiration, or example manifest in your life?
What was your result? How do you recommend your audience apply this to their situation?
Revisit your business career.
List your bosses, managers, clients who were mentors.
What experiences do your friends have who work in other industries?
This becomes a "chunk" of content.
Even a content speech is going to have some of your personal experiences.
Take your experience; what is the lesson?
Relate the life lesson or universal principle to the current environment, and be clear how your audience can apply that lesson to improve their life or business.
What do your successful friends tell you about their business experiences? If nothing, ask!
Most of them have no interest in being speakers. Do their stories fit into your subject?
How were you inspired, what did you learn, and what did you do as a result?
How has your life, business, or relationships changed as a result?

The Process of Writing a Speech Expanded
Start with ideas, a note pad, then a Word file while you can still read your writing, next outline on a flip chart, give informal delivery, add PowerPoint if needed, then rehearse more formally with a target audience. Record, revisit, revise, and improve. When you feel your speech is as good as it can be, have your masterpiece transcribed. Then edit for clarity and specificity, visual words, and emotional connection. Confirm you are using dialogue, "you-focused" language, and the words sound conversational, not written. Have you removed all clichés, your personal verbal "tics," and empty words? The better your scripting, the better your delivery will be.

You think this process sounds like hard work? It can be time consuming. It is amazingly exhilarating. When you get this far, your audiences will say, "You can tell they are a natural!"

There is a fourth challenge for the emerging speaker. Getting those first bookings.

World Champions Edge and Lady and the Champs are really excited that we will be introducing our members and attendees to Bryan Caplovitz, President of SpeakerMatch. This is the best service to start building your speaking business or receive opportunities for you to showcase your talent or organization. Listen to my interview with Bryan http://www.worldchampslive.com/ProudSponsors.html

How to Write a Speech from Lady and the Champs 2012

Make More Money at Home presented at Lady and the Champs

Robert Fripp and Patricia Fripp after a keynote speech

Fripp works with organizations and individuals who want to put their best
foot forward by gaining powerful, persuasive presentation skills.

Patricia Fripp is a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), CPAE (Hall of Fame award), Cavett award winner (The Oscar of Professional Speaking), in-demand executive speech coach, and sales presentation skills expert.

Original Page: http://www.fripp.com/blog/how-to-write-a-speech-make-money-from-your-mind-2/

Inviato da iPad

How to Work with Someone You Hate

Working with someone you hate can be distracting and draining. Pompous jerk, annoying nudge, or incessant complainer, an insufferable colleague can negatively affect your attitude and performance. Instead of focusing on the work you have to do together, you may end up wasting time and energy trying to keep your emotions in check and attempting to manage the person's behavior. Fortunately, with the right tactics, you can still have a productive working relationship with someone you can't stand.

What the Experts Say
If you work with someone you don't like, you're not alone. The detested co-worker is a familiar archetype. Robert Sutton, a professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University and the author of Good Boss, Bad Boss and The No Asshole Rule, says this is part of the human condition. "There are always other people — be they relatives, fellow commuters, neighbors, or coworkers — who we are at risk of tangling with," he says. Avoiding people you don't like is generally a successful tactic but it's not always possible in a workplace. "Some people are there, like it or not," points out Daniel Goleman, the co-director of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations at Rutgers University and author of The Brain and Emotional Intelligence: New Insights. Next time you find yourself shooting daggers at the person in the cubicle next to you, consider the following advice.

Manage your reaction
Your response to your dreaded co-worker may range from slight discomfort to outright hostility. Goleman says the first step is to manage it. He suggests that if there is someone who is annoying or abrasive, don't think about how the person acts, think about how you react. It's far more productive to focus on your own behavior because you can control it. To handle your triggers, Goleman advises you practice a relaxation method daily. This will "enhance your ability to handle stress, which means the annoying person isn't that annoying anymore," he says.

Keep your distaste to yourself
While working through your displeasure, avoid the temptation to gripe with other coworkers. Don't corner someone by the water cooler and say, "There's something about Jessica I don't like, don't you agree?" Sutton notes that we all have a tendency to look for confirmation of our own opinions, but we should also resist it. "Because emotions are so contagious, you can bring everyone down," Sutton says. Besides, complaining about someone in your office can reflect negatively on you. You may garner a reputation as unprofessional or be labeled as the difficult one. If you find you have to vent, choose your support network carefully. Ideally, choose people outside the office.

Consider whether it's you, not them
Once you have your reactions in check, think about what it is you don't like about the person. Is there something specific that sets you off? Is it that she's just different than you? Does he remind you of your father? Do you wish you had her job? Jealousy and other negative emotions can cause us to wrongly assess and mistreat others. "When someone is doing better than us, we tend to scorn them," Sutton says. Differences can make us biased. "Our favorite person in the world is ourselves. The more different someone is from us, the more likely we are to have a negative reaction to them," he says. Focus on the behaviors, not the traits, that irk you; this will help you discern stereotypes from true dislike. "Start with the hypothesis that the person is doing things you don't like but is a good person," says Sutton. By better understanding what is bothering you, you may also be able to see your role in it. "It's reasonable to assume you're part of the problem," says Sutton. Be honest with yourself about your share of the issue. And be on the lookout for patterns. "If everywhere you go there's someone you hate, it's a bad sign," Sutton warns.

Spend more time with them
"One of the best ways to get to like someone you don't like is to work on a project that requires coordination," says Sutton. This may seem counterintuitive since you likely want to run from the room screaming whenever the person is there. But by working together, you can understand him better and perhaps even develop some empathy. "You might feel compassion instead of irritation," says Goleman. You may discover there are reasons for his actions: stress at home, pressure from his boss, or maybe he's tried to do what you're asking for and failed. Spending more time with your foe will also grant you the opportunity to have more positive experiences. But before you sign up to lead the next task force with someone you don't like, remember that there is one exception: "If it's someone who violates your sense of what's moral, getting away isn't a bad strategy," says Sutton.

Consider providing feedback
If none of the above has worked, you may want to consider giving your colleague some feedback. It may be that what bothers you is something that regularly gets in her way as a professional. "Don't assume the person knows how they are coming across," says Sutton. Of course, you shouldn't launch into a diatribe about everything she does to annoy you. Focus on behaviors that she can control and describe how they impact you and your work together. If shared carefully, you may help her develop greater self-awareness and increase her effectiveness.

But proceed cautiously. Goleman says whether you give feedback "depends on how artful you are as a communicator and how receptive they are as a person." If you feel he might be open and you can have a civilized conversation focused on work issues, then go ahead and tread lightly. But if this is a person you suspect will be vindictive or mad, or will turn it into a personal conflict, don't risk it. "The landmine when giving emotional feedback is that they take it personally and it escalates," says Goleman. You also need to be open to hearing feedback yourself. If you don't like him, the chances are good he isn't very fond of you either.

Adopt a don't-care attitude
In situations where you are truly stuck and can't provide feedback Suttons recommends you "practice the fine art of emotional detachment or not giving a shit." By ignoring the irritating behaviors, you neutralize the affect on you. "If he's being a pain but you don't feel the pain, then there's no problem," explains Goleman. This type of cognitive reframing can be effective in situations where you have little to no control.

Principles to Remember

Do:

Manage your own reaction to the behavior first
Practice emotional detachment so the person's behaviors don't bother you
Spend time trying to get to know the person and better understand what motivates him

Don't:

Assume that it is all about the other person — you likely play some part
Commiserate with others who could be unfairly influenced by your negativity or may judge you for your complaints
Give feedback unless you can focus on work issues and can avoid a personal conflict

Case study #1: Get to know him
Bruno West*, a senior executive in technology, was responsible for a post merger integration team that included members from both of the pre-merger companies. "It was a highly charged environment with aggressive deadlines and near endless work days," he says. Harry*, the CFO from one of the companies was particularly challenging; he had a caustic style, often spoke in a pejorative way, and even withheld critical information from Bruno and others. Harry was frustrated by Bruno but tried hard to withhold judgment. "I always ask — do I really not like the person or does their experiences and background cause them to address issues different than I do?" he explains. Whether he liked him or not, Bruno knew that he needed Harry's participation to be successful. He decided to spend time with Harry's colleagues in the former company to better understand what it was that Harry brought to the table. They spoke highly of his experience and his long history with the organization. Bruno then took Harry out to dinner and let him vent. "He voiced many concerns and was quite derogatory," Bruno said. Then he asked Harry to talk about some of the projects he had heard about from his former co-workers. "He shared with pride the teamwork, the late evenings filled with collaboration, shared success and accomplishment." At the end of the dinner, Bruno felt he better understood Harry and where he was coming from.

Bruno then slowly began to bring up the other stories about past projects during team meetings and asked Harry to explain what he felt they could learn from those experiences. "Momentum became our friend. He wanted to be recognized for his past accomplishments in the eyes of the new company members. Everyone in the former company knew his great value but he felt he needed to prove himself again," he said. Harry was much more cooperative when others asked for his viewpoint and acknowledged his expertise. Bruno had a much easier time working with him. Harry eventually left the new company but the two parted on good terms.

Case Study #2: Keep a healthy perspective
When Alex Vanier*, a logistics officer with the Canadian Army, returned from a tour of duty in Kandahar, he was assigned to work for Major Newton*, a maintenance officer in Petawawa, an hour and a half northwest of Ottawa. Alex found the major to be standoffish and quick to criticize. Even worse, the major often unloaded work on Alex. "He gave me things that were his to do and were inappropriate for me to handle," he says. The major didn't mentor the people below him and it often seemed he was only looking out for himself. He would ask Alex for candid advice on supply issues and when Alex replied with what he thought was his confidential perspective, the major would forward on his reply unfiltered to the commander. "I didn't really enjoy working with him at all. He had this real 'better than you' attitude," he says.

Alex tried not to do anything that would put him in close proximity to the major. Since he was his boss, this wasn't always possible. "I went to work and did my job," he says. He saw that the major behaved that way with everyone. "I looked at him and thought 'he has flaws' but I didn't take it personally," he says. He also turned to friends outside of the office with whom he could vent. At one point, Alex thought he would go to the chief of staff to share what was going on but then thought better of it. "I didn't feel it was my job to go and topple him," he says. Plus he didn't want to be seen as a complainer and wasn't sure sharing his opinion would change anything. Since assignments in the military are often short, Alex decided to wait it out. Eventually the major was sent to another position and Alex filled in for his role for four months. He said it was a vindicating experience because people commented on what a better job he was doing. In the end, Alex says he has no ill will toward the major. He believes it made him more self-aware. "I often ask myself, 'Is this something I do with my subordinates?" Ultimately he feels he's a better manager because of it.

Original Page: http://feeds.harvardbusiness.org/~r/harvardbusiness/~3/Kc0MLV3wFtU/how-to-work-with-someone-you-h.html

Inviato da iPad

Anteprima dei contenuti di "Inside Apple" in un video di 50 minuti

Se siete curiosi di approfondire il tema del "dietro le quinte di casa Apple", trattato nel libro di recente uscita "inside Apple", oltre a leggere il libro potete seguire questi 50 minuti di video-intervista, basata appunto sui contenuti espressi in Inside Apple, i retroscena raccontati da chi in questo ambiente ci ha lavorato e vissuto, ed eseguita durante una "tappa"del tour del video, presso i quartieri generali del social network linkedin.
Ecco il video integrale.

Segnalato da iClarified

Original Page: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AppleCaffe/~3/Rm9CUyC5cJI/anteprima-dei-contenuti-di-inside-apple.html

Inviato da iPad

mercoledì 25 gennaio 2012

Broaden Your Digital Skills, Leave Specialization To Insects

Avinash Kaushik, one of my favorite bloggers, recently published an unmissable post titled: The 2015 Digital Marketing Rule Book. Change or Perish.

If you're an Avinash fan you've likely already read it, but if not it's worth a read (and a bookmark). I wanted to higlight one point he made that should resonate with Future Buzz readers:

Multiplicity: Competencies, Campaigns, Systems, Everything.

This is something we are most unprepared for.

You can no longer be good at just one thing, or two. It is a 10-thing world now (and maybe a 20-thing world soon).

If you are a catalog company you have to be good at catalog marketing (as long as it continues to provide incremental revenue ), and you have to be good at NASCAR (as long as it provides incremental revenue), and you have to be good at Facebook, and you have to be good at email, and search, and YouTube and… a hundred other things. All while constantly optimizing your portfolio via controlled experiments .

You have to be good at sourcing your products and you have to be good at delivering them.

You have to be good at using clickstream and surveys and competitive intelligence and heuristic evaluations.

You have to be good on every device of every screen size in every country with a monetizable audience.

You have to be good at… many things all at the same time. For far too long we've been able to be successful by relying on our sheer strength on one thing. Catalog. Paid search. YouTube. Billboards. TV. With every passing day that strategy now ensures we are rejecting tons of revenue and tons of prospective customers.

Avinash's thinking reinforces the breadth of skills we outlined in the modern marketing and PR pro fluency matrix. But beyond this, it reminds me of a quote from Robert A. Heinlein which we've referenced before:

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

This quote provides a great analogy for how the modern communications professional should view the specific areas of focus within marketing.

Digital marketing is not new, and in fact is reaching a maturity point for many. It is not too much to ask of your team and partners to have a wide breadth of skills and able to think across platform / tactics to see the bigger picture of a client or brand on the web.

Certainly, you'll be better at some things than others. The point is to try all of them so at the very least you're able to effectively make strategic decisions and manage others for execution. Create a sandbox project if you're limited to what you can do with your company – there really aren't any excuses.

But if you wait for 2015, you'll be far too late. In fact, if you've waited this long you're already behind. Make 2012 the year you become more holistic in both your thinking and execution.

image credit: Shutterstock

Broaden Your Digital Skills, Leave Specialization To Insects is from The Future Buzz, a Blog Covering Digital Marketing

Original Page: http://thefuturebuzz.com/?p=12316

Inviato da iPad

7 Reasons Why Blogging Is Still Important in 2012

Some people would like you to think blogging as we know it is over. They share the eye-popping numbers for Tumblr's growth, for example: 355 million unique visitors per month, and 400 million pageviews per day. And it's true that Twitter and Facebook have lead many people away from blogging. But publishing content on a [...]

Follow SEJ on Twitter @sejournal

Original Page: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/?p=39225

Inviato da iPad

Trust is hard to come by these days

For years I have kept tabs on the Edelman Trust barometer report, which comes out every January in Davos. And this year was no exception. After last year I figured this years report could make an excellent gauge of the economy worldwide!

Simply put the report states: Trust is down in every industry and every country across the board by an average of 6%. So what does this mean for marketers and for major brands in an era of social media?

Well 2 things …

Hidden in the data is the fact that CEOs and Government officials are at the very bottom of the totem pole when it comes to delivering a message that people trust. So welcome to the era where the average "Joe" employee is considered the most trustworthy corporate spokesperson. This is clearly a boon for the all of us who have been clamoring for our in house engineers to be out there blogging and tweeting with the public. Effectively they are now the only ones that the general public will trust to speak about your brand.

But to me that's a quick fix on how you get information out of the company that the general public would believe. To really change the tide of this era of declining trust you need to consider what I'm calling "hyper-transparency." For example look what Apple is going through with its overseas vendors. How can you company do the same or even take it to the next level. And be vigilant with those vendors that aren't in compliance. You would need to say "here is where we are and are not compliant with our overseas vendors and here is what we are doing to fix it." This would send a clear message that the corporate message can be trusted.

But where do you start?

There is obviously a clear need to understand what the general public perceives as your biggest issues and to have a feedback loop to measure your progress on these key issues. Which to me clearly underscores a need for trend analysis around your brand (think Google Trends for your Brand) to understand what to attack first to raise trust in your own company. This can't be solved with typical social media software. You need to analyze trends of what's being said across the issues that are important to your company. This doesn't come from reading tweets everyday about your brand it comes from analytics of all forms of social media – blogs, microblogs, social networks and forums.

With the right technology and the right partner in place you can rebuild that trust that so few (if any) companies have these days.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Original Page: http://pauldunay.com/?p=1869

Inviato da iPad

lunedì 23 gennaio 2012

Is It Time to Finally Ditch Your Paper Business Cards?

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

If you've ever returned from a business trip with a stack of business cards, you've no doubt wondered — as you're manually typing in all those names, phone numbers and email addresses — if there's a better way.

It turns out there are lots of better ways. Too many, in fact, and that's the problem. The lack of a standard means that a great solution like the Bump app will only work if the person you're trying to link up with has the app, not to mention an iPhone or Android-based smartphone. You could, of course, use your phone's camera to take a picture of the other person's business card, but that would still require that he or she has a business card in the first place. And after you do that, you'll still have to manually enter the information anyway.

In November, LinkedIn announced an alternative that avoids the lack-of-a-standard conundrum by essentially digitizing an analog card. As the video below outlines, the CardMunch iPhone app works by capturing the image of a business card, recognizing it and then saving it on your phone as a contact. In another nice perk, LinkedIn also integrates that person's information from his or her profile on the network.

Sid Viswanathan, product manager at LinkedIn, says that CardMunch began with the pragmatic realization that the paper business card is not going away any time soon. "We understand that business cards still exist," he says. "They're still used out in the field when you're attending conferences." Viswanathan says that 10 billion business cards are printed annually — that's more than one for every person on Earth.

As great as LinkedIn's solution is to the business card dilemma, you'll note that CardMunch still requires one of the parties to have a standard business card. It's also quite possible that you will run into someone who doesn't have the CardMunch app and will still need a paper card.

On the other hand, if you're in the tech industry, the type of business card you use says something about you. Perhaps this isn't the case now, but some time down the road, handing out a paper card will have all the cachet of an @aol.com email address. Viswanathan says that, with 130 million members, that's not a big issue for LinkedIn. "We maintain that the social protocol of exchanging business cards is still intact," he notes. But Viswanathan concedes that in Silicon Valley circles, that may be more of a concern.

Until that comes to pass, though, there are a few good options for businesspeople who want to set aside their business cards, once and for all. The following two-step solution will allow you to do just that:

First, use CardMunch to capture business card information that's presented to you. This way, you don't have to ever take a business card home again. (Of course, you might have to take one if you're not getting good reception on your phone, but once you're in range, you can process the card and pitch it.)

If you want to present your business card, meanwhile, there's another free app called Cardcloud. As outlined in the video below, Cardcloud lets you create a digital card that you can email to your prospective contact. Cardcloud also boasts LinkedIn integration — new users can sign in via their LinkedIn profile. (You can also use your Facebook account.)

That's the dream, at least. In my own experience, I could not, despite multiple attempts using my LinkediIn and Facebook data, create an account on Cardcloud. Nor could I create one manually. Renato Valdés Olmos, co-founder and CEO of Cardcloud, says that the iPhone app had "a little bug" in mid-January, when I tried to register. He said the bug should be fixed "within the next few weeks."

On the other hand, I found CardMunch worked exactly as advertised, connecting me to my LinkedIn account on the first try. And if you don't have an account, the app directs you to start one, which is is a great recruiting tool for the brand. The app also recognized my paper cards and quickly integrated that information as well. If CardMunch could emulate Cardcloud's functionality (on a good day), then LinkedIn will offer a great end-to-end solution. But when Cardcloud gets up and running again, the two will do just fine. Despite that, it would be unrealistic to expect everyone to go completely digital. We'll just have to accept that paper business cards will be with us for a little while longer.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Thomas_Eye_Design

More About: business card, cardmunch, features, linkedin, mashable, networking, open forum

For more Mobile coverage:

Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
Become a Fan on Facebook
Subscribe to the Mobile channel
Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Original Page: http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/mashable/mobile/~3/nO6IXfk8hU4/

Inviato da iPad