Category Archives: Wireless devices

Personal and/or Business Use for Twitter Vine

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[Image Credit: VineTwitter Account]
Well hello again and long time no talk fellow socialites! Needless to say, hope all is well and you are continuing to grow and prosper this New Year. As with most years that pass there are many new instruments, ideas, and strategies that are continuing to transform the way we communicate and if you have been a reader here for any amount of time you already know that! With that said, recently I decided to upgrade my old iPhone 3GS to the new iPhone 5, which to my surprise if extremely AWESOME. As with any upgrade (personal or professional), of course, my initial thinking was to get used to my new device (mentally) and discover some new apps to help make my life and business more organized, which I always love to share with all you. So far and just a couple weeks in with the new iPhone 5, I have discovered a new platform known as Vine(perhaps you have already discovered this application) to continue growing online via social media? Regardless if you are familiar or not with this particular application you’ll want to check it out and/or revisit it after you read the next few paragraphs.
From my research Vine for Twitter was just introduced in January of this year, which means many (perhaps you again) have discovered how valuable this new platform can be for increases in search, marketing, and sales purposes for yourself or business? Yes/No? Okay I know what you’re thinking and that’s… great now another social media site to manage? Well contrary to your thinking (open your mind already) this application is not just another app to fill up your Twitter stream but instead this app is a new way to create interesting stories using short video (i.e. 6 seconds or less) so you/your business can share your thoughts, ideas, and life changing personal or business stories. Just like many of the other social applications such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, FourSquare, etc. all the items (in this case videos) that you create can be publically or privately posted to your Vine followers and/or shared among your existing networks via Facebook or Twitter by recording a video with the push of a button on your iPhone, iPod, iPad or other device that may run this type of mobile application. Okay, so what does this all mean to me? Even though I am also still new to this app, here are three easy steps to take in order to find the who, what, when, and how to simply use this application to benefit you or company while staying ahead of the social media madness we often refer to in our postings.
1) Showcase what you have to offer
Have you or your company created a unique way to showcase your competences or unique qualifications yet? If not, use Vine to create a small one or multiple set of online videos (again 6 seconds or less) for others to see what EXACTLY you have to offer. This is especially important if you have decided to look for that new job (creating an online resume) or looking to bring a new product or service to market (give everyone a sneak peek into your old or new offering(s).
2) Take other people behind the curtain of your life or business
What if you don’t have anything to showcase? Well that’s okay because behind everyone showcase is a story of how you or your business was born, started, or operates right? Use Vine to create a picture of what everyday life is like for yourself or business by showing off your daily routines, friends, office, or other interesting things others in your life or place of work do on daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Give your audience a firsthand encounter of events that will get you found and/or noticed in the social cloud, or in other words, pull back the curtain on your life or business!
3) Let others help you succeed
If you are familiar with networking or use other social media sites, which have you already engaged with many of your followers, friends, and acquaintances let them know about your new personal or business plans with Vine. Once others become familiar with this new application ask them to help you achieve what it is you are looking to achieve. In fact, if you use other platforms such as Twitter or Instagram get a little more creative and create a NEW hashtag dedicated to your cause and ask other people in your network to share or use this hashtag to create additional push or buzz about yourself, company, and/or brand. The old help others and they will help you back approach to Marketing.
[Image Credit: TechCrunch Blog Post]
Obviously, these three things are not the only things you can use Vinefor but they are a good way to start or retool your account if you have already started down this road. Regardless of how you use this platform, I sure would like to hear from others (if you have already set up an account) about your successes or other techniques that you are considering if you haven’t already started. As always thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to wear that smile like you mean it today ((>>:-))
David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven] and a Contractor at [FedEx]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via his About.Me Page or any of his other social platforms.
 

5 Tips to Ask in Order to Run a Successful Social Media Campaign with Increases in ROI and Sales? Yes!

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As many of you know, finding an experienced professional to assist you with anything in life can be a daunting task. Also, as many of you probably know there are so many people out there that you speak with everyday that consider themselves “experts, connoisseurs, sales guru’s, geeks” of the trade(s), etc. Well as we both know, these so called experts or what have you, don’t actually have the experience that you may often find yourself needing… good advice, that actually works or saves you money? Yes?
Needless to say, we also continue to run across these same people in our line of work (especially social media), who claim to be experts but are nothing more than users who participate in things in a limited capacity or in social media words… in the basic sites such as Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter. So, for this week’s discussion, we thought we would provide you with a few things (5 Tips) to consider or ask when you are considering putting together a social media campaign.
1)  The very first question you should ask someone that you are considering letting them help you with your online engagement is what sites do you operate personally or for your company and could you please provide me with the links to check them out?
·    Now that you have their attention, see if they provide you with more than just a Facebook or Twitter account. It is crazy to think about but many experts stake their claim on these sites and these sites alone. However, the truth is social media didn’t start with these sites nor are they the answer to everyone’s needs. Look for people/companies that give you links to blogs and old school forums, etc. Also, look at how long they have been ACTIVELY participating in online activities, since participating for 6 months or a year or two definitely doesn’t make you an expert. Just ask Melcolm Gladwell who wrote Outliersand 60 Minutesused to run a great piece on. Think 10,000 or 10 years (well maybe not that many) but at least look for 3,000 or 3 years of activity.
2)   The second question you should ask the so-called expert you are talking to is whether or not they are familiar with or know of any restrictions in online activities for your specific needs or industry segment.
·    Let’s face it much like people would like to tell you, in online or social media activities there is not one size that fits all approach… mush like Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) services, etc. Sure you can participate get quotes for all the companies or operate on all the mediums but most people/businesses should stick with 3-5 networks. A good example is our consulting practice. We consult with clients on PEO, CRM, and Wireless Devices, so these are our ideal clients (companies who offer and those who also need these services), as we know the industry extremely well and any limitations that we must consider on their behalf. However, we don’t run social media campaigns for law, pharmaceutical, alcohol, etc, as we are not familiar with these segments. Sure we could figure it out but you really want a professional or business to help in your social networking that lives, breathes, and knows the industry and more importantly, where your customers hang out!
3)   The third question you should ask your so called expert is their overall opinion (personal opinion) of the industry and how thinks might change in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
·    This is a great question, as it usually lets you know where exactly the person or company started their online activities, why, and what they are trying to accomplish on a personal level. If they say they do it cause it’s their job… RUN! However, if they start out by telling you some of the reasons they started to participate in chat forums, started their own blog, or why they originally joined MySpace or sold stuff on EBay these are more than likely the people you want to deal with, as they have a personal not just a monetary investment in social networking. Also, this should clue you in, as to what other networks that they think will be the next Facebook, much like Pinterest, FourSquare, Scoop-it, etc are becoming. The true expert lives and breathes whatever they are an expert in, so they should/will always have options for you when things are not going as well as you think they should or how they are going.
4)   The forth question you should ask is who will help develop, manage, or engage your specific audience?
·    It still amazes us how many people and businesses think that social media begins and ends with a post or the creation of a Facebook page or Blog or better yet how many likes, followers, or friends you can acquire. Shoot that is the easy part about social networking… creating the sites and adding people, what is difficult part is keeping people interested, engaged, and coming back each week (CUSTOMER SERVICE). This is often the more expensive part of social media but a good investment, if you or your company is really serious about taking the next step online and something more people/businesses should be concerned about if you are looking for that so called Return on Investment (ROI). We cannot even tell you how often we see idle accounts out there that were set-up and abandoned, even some of our client accounts. Why? Cause most of the time just like in person, people and a lot of businesses do not know how to interact with others online or what they want to accomplish even if you tell them. What is the worst that can happen? Someone de-friends, un-follows, or leaves a negative response? Rejection and acceptance are both part of life, so in order to be successful online; you have to interact with others. You cannot just develop an account(s) but you must also manage and engage, so this is a very important question to ask your expert!
5)   Finally the last question, and perhaps the most important (ROI) you have to ask is how exactly social networking will improve a person or business and the measurement scale your expert will use to claim a SUCCESS!
·    This is probably one of our favorite questions to answer because more times than not, our answer doesn’t have anything to do with likes, followers, or friends. Instead we use tools that were created for measurement such as Kred, Klout, PeerIndex,EmpireAvenue, and Google Analytics.  Of course these tools do consider your Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, FourSquare, ETC. accounts but remember that they also measure your level of interaction. Of course, these sites are not perfect but remember the more you interact with your friends, followers, and acquaintances, the higher your scores should go. If you are a business, these should also translate into more calls, sales, referrals, etc (ROI) plus the more you interact the more likely you are to create chatter that is positive even despite any negatives that others may have previously left.
Each week we try to take our daily personal/business conversations and translate them into the online world for others to view and use. This week is no different, as we hope that these five tips can help you decide on a person or company best suited for your online “social media” and other activities. Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg, so if you need any other advice, please don’t be afraid to ask us or contact David Dandaneau directly, as we are here to help. Otherwise, we will see you back here again next week, with another tip brought to you… Well, by YOU! You know the story… Keep Smiling Kidzzz!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.


Why you Need to Identify your Social Media Influencers and Competition!

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As many of you know we (Seven Times Seven, LLC) help small business owners navigate seven (i.e. Payroll, Workers’ Compensation, Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), Wireless Devices, Social Media, CRM, and Website Design & Integration) distinct (sometimes challenging) segments required for any long-term business venture/success, regardless of the industry that you compete in. Needless to say, these seven segments most or the time make business owners want to vomit, as the commitment (time) they all require are more times than not… having you asking yourself if or how you can measure any return on your investment(s) in these things. Well, we are here to tell you that in order to produce greater profits, you need to document, make people/businesses aware of what you offer, and communicate effectively. Communication is key in all these and other segments but none more important than with social media. Before, you say you have tried it and it didn’t work for you, we want you to take a step back, and think of why or why not, as these new mediums are well worth your time and commitment(s). Here’s why!
Who is Using Social Media and What Networks are they?
The first thing you must ask about social media is who in your circle of influence (personally or professionally) is/are using these new tools effectively? Next, what mediums (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, EmpireAvenue, FourSquare, Quora, Redditt, Digg, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc) are they and what are they doing to communicate with their established networks? Once you have found similar (people or businesses) join these networks and start conversing with your influencers and competition to see if they respond to you. If they do, then you know that they are having success and understand the networks they are operating on and if they don’t respond, it’s probably because they too don’t understand how to use these medians to drive ROI and communicate effectively. Either you respond, like, or follow in return or you don’t it’s that easy to tell who is using these mediums effectively. Really, by scouring the landscape and finding others (networks they are using), will help you determine what networks you also need to be involved in… Really it is that simple!
Now What?
After you have found your influencers and competition online, now all you have to do is put together a few time slots during the week to develop, engage, and communicate with others (literally think about a few times either in the morning or evening to do this, 30minutes-1hr daily). Seriously, with almost any social media site they only take a few minutes to set up and most of the time you can also import your information from sites such as Twitter and Facebook to get going. Therefore, whether you think Twitter and Facebook (work or do not), set them up anyway, as these will make your life easier once you find out what sites you want to participate in… heck if you are like us, go for all of them! After all what do you have to lose… increases/increasing in your knowledge and/or Google search rankings?
Get Customers and ROI!
The most important part about social media is producing new customers, acquaintances, and/or ROI. If you stick to your daily or weekly updates (new material, new posts, blog posts, reposts, shares, tweets, retweets, or curated material), you should notice after a couple of weeks (our 90-day rule) whether your material is being accepted or not. Obviously, new friends, likes, followers, direct messages are just some of the ways to judge your success but also remember to watch your Kred, Klout, PeerIndex,and Share Prices to also judge success and potential new customers. Perhaps the most important thing to remember regardless of the mediums you use online is try not to post to much or too little. Instead, you need to focus on providing “VALUE” (daily or weekly industry, academic, or personal postings) to your network and competition, which will ultimately end up building your credibility and endorsements that eventually result(s) in even more friends, ROI, and new customers.   
So, what are you doing with social media online that is helping you grow your business locally, regionally, or nationally? Have you tried these methods in your business? We would love to hear more about how you use social media, CRM, or wireless devices to communicate effectively. So please feel free to connect with us here, any of our other networks (Google Seven Times Seven, LLC), or with David Dandaneau directly through his 25+ social networks, so we can all connect, share, and grow together to provide even more influence. Until next week, keep smiling and we will look forward to hearing, sharing, and engaging online with everyone soon to achieve even more extraordinary results. Cheers

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.


How do you decide on the Right Company and/or Professional to assist in a Buying or Outsourcing Decision?

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As a person or business owner, you may often find yourself asking difficult questions and often coming up with little to know answers. Does this sound like you? If so, how do you know who to trust or how to evaluate a company and/or their credentials in order to decide if they can actually serve you and/or your business needs?
Regardless of the industry and/or business professional, that you may be dealing with most industries have standards that you can use to evaluate not only the staff but the entire business and industry, which may be as easy as performing a Google search. However, the fact is most people and businesses do not actually have the required time to invest and/or research a particular industry (even so called Googling), so they often call on third party facilitators to oversee a particular business or personal purchase decision. These people whom you rely on and  often referred to as consultants, brokers, advisers, etc maybe the solution that you are looking for or are they? The question still remains… and that is how do you really know whom you are dealing with?
Here are some questions you should ask yourself when deciding on the right professional or company to help facilitate any buying decision. Can anyone be a doctor? The answer to this question is simply no, as there is schooling and there are requirements that all doctors must go through before they can actually advise you or prescribe a remedy. And yes, this includes doctors, other than those doctors you go to see for medical illnesses. Can anyone be an attorney? Again, the answer to this question is no and again there are many years of schooling and tests that a person must go through in order to represent you in court, help you start a business, or help you fight for justice. Can anyone be banker? Well, this is a tricky one. There are many good bankers out there that can help facilitate a loan or advise you on a good investment. However, if you want a well-respected and reputable banker (Financial Consultant) then more times then not you would be looking to deal with someone who yet again has had extensive training and/or education; otherwise, their advisements may end up costing you your life or business savings, just ask all those who trusted Bernie Madoff or ENRON with their money.
All too often, even after asking yourself or evaluating a business or professionals credentials or answering the aforementioned questions many people and/or organizations will still move forward with a purchase or outsourcing decision without understanding the real danger that these decisions may pose over the long-term. Much too often these decisions maybe influenced by price, friends, and/or other companies that have done business with these people or organizations in the past. However, rest assured that in this new age of digital communication, well respected businesses and people are here to help advise you on almost any personal or business purchase decision. 
For instance, here at Seven Times Seven, we advise people, organizations, and communities on some of the difficult decisions facing you and/or your business in regards to workers compensation, payroll, Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), wireless devices, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technologies, website development, and social media. Since we believe in helping our clients make sound buying decisions, we thought we would provide a few insights to our readers and followers, as to what you should be asking yourself before making any purchase decision in these respected segments. 
Workers Compensation, Payroll, and Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs)
Wireless Devices
  • Is the carrier regional, national, or worldwide?
  • Is the device(s) locked or unlocked? Can the device be unlocked if currently locked?
  • Is the device compatible with your other personal or business devices (i.e. computer, tablet, landline, etc?)
  • Will you be locked into a long-term agreement and if so what are the terms if you cannot honor the agreement?
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • Is the CRM solution (HOSTED) external to the company such as SalesForce, NetSuite, or Oracle, etc?
  • Is the CRM solution (ON-PREMISE) and runs at your home or place of business such as SugarCRM, Microsoft, Seibel, ACT, etc?
  • Is the CRM solution (HYBRID), which is a combination of hosted and on-premise solutions?
  • How will the CRM company or you protect your confidential data?
  • What are the back-up systems used and where are they located in case of an emergency?
  • Does or will the CRM solution you choose provide customer support?
Website Development and Social Media
  • Is the company and/or person reputable and how long have they been in the business?
  • How compatible is the platform you will be developing with other developmental mediums?
  • What are the true costs associated with maintenance, upgrades, new designs, etc?
  • Are the mediums that you want geared towards your personal or business goals and/or target markets?
  • How do you get questions answered (i.e. are there charges for tech support and if so are they hourly, weekly, or monthly fees?) 
  • Will the chosen mediums increase your Google search rankings and if so how will this be measured? 

As with any service offering there are a lot of questions that go into deciding what service you may ultimately decide on but if not asked prior more times than not you may find yourself using people, systems, or companies that are not part of your long-term goals. Albeit, many time we as consumers make purchasing decisions based on emotion, if you take the emotions out and ask yourself  a few simple questions, in the long-run you will be glad you did even if it turned out to be the wrong decision. The thing to remember is consider a person or businesses experience, credentials, education, and take the extra time needed to look under the hood before making any irrational purchase decision, as we are sure you will be glad that you did. Obviously, the questions stated are only a start, so if we can help you or your company come up with answers that you may have in regards to one of our consulting segments please do not hesitate to reach out or contact us via Phone, Email, Social Media, or connect with David Dandaneaudirectly. After all and as our motto goes, we help you manage your life and business, so you don’t have to manage your processes!

David Dandaneau is a Consultant at [SevenTimesSeven]. He specializes in helping business owners “manage their business and not their processes!” For more connect with him via Twitter @ddandaneau or any of the other social platforms you may find him on.