26 agosto 2010 – Gabriel Catalano®

Why every business MUST care about social media!

Originally posted at rediff.com on August 16th, 2010.

Social media is no more a buzzword today. Given the rate at which it is growing and the impact it is making in our everyday lives, we will soon see the answer to this question: ‘Why should I care about social media?’

Over the last three years, I have closely observed and actively used this medium, as one of the most powerful tools to solve and address multiple business challenges, ranging from hiring an employee to acquiring a new customer.

In the following pages are my learnings and points of view on why should a business pay attention to and invest in social media.

Statistics speak loudly: Given the volume of action on social media web sites, as measured by some of the key statistics mentioned below, it is evident that social media is no more a small or niche medium…

Pradeep Chopra

Originally posted at rediff.com on August 16th, 2010.

In the following pages are my learnings and points of view on why should a business pay attention to and invest in social media.

Martin Sorrell: “Los contenidos de pago son esenciales”

El consejero delegado de WPP, Martin Sorrell, cree que los contenidos de pago son “esenciales” para el mantenimiento de los periódicos y los publicistas en la era digital.

Sorrell declaró a Media Week: “Pensamos que los contenidos de pago son esenciales porque creemos que ofrecer contenido gratuito, especialmente si los consumidores lo valoran, no tiene sentido”. Con mayor rotundidad afirma que los consumidores “tienen que pagar por el contenido que valoran”.

El consejero delegado de WPP, Martin Sorrell, cree que los contenidos de pago son “esenciales” para el mantenimiento de los periódicos y los publicistas en la era digital.

Sorrell declaró a Media Week: “Pensamos que los contenidos de pago son esenciales porque creemos que ofrecer contenido gratuito, especialmente si los consumidores lo valoran, no tiene sentido”. Con mayor rotundidad afirma que los consumidores “tienen que pagar por el contenido que valoran”. Continuar leyendo «Martin Sorrell: “Los contenidos de pago son esenciales”»

Cuatro cosas a considerar a la hora de crear un logo

Con todo el ruido que están generando las marcas en la red, el buen branding se ha vuelto más importante. Aunque no se trate de un anunciante que apueste fuerte por la tecnología, la imagen de la web oficial y la identidad en las redes sociales, blogs, etc. debe ser clara y unificada. A pesar de que ya existen tecnologías que ayudan a controlar la marca online, nada sustituye a un diseñador “real” que sea capaz de crear un logo que represente la estética de la compañía.

Con todo el ruido que están generando las marcas en la red, el buen branding se ha vuelto más importante. Aunque no se trate de un anunciante que apueste fuerte por la tecnología, la imagen de la web oficial y la identidad en las redes sociales, blogs, etc. debe ser clara y unificada. A pesar de que ya existen tecnologías que ayudan a controlar la marca online, nada sustituye a un diseñador “real” que sea capaz de crear un logo que represente la estética de la compañía.

Si bien no hay nada escrito para crear un logo perfecto, Mashable aconseja tener en cuenta los siguientes cuatro puntos:

1. La identidad en un mundo donde la elección es infinita. El logo es la primera impresión. Antes incluso de que el consumidor sepa lo que el anunciante vende, ve el logo y dependiendo de si le atrapa querrá saber más sobre la marca o no. En la red, esta decisión se toma en milisegundos. La razón por la que la web se ha convertido en la mejor aliada de los pequeños negocios es porque puede ponerlos al mismo nivel que una gran marca. Además, los pequeños negocios tienen la ventaja de poder adaptarse mejor a lo que pide el internauta. Continuar leyendo «Cuatro cosas a considerar a la hora de crear un logo»

Bits Pics: Visualizing the Web’s Icons

The data visualization above shows the “favicons” of nearly 300,000 Web sites on the Internet. Favicons are small images used to identify a Web site in the browser.

The sizes of the icons are based on the amount of traffic each Web site receives, using data from Alexa.com, a traffic and Web metrics site.

The project, which I came across via Gizmodo, is the work of two programmers, David Fifield and Brandon Enright. They work for a company called Nmap that makes open-source security programs.

By NICK BILTON

nmap

The data visualization above shows the “favicons” of nearly 300,000 Web sites on the Internet. Favicons are small images used to identify a Web site in the browser.

The sizes of the icons are based on the amount of traffic each Web site receives, using data from Alexa.com, a traffic and Web metrics site.

The project, which I came across via Gizmodo, is the work of two programmers, David Fifield and Brandon Enright. They work for a company called Nmap that makes open-source security programs. Continuar leyendo «Bits Pics: Visualizing the Web’s Icons»

Why Small Business Job Cuts Hurt More Than Big-Employer Layoffs

Troubling statistics have been rolling in lately about job losses. While the beginning of the recession saw the shedding of thousands of jobs en masse at major corporations, by the end of last year, job cuts were concentrated at small businesses. While financial aid aimed at small businesses continues to sit in the Senate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 62 percent of cuts were at firms with less than 50 workers — the kind that provide nearly one-third of all jobs.
And those cuts hurt that business, and the economy, in ways big-company layoffs never will.
Small businesses will often cut to the bone before laying off longtime workers. Some have done furloughs, voluntary sabbaticals, pay cuts, deferred maintenance, marketing reductions — anything but pink-slipping workers. For many entrepreneurs with small staffs, those people have become like family.

: Image via Wikipedia

By: Carol Tice

And those cuts hurt that business, and the economy, in ways big-company layoffs never will.

Small businesses will often cut to the bone before laying off longtime workers. Some have done furloughs, voluntary sabbaticals, pay cuts, deferred maintenance, marketing reductions — anything but pink-slipping workers. For many entrepreneurs with small staffs, those people have become like family. Continuar leyendo «Why Small Business Job Cuts Hurt More Than Big-Employer Layoffs»

Ten Things Your Employees Wish You Knew About Them

If you think it’s tough being a manager these days, try being an employee. Most are in the position of having to go with the flow because of the current economic conditions. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they do so with a smile on their face. Here are ten things your employees wish you knew about them:

1. They are happy to have a job. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are happy in their job. Big difference. People who are happy in their jobs act a lot different than those grateful to have a job. They are highly engaged and will do whatever it takes to delight the customer. The other group simply floats along praying for the day they can tell you really what they are thinking. Most likely they will do this as they hand in their notice. That is if they even give notice.

2. You’re not the boss of me. My five year old used to say this to me all the time. That is until I corrected her by telling her that actually I was the boss of her and that what I said goes. You may be the boss, but you don’t own your people. The minute you start playing the, «Because I said so» card, you’ve lost the game.

3. Your girls don’t like being called girls. I remember how shocked I was when my first client started speaking to me about the girls in the office, as he pointed to a sea of silver haired women. That should have been a sign that the problem was right in front of me. It is disrespectful to call females over the age of 18 girls. They are women. Keep this in mind when referring to female employees or you’ll soon find yourself managing a team consisting of yourself. Then you’ll be free to reference yourself in the manner that best suits you.

BY FC Expert Blogger Roberta Matuson

(…)

1. They are happy to have a job. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are happy in their job. Big difference. People who are happy in their jobs act a lot different than those grateful to have a job. They are highly engaged and will do whatever it takes to delight the customer. The other group simply floats along praying for the day they can tell you really what they are thinking. Most likely they will do this as they hand in their notice. That is if they even give notice.

2. You’re not the boss of me. My five year old used to say this to me all the time. That is until I corrected her by telling her that actually I was the boss of her and that what I said goes. You may be the boss, but you don’t own your people. The minute you start playing the, «Because I said so» card, you’ve lost the game.

3. Your girls don’t like being called girls. I remember how shocked I was when my first client started speaking to me about the girls in the office, as he pointed to a sea of silver haired women. That should have been a sign that the problem was right in front of me. It is disrespectful to call females over the age of 18 girls. They are women. Keep this in mind when referring to female employees or you’ll soon find yourself managing a team consisting of yourself. Then you’ll be free to reference yourself in the manner that best suits you. Continuar leyendo «Ten Things Your Employees Wish You Knew About Them»

Lo que hay que hacer para evitar la estupidez

La industria discográfica y el obsoleto sistema de derechos de autor no para de demostrar su incapacidad para adaptarse a los tiempos que vivimos, y la más que evidente necesidad de una reforma radical.

Hace poco, los amantes del jazz nos encontrábamos con una de esas noticias deprimentes y absurdas que dejan patente la estupidez humana: una enorme colección de grabaciones de jazz de los años ‘30 en posesión del National Jazz Museum, la Savory Collection, queda enterrada en medio de un proceso legal que impide ponerlas a disposición del público, ante la imposibilidad de localizar a los herederos de los derechos de autor y de identificar los contratos que, en aquella época, no recogían la posibilidad de la grabación y distribución de copias.

jQuery Plugin Checklist: Should You Use That jQuery Plug-In?

jQuery plug-ins provide an excellent way to save time and streamline development, allowing programmers to avoid having to build every component from scratch. But plug-ins are also a wild card that introduce an element of uncertainty into any code base. A good plug-in saves countless development hours; a bad plug-in leads to bug fixes that take longer than actually building the component from scratch.

Fortunately, one usually has a number of different plug-ins to choose from. But even if you have only one, figure out whether it’s worth using at all. The last thing you want to do is introduce bad code into your code base.

Do You Need A Plug-In At All?

The first step is to figure out whether you even need a plug-in. If you don’t, you’ll save yourself both file size and time.

: Image via Wikipedia

By Jon Raasch

Do You Need A Plug-In At All?

The first step is to figure out whether you even need a plug-in. If you don’t, you’ll save yourself both file size and time. Continuar leyendo «jQuery Plugin Checklist: Should You Use That jQuery Plug-In?»

HOW TO: Handle an Employee’s Controversial Online Behavior

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

Even the best organizations make missteps. Whether it’s a product that doesn’t work correctly or an employee that makes an odd comment, let’s face it: Stuff just happens. In most situations, though, the most important factor is how the situation is handled. While no one wishes to deal with negativity, taking time to consider the various scenarios that could come up, as well as possible responses, can make businesses better equipped to handle matters of contention.

The spread of social media has made it impossible for employers to completely control their employees’ online presences. As it is, mistakes and missteps are bound to happen. In the case of handling a controversial or inappropriate comment made by an employee via social media or elsewhere online, there are certainly steps that employers can take to make the process smoother. For starters, organizations should be proactive and define the distinction between acceptable and inappropriate behavior, emphasizing the link between employee behavior and company image. As the old adage goes, “the best defense is a good offense.”

Sharlyn Lauby

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

ShareThis Starts Measuring Social Reach, Facebook And Twitter Account For Nearly Half

When it comes to measuring how content is shared across the Web, the approaches we use today are still pretty primitive. People count how many times a link is shared on Facebook or retweeted on Twitter, but nobody really knows what percentage of those links are clicked on to drive traffic back to the original sites. ShareThis, which offers an all-in-one share button across tens of thousands of sites, is trying to address this issue with new metrics across its network that measure not only how many times a link is shared, but also how many times people act on that and click back to the article or Webpage. It calls this new metric Social Reach.

The company shared some data with me about the biggest sharing services across its network, which reaches 400 million people a month. Facebook is No. 1, accounting for 45 percent of all shared content. Email is No. 2 with 34 percent, and Twitter is No. 3 with 12 percent. Combined, Twitter and Facebook now account for 57 percent of all shared links, which is up 6 percentage points since last February. Email, meanwhile, has dropped by 7 percentage points in the same time period. So a share shift in social sharing is definitely occurring.

by Erick Schonfeld on Aug 26, 2010

The Art of Momentum: Why Your Ideas Need Speed

In his wonderful book Musicophilia, neurologist Oliver Sacks describes Clive Wearing, a musician and musicologist whose memory was erased almost entirely after a severe brain infection. Post-trauma, Clive’s short-term memory lasted only a matter of seconds. Sacks writes, “He remembers almost nothing unless he is actually doing it, then it may come to him.”Yet Clive’s musical self, his performative self, remained almost completely intact. It just needed to be activated. When playing music or conducting a choir, Clive could re-attain his former virtuosity. As long as his fingers and his mind were in motion, he could play beautifully. Clive’s wife writes, “The momentum of the music carried Clive from bar to bar… He knew exactly where he was because in every phrase there is context implied, by rhythm, key, melody… When the music stopped, Clive fell through to the lost place. But for those moments he was playing he seemed normal.”

tip

by Jocelyn K. Glei

In his wonderful book Musicophilia, neurologist Oliver Sacks describes Clive Wearing, a musician and musicologist whose memory was erased almost entirely after a severe brain infection. Post-trauma, Clive’s short-term memory lasted only a matter of seconds. Sacks writes, “He remembers almost nothing unless he is actually doing it, then it may come to him.”Yet Clive’s musical self, his performative self, remained almost completely intact. It just needed to be activated. When playing music or conducting a choir, Clive could re-attain his former virtuosity. As long as his fingers and his mind were in motion, he could play beautifully. Clive’s wife writes, “The momentum of the music carried Clive from bar to bar… He knew exactly where he was because in every phrase there is context implied, by rhythm, key, melody… When the music stopped, Clive fell through to the lost place. But for those moments he was playing he seemed normal.” Continuar leyendo

The Revolution Will Be Telepresenced

For some reason, I have never fully adopted the use of video conferencing.

In my defense, I think I’ve been pretty accepting when it comes to incorporating new technologies and communications platforms in my daily routine. Over the years, I’ve expanded from AIM and AOL chatrooms to GChat and message boards, from (gulp!) MiGente to Facebook and Twitter. But, so far, I’ve resisted the siren call of real time, face-to-face communiqué. And I believe my rationale is sound: I’m lazy.
rolfcopter

Given my social circle, it would probably be laborious (and aggravating) for me to attempt to migrate my friends and coworkers into fully adopting a telepresence. And frankly, call me old fashioned, but I still prefer to be texted, emailed, and, depending on how serious the circumstance, (gasp!) called.

However, there is one desirable consumer segment that is already embracing (and taking ownership of) the telepresence platform as a viable platform for communication: teens.
Here’s Looking at You, Kids

The youth market- which I’d like to think I’m not completely removed from- is unique. They’ve never known a life without some form of digital-enabled, hyper-communication. And because of that, the rapid adoption (and abandonment) of new technology is second-nature to them.

Recently, I was chatting with a colleague who mentioned that her daughter (and all her friends) took to ooVoo every night to socialize.

Wait, ooVoo, the video conferencing software that I use to connect with coworkers is being used by 13 year-olds to casually shoot the breeze? Seems like overkill. (Almost as absurd as anyone other than doctors using pagers for communication!)

But upon further inspection, maybe I’m just a Luddite. In March, Ad Age reported that “although video calling and video instant messaging are still a small fraction of overall internet traffic, video communications will increase tenfold from 2008-2013.” Skype, ooVoo, iChat, GChat, Stickam and a growing number of other services have created a playing field for a new culture of communication that will likely have far-reaching cultural implications.

Teens’ use of “video chatting” might be the catalyst that precipitates the widespread adoption of the technology. If text messaging, IM, and prior to that, beepers are any indication, teens tend to sit at the vanguard of electronic communication, not only creating the credibility and initial user base that allows the critical mass to migrate, but also defining the rules of engagement (lexicon, etiquette) for the new platform.

The question is, however, how can brands offer value by engaging consumers through this platform-from-the-future?

Author Richie Cruz August 26th, 2010

For some reason, I have never fully adopted the use of video conferencing.

However, there is one desirable consumer segment that is already embracing (and taking ownership of) the telepresence platform as a viable platform for communication: teens.

Here’s Looking at You, Kids

Recently, I was chatting with a colleague who mentioned that her daughter (and all her friends) took to ooVoo every night to socialize.

But upon further inspection, maybe I’m just a Luddite. In March, Ad Age reported that “although video calling and video instant messaging are still a small fraction of overall internet traffic, video communications will increase tenfold from 2008-2013.” Skype, ooVoo, iChat, GChat, Stickam and a growing number of other services have created a playing field for a new culture of communication that will likely have far-reaching cultural implications.

Teens’ use of “video chatting” might be the catalyst that precipitates the widespread adoption of the technology. If text messaging, IM, and prior to that, beepers are any indication, teens tend to sit at the vanguard of electronic communication, not only creating the credibility and initial user base that allows the critical mass to migrate, but also defining the rules of engagement (lexicon, etiquette) for the new platform.

The question is, however, how can brands offer value by engaging consumers through this platform-from-the-future? Continuar leyendo «The Revolution Will Be Telepresenced»

American Apparel collapse told through 10 of its advertisements

By David Kiefaber on Thu Aug 26 2010

AaFlavorwire’s exploration of American Apparel’s decline, as shown through the clothing company’s slapdash advertising, is like watching a clown die: sad, sobering, but still funny. That its owner is a sexist mongrel is well-known, but Dov Charney’s transgressions have been far from the only problem at a company that never settled on what image it wanted. Its models were either blankly parading their scanties with gonzo-porn production values (the «Pyramide Humaine» ad is especially gross) or trying to look casual in boyishly ugly, unflattering designs. Sometimes there weren’t any AA products in the ads at all. Now, a certain amount of cheeky camp has always been part of AA’s brand, often literally. Which is fine, but they had trouble deciding how seriously to take themselves, and now the company is in danger of being removed from the NYSE.

By David Kiefaber on Thu Aug 26 2010

Flavorwire’s exploration of American Apparel’s decline, as shown through the clothing company’s slapdash advertising, is like watching a clown die: sad, sobering, but still funny. That its owner is a sexist mongrel is well-known, but Dov Charney‘s transgressions have been far from the only problem at a company that never settled on what image it wanted. Its models were either blankly parading their scanties with gonzo-porn production values (the «Pyramide Humaine» ad is especially gross) or trying to look casual in boyishly ugly, unflattering designs. Sometimes there weren’t any AA products in the ads at all. Now, a certain amount of cheeky camp has always been part of AA’s brand, often literally. Which is fine, but they had trouble deciding how seriously to take themselves, and now the company is in danger of being removed from the NYSE. Continuar leyendo «American Apparel collapse told through 10 of its advertisements»

«Una efectiva estrategia de social media es clave para ampliar las fronteras del negocio»

Por Hernán Calderale, Country Manager de CA technologies SOLA

Estamos viviendo una revolución digital y como consecuencia atravesando un cambio en el paradigma de la comunicación, en donde los medios tradicionales ya no son suficientes para llegar a los diferentes públicos. Por esto es necesario que las empresas se adapten a las nuevas formas de comunicar y relacionarse con quienes están del otro lado capitalizando las enormes posibilidades que brinda la Web 2.0. Las redes sociales han sido los grandes protagonistas en los últimos tiempos y cada vez más empresas utilizan estas herramientas para optimizar sus canales de difusión.

Por Hernán Calderale, Country Manager de CA technologies SOLA

Estamos viviendo una revolución digital y como consecuencia atravesando un cambio en el paradigma de la comunicación, en donde los medios tradicionales ya no son suficientes para llegar a los diferentes públicos. Por esto es necesario que las empresas se adapten a las nuevas formas de comunicar y relacionarse con quienes están del otro lado capitalizando las enormes posibilidades que brinda la Web 2.0. Las redes sociales han sido los grandes protagonistas en los últimos tiempos y cada vez más empresas utilizan estas herramientas para optimizar sus canales de difusión.

¿Pero qué son las redes sociales? De acuerdo a Wikipedia, “Social Media es un término umbrella que agrupa distintas actividades integradas por tecnología, interacción social y la construcción de palabras, imágenes videos y audio”. Continuar leyendo ««Una efectiva estrategia de social media es clave para ampliar las fronteras del negocio»»

45 Free Applications For Designers And Developers

If you’re one of these people, this list is for you – and there is probably an application or two in here that those of you who are not looking for freebies will love too. The post is full of open source applications for Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, iPhone/Pad and Android phones, from development apps, painting and image editing apps and nifty little tools that come in handy from time to time.

By Callum Chapman

(…)

Development Apps

Notepad++ | Windows
Notepad++ is a free source code editor that replaces Windows’ standard Notepad editor, and is available in several different languages across the globe.

Continuar leyendo «45 Free Applications For Designers And Developers»