Google Me… is it really gonna be

THE Facebook Killer?

Lately there’s been lots of Google vs. Facebook domination talk.

Kinda like the Dems vs. Repubs back and forth on every issue…

But imagine if Google took the high road, dusted off the iGoogle framework and simply invited Facebook, Twitter, and all the others to the party?

How would this all work?

Take a listen to Travis Campbell and Chris Lang talking:

10 Reason Why iGoogle is Google Me

Next, let’s look at some “Real-Time” Google tweaks:

Do a Google search for a Sports Team…

Let’s Google ” Philadephia Phillies”  (since they’re close by, currently in the midst of kicking the Braves asses… and the Playoffs are coming up soon)

WHOA…

Check that out!

An “Add to iGoogle” link. Never saw THAT before!

Funny the “Sports Scores” gadget (see the first screen cap of my iGoogle page) is blank…

Looks like the Google Geeks are doing some behind the scenes tweaking… just in time for MLB Playoffs.

As Chris Lang points in his Digg of 10 Reasons Google Me is iGoogle:

“We can create custom gadgets ourselves for iGoogle that share activity like YouTube, Google Buzz, Digg, Stumble, what ever we want. So we the users of Google Me / iGoogle can create social layouts as we prefer to see them.”

My take on Google Me/iGoogle thing:

Imagine the power of being able to link-up all your social apps and activity in one place… and integrated into Google “real-time” search…

I don’t really see it as a Facebook Killer. I see it more as a online and business experience enhancer.

What are your thoughts on this latest Google move?

Do you agree with Chris and his reasons as to why Google Me will find its home in iGoogle?

What are your ideas and observations about how iGoogle gadgets that link together social networks could potentially change how you interact with online friends and contacts?

If you’re on my Gmail contact list, and you received the following email from me, please accept my sincere apology.

Hello (Your Name),

Your contact Walt Goshert invites you to participate in an iPad review program.
Marketing research companies are looking for individuals who are interested in reviewing the new Apple iPad. The testing period lasts one month, after which reviewers can keep the device as a reward.
To see more details or to register to our program, follow the link below:

http://www.betaincgroup.com

Thanks,

The Beta Testing Inc Group

I know you’re busy. My intention here is to give you top-notch money-making marketing ideas and resources, along with marketing tools that increase your productivity and save you time.

While I too received this offer from a trusted friend, I hit the email friends button (perhaps you did the same?) before I checked out the entire details of the deal. Yes, the trials, products, and services appear legit, but without checking them out I can’t vouch for them. Plus,  what’s the time price and hassle if you respond? How many hounding phone calls and emails? It’s my practice NOT to recommend something I haven’t used or know, and also it must fit my “Sniff test”. A big thing for me, and you, is how much time, because as business owners, nothing is more precious than our time.

One marketing resource I DO recommend:

Screenr.com

It’s FREE. No trial offers to complete. No friends list to email. No catch.

Screenr is a simple, easy way to create screen capture videos. You can record up to five minute videos, save and promote them on Twitter, even upload to YouTube or your own site. It’s so easy even non-video peeps, like me, can do it.

Check it out.

(Not sure if you can use Screenr on your iPad… I don’t have an iPad ) )

Photo Credit:Flickr

More on Screen Casts

• How to Create a Screencast Like A Pro with These 6 Free Online Tools (makeuseof.com)
• Screencasting In The Cloud (slideshare.net)
• Technology Tools and Ideas for Real Estate Brokers and Managers (slideshare.net)
• Media Stream Digest for April 9th (piosocialmediatraining.com)

Last week, I received John Jantsch’s new book, The Referral Engine for review.

While my complete review (with Ideas and Resources you won’t want to miss!) will hit my blog in two weeks, on Monday May 10th, to coordinate with John’s launch of The Referral Engine, today and next Monday, let’s kick off one of John’s ideas in the book:

Make a Referral Monday  (Twitter hashtag #marmon)

To get started, to coin a classic line from Jerry Maguire…

Help Me… Help YOU!

4 Key Questions to Ask Your Contacts to Teach You about Their Business

Since I have a very specific target niche of clients with whom I work, (more on this in a bit…) I run into many prospects who may need YOUR services… yes, even if’ you’re in the Marketing Game like me.

Now, to introduce these prospects to you, I’d like to know more about you, your business, and your marketing.

Here are the 4 Things I’d like to know:

1. Who is your Ideal Client and how will I spot him/her?

2. Tell me about your unique benefits, approach, products, services, and describe your value proposition.

3. What might prospects say to trigger me to know they need to be referred to you?

4. What’s your marketing process for prospects I refer to you?

Now to help you complete this survey, let me share with you my answers to these 4 questions. This isn’t about me getting immediate referrals from you; (but if you have a qualified prospect, please don’t be shy ) my intention is to first build relationships with my network and explore ways we can help deliver value to clients.

Here ya go…

1. My Ideal Client is a Financial Services Professional— independent Insurance Agent or Broker, (any line of insurance- Property & Casualty, Life & Health, personal or business) Financial Planner, Advisor, or Investment Specialist, Accountant,CPA, or Tax Advisor. He/she is 35-50 years old, in business 5+ years, earns $150,000+ annual personal income, and practices in a Metro area. (versus a small town)

2. Unique Benefits I Offer my Ideal Clients: I help these Financial Services Pros leverage their Offline Marketing Assets (typically using Online Systems) to become more productive, increase sales and profits, and maximize the long-term Equity Value of their practice. Through a comprehensive Marketing Blueprint I build Marketing Processes and Systems without spending a dime more on advertising (typically, advertising expenses are reduced) I 100% Guarantee my ideas, techniques, and approach work- or your money-back.

3. Trigger Statements or Questions: Financial Services Pros who have concerns about lack of time, missing a son’s or daughter’s activities, inability to take vacations, complaints about too much paperwork or compliance. Any complaints or questions about how to generate leads or get more referrals in their practice.

4. My Marketing Process:

• Blog posts and articles
• Free Weekly Newsletter
• Special Reports and e-Courses
• Webinars and Tele-Seminars
• Marketing Information Kit
• Financial Services Marketing Assessment- No-Cost for qualified professionals
• Comprehensive Financial Services Marketing Blueprint- a customized Mind-Map and either in-person, or online consultatio
• Marketing Plan Agreement
• Marketing “Getting Started” and Implementation Guide.

Use and share this post with your contacts and Centers of Influence. Ask them the 4 Questions and have them teach you how you can best help refer business to them… and in turn, teach them about your business.

Why not devote a portion of Make a Referral Monday to build relationships and explore how you can work with your network of contacts?

Finally… Help Me, Help YOU!

Go ahead… share your answers to the 4 Questions here.

Or, hook up with me on Referral Key.

Make it a Referral Monday!

Photo Credit

More on The Referral Engine:

• Weekend Reading: The Referral Engine, by John Jantsch (Preview) (readwriteweb.com)
• The Referral Engine (800ceoread.com)
• Learn to Build a Referral Engine (conversationagent.com)
• Making Referrals as a Small Business Job Creation Engine (prweb.com)
• Can you return the favour? (theengagingbrand.typepad.com)
• Making it Easy to Do Business with You is Hard (newspapergrl.com)
• On Giving Referrals (newspapergrl.com)
• Bake a Referral Engine Into Your Business Model (ducttapemarketing.com)

As a local business owner, online reputation management is now one more hat you need to wear.

With the Internet, the power to publish or broadcast to large audiences has passed irrevocably from a select few to virtually everyone. This  applies not only to you the local business owner, but also your customers.

Now, Google is giving your customers an even bigger voice.  Mike Blumenthal, a local search expert, wrote about Google’s recent changes to Google Maps and Places Pages:

Google Maps is now using the new capability of sentiment analysis to better understand content and add “reviews” from non traditional sources like newspaper articles and single blog entries that appear across the internet. This new capability will dramatically increase the reach of hyperlocal blogs, change how businesses manage the review process and could, over the long haul, change how and where reviews are generated and aggregated.

Let’s not forget  Google’s “almost deal” to buy Yelp, an online review site primarily for restaurants and local retail shops. While the Yelp/Google deal didn’t happen, in the meantime Yelp continues to tweak their online review process. Google obviously sees User-Generated content, in the form of reviews, as an important piece of  content which will determine winners and losers in local search.

Help… You’ve been Yelped!

With the power to publish and spread their message to thousands online, local businesses must pay attention to these online reviews and pro-actively manage and respond to them.

Customer online reviews DO have the power to make or break a local business. While the positive reviews out number negative, a negative online review can get real ugly… if level-headed thinking isn’t used.

5 Simple Steps to Protect Your Online Reputation of Your Local Business

1. Register- Open a Busines Account on Online Review sites: Yelp, CitySearch, and without question, Claim Your Google Local Business Listing. Make sure you monitor and listen to reviews of your business. (and maybe even keep an eye on what folks are saying about your competitors)

2. Count to 10 Before You Respond- Remember if you blast a response online, it stays online for all to see. If it’s a sensitive issue, use private email, or even encourage a phone call.

3. Go On Record. Make Things Right- Likewise, you have the opportunity to shine a light on your responsive customer care. Thousands of potential customers are watching to see how you do business.

4. Take It Upstairs- If the Review is fake, malicious, or you suspect it’s written by a competitor to harm you, work with the Review Site to remove the review.

5. Don’t Call Your Attorney- The laws favor the consumer and the Review Sites.

Here’s the link to the Inc. 5 Steps that I’ve paraphrased here:

Take a Deep Breath

_______________________________________________

Now… Here’s my FREE Special Gift for YOU…

A Special Report/Workbook (Previously sold as an e-book to home improvement and financial services pros for $49) …

No Opt-In, No Obligation…                                                                                                                          Click the link … Boom! You got it!

PLAY TO WIN: The Secret to Building a GREAT Business… Discover Your Strengths

P.S.— Inside Play To Win you’ll find four fun, yet powerful business-changing exercises…

PLUS… Two Revolutionary Resources to help you discover your talents and leverage them as strengths in your business and your life.

___________________________________________

Flickr Photo Credit: w2scott

Here’s a quick and simple way to kick start your social media marketing, using your Facebook Fan Page for your Local Business.

Have you heard of Tim Ferriss and his smash best-selling book, The 4-Hour Work Week?

Well, here on his blog, Tim recently announced a  Facebook Fan Page Give-a-Way to spread the word on his new and improved 4-Hour Work Week:

Thank You, Facebook Bankruptcy, and Late Christmas Presents

Now, think for a minute…

Yeah, I know you’re not an author of a best-selling book, and you can’t afford to give away 600 items of your stuff…

Scale it down and apply it to your business.

Let’s explore an example:

You’re a local pizza delivery restaurant…

1. The first 10 customers who order a large delivery pizza during the upcoming weekend, snaps a picture with an open box of the pie and all their friends gathered around ready to dig in, posts the pick on your Facebook Fan Page.

2. Next, you instruct them to tag 1-3 fellow pizza eaters in the picture.

3. Finally, you tell them to post in addition to the  Photo they uploaded, add  Quotes and a Link on your Facebook Fan Page. Here’s what you ask them to do: Along with the Photo you post to the Romo Pizza Facebook Fan Page Wall, please share Quotes from your friends: What did they like best about Romo’s Pizza? And, then link back to our Discount Coupon page to encourage them to experience Romo’s Pizza again.

Here’s an example of the Wall Post Message:

“Hey Guys, Great having everyone over for the Game on Saturday night. Nothing beats great friends, a good game, cold beer, and the best pizza in town, huh?  John claimed Romo’s the “Cheesiest stuff… and I love lots of cheese.” Mark thought Romo’s combination of crust, sauce, and topping was “Pizza Perfection”  Anywho… I want to give you guys your own Free Romo’s Pizza. They’re giving away a bunch Free pizzas all over town this weekend. In the meantime, save a couple bucks on your next Romo’s Pizza… Here’s a Link to their Discount Coupon.    Enjoy!”

The Pizza Give Away Facebook Fan Page Contest runs over a busy weekend, let’s say from 5 PM Friday till 11PM Sunday, so you’ll get lots of people already ordering, gathering with friends and family over pizza, checking out Facebook Fan Pages…

Do you realize that when Facebook Users “Tag” a Photo in Facebook, that Photo automatically appears in the Friend Feeds of that person’s network? As a result, you have your customers spread the message about your Local Business far and wide on Facebook… Free advertising. Your investment: Up to 40 pizzas.

Then what happens?

Monday morning you check your Facebook Fan Page. You find 35 people posted pictures and quotes and links to your Free Coupon… all free User-Generated Content. All you did is announce the Contest on your Facebook Fan Page… and printed up a bunch of inexpensive flyers that you stuck on all your pizza boxes and handed out all over your neighborhood.

Now, you email a Special Coupon to the first 10 responses and the additional 10-30 friends they tagged in their Facebook Photo. You’ll probably also want to send a Thank You and a Discount Coupon to the other 25 responses plus the friends they tagged too.

Of course, a local hair salon and spa, clothing shop, plumber, heck, even the local insurance agent with a bit of imagination could run a Facebook Fan Page Contest.

Are you using free social marketing tools like a Facebook Fan Page and Online Coupons to create buzz, have customers spread the word about your business, and delivering Coupon Specials online in your Local Business?

Why not figure out how to use Facebook to promote your local business this upcoming week and test a Facebook Fan Page Contest?

Got questions?

Flickr Photo Credit: Ol Slambert

More on Facebook Fan Pages:

• Facebook Evolution: Business Communication Tool to Viable Conversion Platform (kylelacy.com)
• Zach Braff Tells Facebook Fans That ‘Scrubs’ is Done (tvsquad.com)
• How to Build Engaging One-of-Kind Facebook Fan Pages (techcrunch.com)
• HOW TO: Create a Kick-ass Facebook Fan Page (thoughtpick.com)