There’s never been a better time to get the ball rolling.  Don’t miss this great deal to get your social media network setup with maintenance included for one month.  Offer ends April 30, 2010

Let’s take a few steps back.

Remember when Internet first became mainstream?  I can recall back in 1996 or so, I was working as an admin in the Michigan State Capitol building, and there became a word-of-mouth buzz about email.  I remember thinking how foreign of a concept that was.  Radio personalities would mention their email addresses on the radio, but I had never logged onto the Internet, and I didn’t have an email address, so the entire concept seemed very complex and baffling.  Within that same year, I decided to take the plunge.  I had AOL dial-up service hooked up to my Toshiba laptop.  I started playing around with AOL Instant Messenger and surfing around online, although pages literally took like 4-5 minutes to load sometimes.  I can remember walking away from the computer to grab a drink of water while the pages were loading, they were really that slow. At that point in my life, I began to envision the possibilities of the Internet, and I became impassioned with the idea that Internet technology could someday provide a major hub of information and communication for us all.

Fast forward to 2010.

Since my dial-up days, I’ve spent years watching and learning as the Internet developed into something beyond any one man’s (or woman’s) control.  It’s now used for everything from screening new employees, finding a “soul mate”, keeping in touch with friends/family from anywhere in the world, balancing bank accounts, running a business and even watching the tv show you missed last night.  Perhaps the most noteworthy advancement in Internet technology is labeled as Web 2.0.  In a nutshell, this is shift from stagnant web pages to interactive websites that allow community participation.  Now, anyone online can post a comment on a blog, a review on their recent Amazon purchase and so on.  Did you know that any viewer has the power to change the content on a Wikipedia page?  With this new technology also came social networking websites such as MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  These social networking sites provide a free personal web page where a person can share any information and thoughts to anyone in their social circle and beyond.

So… What is a Social Media Consultant?

With the advancement of technology, businesses have experienced a shock to their system.  Executives used to build a website and place whatever information they felt comfortable with on that site.  They would release press releases on new products, events and accomplishments.  Basically, there was much more user control with Web 1.0.  However, as we discussed in the last paragraph, things have changed.  Internet users are now able to post any information they’d like to about a company’s services, products, recommendations, staff… and the list goes on.

Business owners are finding that customers are out there talking about them whether they want that or not.  That’s where I come in.  I’m of the mind – if you can’t beat them, join them.  Also, companies are finding ways to brilliantly utilize this mass conversation in their favor.  By listening and responding to customers, they’re gaining a great reputation for customer service.  In addition, they’re using these recommendations to advance their business and improve their products and services.

Now, I have to go back to my first paragraph where I was talking about this baffling new concept known as email.  For non-social network users, this concept of social media marketing is scary and foreign.  If you’re not experienced with these sites, you probably don’t know how to utilize them in your company’s favor.  Even if you do, there’s a good chance that you don’t have time to maintain the accounts properly.

My 30 second explanation:

So, to my friends and family (and anyone else stumbling upon my article), this is what I do:  Businesses reach out to me to take care of their social media campaign so they don’t have to.  Chances are, they’ve been reading in Forbes or BusinessWeek that they need to utilize social networks, but they don’t have the foggiest idea of what that means or how to get started.  So, they come to me.  I research their company, their competition, etc.  I come up with a catchy strategy that I believe will bring interest to their campaign and visitors to their website.  I set up their Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc. Then, I maintain the accounts daily, and I provide them with progress reports so they know that it’s working (and so they know what they’re paying for).

If you have a question for me or would like to inquire about my services, email me: angela.denby@jsncafe.com or call 517-219-9046.

On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal announced that Google had plans to launch a social networking option to their popular Gmail system. This is merely one more advancement in the Bing vs. Google vs. Facebook battle that’s been going on for months. Let’s recap:

Late 2009

1. Bing announces that they’re working on search deals with Twitter and Facebook and launches their Twitter Integration during the Web 2.0 summit.

2. Google announces their deal with Twitter and lanches Google Social Search. This basically enables Google to show results from your friends/followers social profiles in addition to basic search results. This is dependent on the fact that you have a Google profile set up and your social friends do too. Click here to set up your Google Profile.

Early 2010

3. Facebook announces Project Titan (aka the Gmail killer) which is an email system with POP/IMAP functionality that can be easily set up with MS Outlook, Mac Mail, etc. Facebook hopes that this will encourage Facebook users to use their site for social networking as well as email.

4. Google announced on Tuesday that they are launching Google Buzz in an effort to add the social networking feature to Gmail.

Introducing Google Buzz

This morning (one day later), in addition to a morning snow storm in much of the country, Gmail users are greeted with this screen:

Some of the Buzz features are as follows:

- Find the “Buzz” tab under the Inbox tab in the upper left column.  This allow you to go back and forth between social network and email.
- You can use the same keyboard shortcuts as Google.
- There are public/private sharing options for different posts.
- There’s a system of email alerts to ensure you don’t miss a thing.
- @ replies are supported (as seen in Twitter)

Mobile Features:

- Google Buzz is also available via your mobile phone
- Navigation functionality to ping your location
- Click “nearby”, and you can see what people are talking about nearby

Much like gmail when it first launched, I feel that Google Buzz will take a few days to get used to. However, this is one more reason to encourage Google users to set up Google Profiles. In turn, this will enable their social networks to be searchable by friends and followers… pushing the newly launched Google Social Search function to even greater success.

For more information on Google Buzz, visit Mashable: http://mashable.com/2010/02/09/google-buzz/

Here are a few quick tips to getting started blogging in less than an hour.  These are in order from easiest to most difficult.

There are a few different options for blogs that require little to no knowledge of web development.  Have you set up a facebook profile?  If not, maybe you should do that first.  If the answer is yes, then you have nothing to worry about.

• Quick and Easy to set up
• Owned by Google, so you know it’s user-friendly
• Drag and Drop elements such as Twitter Feed, Flickr Photo Album, etc.
• Easily choose from a variety of different page templates
• Example: Coffee Talk with Baxter, our dog blog, was built in Blogger
• To set up an account, visit www.blogger.com

• Ning is a website where you can set up your own social network for an organization, group or business.
• Simple to set up.
• Easily edit the look/feel of your page
• Comes equipped with a blog and encourages user participation
• Example: visit www.ning.com and you’ll find a variety of different social networks to use as a reference
• If you want to use a custom domain name, there’s an additional charge for the service

• WordPress is the most sophisticated and flexible of the blogging software options, but it also requires the most knowledge of website development
• Plugins and widgets allow you to do just about anything without possessing the knowledge of a professional programmer including Google Analytics, Search Engine Optimization, Google Cart Setup, Contact Forms, etc.
• Thousands of customizable templates to choose from; search “WordPress Themes” online
• Many websites use WordPress for their entire website, not just their blog
• It helps to know a little html and/or php coding
• Updating website pages is as easy as sending an email
• Example: This website was built with WordPress, www.JavaSocialNetworking.com

I hope this is helpful.  Feel free to contact me if you’re looking for help with your blog setup and design: angela.denby@jsncafe.com

Back to 2009… it’s mid-December, and I’m already considering a diet plan for early January.  With that said, I thought I would let you in on some of the free online resources I’ve found to be particularly helpful with popular New Year’s Resolution tasks: Diet/Fitness, Finances, New Job, Write a Book, and Work-Life balance.  Check these out:

Diet/Fitness

Whether you’re looking to take off some holiday pounds, makeover your entire body or implement a fitness schedule, the SparkPeople website is a must!  Sign up is free and easy.  Here are some of the highlights:

• You choose your goals and lifestyle and it recommends a plan for you to meet your goals.
• Online journal to keep track of food and fitness each day.
• Social Network allows you to connect with your friends, local community, like-minded goal seekers or even start up a fitness team.
• Message Boards are great motivators with all types of topics/tips from users from “What do you eat when you’re craving sugar?” to “My Back Hurts! Is there another exercise I can try in place of this one?”
• Track everything from weight, size measurements, blood sugar levels, cholesterol etc.  The system is very flexible and can be customized to your personal goals.
• If you love talking about health and fitness, you can even set up an easy online blog.  If you’re more of a voyeur, take a look at other user blogs.  These are real-life transformation stories and photos.  It’s quite remarkable.
• iPhone? – They’ve got an app for that.
• Last but not least, the system is structured around a points system and you get rewarded with points for logging in, completing fitness goals, reading an article online or drinking your 8 glasses of water per day.

Finances

Budgeting was possibly the #1 resolution last year, but it’s never far down the list after holiday season.  I was flipping through the channels late one night, and I came across this show Til Debt Do Us Part.  Basically, during each episode, young couples who have gotten themselves on a path of growing debt are put through a sort of financial bootcamp. The lessons are valuable, and I find it quite entertaining (mostly out of shock for the poor decisions people make).  So that brings me to my recommendations for a New Year Budgeting System.

Mint.com – This is an exceptional resource (and it’s free) where users can set up a budget and find great financial tips.  This website also has an easy iPhone app, which is great since you’ll probably be more likely to use a budget site if you can access it while you’re out shopping.

Bank Websites – Spend an hour over the holidays and get to know your bank website.  There’s a great chance that you’re not getting as much utility out of your online bank resources as you could.  For example, most banks will allow you to:

• categorize your purchases for budgeting management
• combine accounts (even from other banks) into one screen so you can always have an overview of your net worth
• automated bill payment to avoid late fees
• pay bills online to avoid cost for stamps and to encourage a greener environment

If you’re looking for something a little bolder, consider the financial bootcamp yourself.  I see that Til Debt Do Us Part has a 2010 Life Planner available for sale.  If any of my readers have a review on this, let me know.  I’m curious.

Find a New Job

It’s true that we’re living in an employer’s market these days, but be assured there are jobs out there.  You don’t have to spend all day searching job postings now that we have a few key tools to utilize for finding exactly what you’re looking for. If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, that’s a great place to start.

indeed.com – First, let me explain how indeed works.  As an employer, you don’t post a job on the indeed website, you link them up to your corporate website.  Indeed will crawl your website on a regular basis posting each job as you post them.

In addition to corporate websites, job seekers can find monster and careerbuilder jobs here too.  So, one would argue that indeed.com is a one-stop shop for job searching.  In addition, if you’re just keeping your eye out, they offer a job alert that can be set to your parameters and the system will send you an email with new postings as often as you’d like.

TwitterJobSearch.com – Don’t let the name fool you.  You do not need a Twitter account to use this website.  Just click and search.  It lists all jobs that it finds on Twitter.  For those who are looking for something to do today or tomorrow (such as freelancers or temp employees), Twitter can be a great resource.

elance.com – Looking for some side work?  This site is free to use with the option to purchase a premium package.  Employers list contract projects (most are work from home opportunities), and freelancers bid on projects.  I like to think of this as ebay for side jobs.  You can find a variety of options including: web/graphic design, content writing, marketing, sales, etc.  On the flip side, if you’re an employer seeking contractors, this is a great solution.

craigslist – I’m not going to say much about craigslist since most everyone is familiar.  I will say that the job boards on craigslist are still going strong, and it doesn’t seem that indeed.com is crawling the craigslist job ads.

Write a Novel

It seems like most people think of doing this at one point or another. Maybe its not as much of a novel as it is an ebook on house design or a children’s book.  Did you know that self-publishing is in full effect these days?

Createspace.com – I actually heard this mentioned in an episode of “The Office” the other night, and I wondered how many viewers were even familiar with what Michael was talking about.  Here’s the overview.  Amazon offers this service where you can write, design and publish a book for virtually nothing.  The only cost you incur is the purchase of one of your books to sign off on before they’ll put it up for sale.

• Publish a book for free
• Your own content and design
• Your choice of color/bw, size, number of pages
• They charge a reasonable publisher fee for each book sold, but you set the price
• Online community of other authors and professionals who give you advice during the process
• Sell your books on Amazon.  How great is that?

There are other resources for self-publishing out there too.  I have personally walked through the createspace process, and I find it to be a simple process with reasonable fees.

Work-Life Balance

More and more these days, people get so caught up in their fast lives at work that there’s barely enough time to sit down for dinner with the family.  It’s sad but true.  For this reason, there’s a blossoming trend for companies to provide employees with work-life balance.  Here are some helpful resources for bringing more balance to your life.

• Telecommute – How much time do you spend online each day?  Some of us could easily work from home Fridays. Every workplace is different, but many employers are open to this option. Most people who utilize a day from home claim that they get more work done that way.
• Quality Time with Family – When was the last time you took the time to seek out an opportunity to teach your children something they’re not learning in school?  Take them to a museum or wander through the local historic district and tell them the story.  There are so many inexpensive things to do everywhere.  You just have to look around and be creative.  Look online to plan for events that are coming to your area.  This type of release could be as good for you as it is for them.  http://www.familyfirst.com
• Lunch Breaks – For many of us, we can remember back to the days when we actually took an hour lunch break. It may be difficult at first, but you should pull yourself away at lunch time.  Take a nap, read a book, or find a place to strike some yoga poses.  Get away from your computer for a few. http://www.healthiergeneration.org

There are numerous articles online in regards to better work-life balance, but only you can find the best solution for you.  For workaholics, good luck. This will be a tough one to keep, but you can do it.  Start by making a list of the things you didn’t do enough of last year, and find a way to plan it into your daily schedule.

I hope you found something in here useful.  Happy Holidays everyone!

Offer Your Services. We’re all talented at something, right?.  Non-profit organizations always struggle with finding funds for services like graphic design, web design, and content editing.  Maybe you wouldn’t mind shoveling snow or manning the desk on a Saturday afternoon.  Consider what you’re good at, and offer your services pro bono to a cause you believe in.

Use Social Networks like Twitter and Facebook to get the word out. Local charities (especially in smaller towns and/or with smaller budgets) will have more difficulty reaching a larger audience.  Follow them and relay their message to your online community.  Your friends and followers value what you have to say, and that may be enough to encourage them into action.

Have Fun With It. The holidays are a great time to come together with friends, family, locals and now Twitters too.  Consider putting together a party or a bar crawl and charge a fee (donation) for anyone who wants to come along.  Call a few bars, and let them know what you’re doing.  They will most likely provide your party with happy hour type specials.  These parties can be a lot of fun, and the donations can be sent to the charity of your choice.  Everyone wins… you, your local businesses, your friends/family and the charity.  What could be better than that?

Charity Holiday Cards. Find something that you already need to purchase, and buy it instead from a charity.  Holiday cards are a great example of this.  Did you know that hundreds of organizations are selling holiday cards online right now? You can take your pick and, in most cases, your payment is a contribution to their organization.  Cards That Give is a great resource for finding the perfect charity card for you.  Even celebrities have charity holiday cards available at Tiny Prints.  Remember, these cards are great for business purposes too!

Create Your Own Opportunity. Many communities have holiday parades.  Maybe you’re more into baking than bar crawling.  If that’s the case, put together a bake sale table at the holiday parade.  Let the organization of your choice know what you’re planning and their volunteers/members may provide some additional goods for you to sell.  Let your friends and family know.  This is a chance for them to give back too!  Tip: Hot cider or cocoa is always a favorite in my local Michigan community during the wintery parades.  It gets pretty cold out there.

Donate. At the core, the holiday season is about giving.  So many of us are in need of basic necessities like food and warmth.  Get creative.  Maybe you have some extra coats in your closet that just aren’t being used anymore.  There’s most likely a Goodwill or Salvation Army that would love to take those off your hands.  Remember, tax season is near, and you can always write off donations.  During the holiday season, there are usually clothing and food drives on the weekends at convenient locations like courthouses or supermarket parking lots where you can go to drop off your donations.

Gifts Aren’t Only For Receiving. I think it’s a great lesson to have a child either shop for or give up a holiday gift for a child in need.  I can remember doing this when I was younger, and it really instills the value of giving back from the very beginning.

Volunteer. If you aren’t comfortable with giving money, try to find some extra time in your schedule to spend instead. During the holidays, there are always organizations who could use your help with everything from collecting coats and food donations to serving meals to those who aren’t as fortunate.  Many would argue that volunteering is the most rewarding of everything I’ve mentioned. You can really see how small efforts can change lives.

NEXT STEPS:

1. Run a Google Search to locate organizations/charities in your local community.  Churches and local governmental offices may also have some information for you.
2. Find something that you believe in to donate to.  Whether it’s homeless people, kids who don’t have Christmas gifts or neighbors who recently lost their jobs with the nationwide economic struggle, whatever tugs at your heart strings is the right organization for you to donate to.
3. Email or retweet this link out to your online community to encourage others to give back.
4. Take action.

There are many wonderful national charities, but I would encourage that you to dig a little deeper.  Although these organizations are great, I personally find satisfaction in seeking out smaller, local charities.  I know that both my money and my efforts are going back to my local community.  In addition, it’s usually not as easy for smaller organizations to find help and funding, and I feel like my efforts are more appreciated somehow.

If you represent or know of a great charity, please feel free to advertise it below.  Also, be sure to include anything you need specific help with and where you’re located.  For those who already donate their time, include your experiences here.  You may just motivate someone to take action.

Happy Holidays!

Z-Solutions and Java Social Networking (JSN) Announce Partnership

Lansing, Michigan – November 19, 2009 – Java Social Networking and Z-Solutions announce a partnership that enables clients of both companies to benefits related to Corporate IT Management and Social Media Marketing.

Java Social Networking, LLC, a Michigan-based company, is 100% woman-owned and recently received certification through the Institute for Green Business Certification.  JSN provides businesses with social media consulting, account setup and online network maintenance.

Z-Solutions has been servicing the Lansing, MI area for the past 8 years.  With a variety of services ranging from residential and commercial tech support to VoIP networking and IT consulting, Z-Solutions maintains a high standard of quality.  Z-Solutions holds numerous certifications for PC-based IT services.

During the recent months, an increase in cross-over clientele for both JSN and Z-Solutions has prompted a mutually beneficial partnership.  Clients will receive package cost benefits when utilizing services from both companies.

Z-Solutions Contact:
Josh Rockey
josh@zsolutiontechs.com
http://www.zsolutiontechs.com

Java Social Networking Contact:
Angela Denby
angela.denby@jsncafe.com
http://www.javasocialnetworking.com

###

For Immediate Release

Java Social Networking Acquires Green Certification by the IGBC

Date:            November 13, 2009

From:           Garry H. Peterson, President
Institute for Green Business Certification

The Institute for Green Business Certification, Inc. (IGBC)  and it’s Small Business Division, UNIFORM STANDARD FOR GREEN BUSINESS CERTIFICATION (USGBC) is pleased to announce,

JAVA  SOCIAL NETWORKING, LLC of Jersey City, New Jersey
is the first online social networking company in the Jersey City area to achieve a “Green Business Certification” from USGBC/IGBC, demonstrating Java Social Networking’s total commitment to their community’s environmental health and well-being.

Java Social Networking is a corporate online company that offers social media consulting and account maintenance to advance online presence and increase customer-base for their clients.

IGBC is the oldest organization of its kind and only one of two to certify business environmental practices.

For more information on IGBC and USGBC go to www.gbcertified.org

To discover the significance and magnitude of an IGBC certification, please contact:

Angela Denby, Founder and CEO
Java Social Networking, LLC
517-219-9046
www.javasocialnetworking.com
angela.denby@jsncafe.com
100 Patterson Plank Rd,  Ste. 310
Jersey City, New Jersey  07307

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View Original Press Release

Prepare for a profitable Black Friday online this year.  Here’s an example of how you can capitalize on this changing crowd of holiday bargain shoppers:

1.  We all love the idea of getting up earlier than the rest to score some great deals, so let’s start there:

• 5:00 – 6:00 AM  40% savings on select products (you may have to specify which products beforehand, but we’ll get to that.
• 6:00 – 7:00 AM 30% savings
• 7:00 – 8:00 AM 20% savings
• 8:00 – 9:00 AM 10% savings

Of course, you want to cater to some of the late sleepers too.  Have some products advertised that will be on sale all day Friday (or all weekend).

2. Next, let’s get the word out to your tech savvy shoppers.  Where do they hang out online?  Think hard about this and decide if your budget allows for online advertising.

3. Utilize social networking websites like Twitter, Facebook, Yelp… wherever you have a community.  Start a contest that the Twitterer or website which creates the most buzz about your company wins a gift or an additional discount on Black Friday.  This will be easy to track by doing a search for your company on search.twitter.com to see which users are mentioning it the most. You can also utilize Google Analytics to track which websites and blogs are driving the most traffic to your website.

4. Send out an eNewsletter to your mailing list to inform all of your current customers and clients of the big sale, and give them the

5. If it’s in your budget, your local paper is a great place to advertise too.  Try to aim for the advertisement/coupon section for those shopaholics who are gearing up for their Friday shopping frenzy.

Retailers are predicted to spend much more this year on social networking spending for the simple reason that so many of their prospective customers are utilizing these networks.  It no longer takes weeks and months to prepare for the holidays when each gift is only a click away.  Happy Holidays!

Google Analytics – If you don’t already have this set up, you’re missing out. It’s fairly simple.

1. Set up a Google Analytics account here: http://www.google.com/analytics.
2. Next, paste the code into your website pages just before the tag: </body>.
3. Check tomorrow morning to see if your results show up.  Google updates them every 24 hours, so what happens today shows up tomorrow.

Tip: If you’re using a program like WordPress or Drupal to manage your blog or website, there are plugins and modules available to make this process even easier.

Once you’re set up, you can access your Analytics account to view “referral sources” such as Twitter, Facebook, Google, etc.  You can also see how many visitors came from each source and which keywords were used to find your website.  This is a great tool for making your website more user-friendly.

Twitter Management Tools

There are many options for managing your Twitter account aside from Twitter itself.  A few of options are Brizzly, TweetDeck (very popular) and SocialOomph.

One of our favorites is Hootsuite which tracks clicks as long as you use their built-in link shrink system.  Hootsuite links are also tracked in Google Analytics.  With this system, you can manage multiple accounts seamlessly, and track clicks per individual tweets or over a period of time.

Coupon Codes & Twitter Incentives

If you’re in the business of selling online, you’re in luck.  Many businesses are tweeting coupon codes to their community which can then be tracked back to their websites and sales.  I live in the New York City area, and many of the local street vendors are using Twitter to let their regular customers know where they’ll be parked for the day.  Street vending is a big business in the city and many of these vendors attribute Twitter and Facebook with their high rate of  repeat customers.  Be creative, if you post a tweet that says the next person in your store to quack like a duck or sing the Star Spangled Banner will get a 50% discount, you’ll probably be surprised at the reception.

Ask Your Customers

There’s a good chance that you have Twitter and Facebook followers who have never even clicked into your website directly from Twitter or Facebook.  With that said, they may visit your store, check you out at the local farmer’s market or remember your name when they need some law consultation done. Only you will know the best way to track your social network.  Ask your clients.

• If you’re an online store, include the “Where did you hear about us?” question in your order form.
• If you’re a retail store, leave a “Thanks for following us on Twitter! Let us follow you back” sign on your counter and see how many customers will leave you their Twitter name.  This is a great way to reach out to your current customers with on-going sales and reminders.

Being yourself and contributing to your community is the secret to success in social networking.