Successful Blog

What Makes SOBCon a Unique Experience

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For a few weeks we’ve been sharing all the reasons why you should be in Chicago in the room May 3-5.

  • Fantastic speakers that keep you out of the hallways and in the room
  • Opportunities to sit and talk one-on-one with industry leaders
  • The potential to shake up your life (and your business) for the better in only two days

If you haven’t been to SOBCon before, you might wonder what this experience is actually like. So co-founder Terry “Starbucker” St. Marie sat down to share why SOBCon needs to be on your calendar. (Click here if you can’t see the above video.)

If you’re still sitting on the fence, isn’t it getting a bit uncomfortable? It’s time to end the suspense and commit. Commit to doing something instead of just thinking about it. Sign up for SOBCon today and finalize your plans to join Liz, Terry, and all the other people who’re going to help change your life.

Beach Notes: River Beach

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By Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

River beach

Our beach notes pictures are usually from one of our local surf beaches. This one is different because our car is at the mechanic’s so to have a swim today we had to settle for the little beach here on the river where we live. Tough, we know, but someone has to do it.

Although there is a slight catch. As in, the tides.

We are quite used to being careful with the various currents, undertows and “rips” at the surf beaches, but it was a bit of a surprise to experience in the river how quickly the tide can run and how easy it would be, with the tide running out as it was today, to get carried downstream.

Looks calm though, doesn’t it?

– Des Walsh & Suzie Cheel

Suzie Cheel & Des Walsh

Why Automated Link Building is Bad For Your Business

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By Rob James

A few years ago, it was common practice for businesses and Search Engine Optimisation marketers to use automated link building to increase links to their sites, with the aim of boosting a website’s PageRank in Google. However, with Google clamping down on “black hat” SEO strategies in their Penguin and Panda algorithm updates, automated link building isn’t going to do your business many favours; instead, it’s better to focus on “white hat” and organic SEO to get the most out of search.

Primarily, automated link building is all about quantity, whereby you run software and join directories to multiply the number of backlinks to your page – blog comments, and filling blogs with low quality repeated content could also enable a single website to generate large numbers of links. However, while this might be an effective method for building up a page’s ranking, automated link building is less invested in getting good quality links from relevant sites, and has been increasingly punished by Google.

The main problem that Google has with automated link building is that it can effectively represent a form of spam – multiple links from low quality sites, or spamming comments boards with links, and posting content with awkwardly placed content distorts the actual relevancy of a page for users. In this context, your business may have a high search ranking, but not one that’s necessarily made up of the right kinds of associations.

Google’s Panda and Penguin algorithm updates were consequently designed to prevent PageRank, the main Google algorithm, from being manipulated. Panda has received 24 updates since February 2011, and crawls pages for low quality features and links to duplicate content – the emphasis with Panda is on duplicated and “thin” content, where the use of links isn’t contextually motivated, and closer to spam.

By comparison, Google Penguin, introduced in April 2012, comes down even harder on automated link building through directories – if you have a portfolio of links that are mostly from link farms and other low quality sites, then Penguin will ignore or rank these links as less relevant. It’s not perfect, but it means that Penguin is going to punish your ranking if you have too many links from low quality pages.

So, what kind of actions can you take to improve your SEO without automated link building? The most straightforward method is to focus on creating original content, and on getting high quality guest posts on blogs and pages that aren’t going to get singled out by Penguin – while there are ongoing questions about how effective Google can be at identifying the right pages to disregard, it’s clear that businesses will have to spend more time on creating great content.

It’s also important to optimise existing content and pages, and to ensure that your HTML and CSS on pages is clearly set up to ensure that they can be picked up by search engines; moreover, businesses can do their SEO a big favour by investing in social media content, which can be easily shared and recommended via social toolbars and buttons. The more organic links that you get from high ranking, trusted sites, the higher the chance will be that Google will increase the value of your own website.

Author’s Bio: Rob James is an online marketer and recommends DeepBlueSky web design to help you build a high quality site. In his spare time Rob can be found blogging about the many different linking techniques out there, which ones to apply, and which ones to avoid!

How to use hashtags without looking like a doofus

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To hashtag or not to hashtag, that is the question

It looks like a tic tac toe board, or the pound sign from a push-button telephone. The weird and wonderful hashtag is pretty much everywhere, from TV shows to the sides of buses. This post will get you up to speed with the latest hashtag etiquette, so you can take advantage of its power.
Hashtag etiquette
The origins of the hashtag go all the way back to IRC, which is a free real-time text chat tool that was popular before graphic interfaces (and video chat) took over. (Incidentally, there are still a lot of people using IRC.) The hashtag was used to pull together messages that all related to a certain subject. Later, Twitter denizens decided to adopt the same mechanism (legend attributes this to Chris Messina).

When you see a hyperlinked hashtag, it means you can click it to find content that relates to that subject, whether it’s an event, show, Twitter chat, meme, or random topic. When you see a non-hyperlinked hashtag, it usually means that someone has inserted a hashtag in a platform where it’s not recognized. That’s usually seen as an annoyance by the citizens of that platform, so it might be best to avoid doing that.

Recent hashtag changes

Supposedly Facebook is going to announce that it will start recognizing hashtags soon. This is a major boon to marketers, who will now be able to extend the reach of a hashtag across two huge platforms at once (Twitter and Facebook). Flickr also just added hashtags to its iOS app. However, Pinterest’s latest update renders hashtags non-clickable.

Pro hashtag tips

  • If you’re using a new/unfamiliar hashtag, go to Twitter Advanced Search and check to see who else is already using it. You can also use an external site like hashtags.org.
  • Join some Twitter chats in your niche; it’s a great way to network. You can use a tool like Tweetchat to automatically add the hashtag to your Tweets and see the stream.
  • Don’t use more than one hashtag in a status update unless there’s a really compelling reason.
  • Remember you’re in public. Since hashtags are aggregated all over the place, remember that content you hashtag is accessible to the world.
  • If you’re using a hashtag for an event, be sure to publicize it in advance, and then display it at the event on screen, and on conference materials. The first two questions at every conference are what’s the WiFi password and what hashtag should we use?
  • If you want to see action around a specific hashtag from across the web, look at a site like Twubs.com, which pulls together content from a hashtag and allows you to screen content if you’re streaming it live (to delete spam from the stream).

Are you using hashtags? Have any hashtag pet peeves you want to share with us?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Why Does @SWoodruff Keep Coming Back to #SOBCon?

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Recently I had the chance to catch up with clarity therapist Steve Woodruff to find out why he keeps coming back to SOBCon. Steve offers some great insights into why you should come to SOBCon Chicago, now just a few short weeks away, and he reminded me I need to mix it up a little more at this SOBCon. 

Phil Gerbyshak: Who are you – and what is your business focus?

Steve Woodruff: My mission is to help individuals and businesses discover their “fit” in the marketplace. I do this through a process I call Clarity Therapy, whereby we dig deep to uncover the client’s professional DNA and purpose, and then craft a go-to-market strategy and message around that. I also seek to make beneficial connections to help clients find optimal customers and resources. I believe in the Collaborative far more than the Corporation.

PG: When did you attend your first SOBCon – why did you sign up – and what did you expect to get out of it?

SW: I attended my first SOBCon in 2010, after Liz Strauss and Terry Starbucker double-teamed me and insisted that I come. They must have sensed that there would be a lot of common ground, and they were right. While I expected to make new friends, I was pleasantly surprised at the deep network relationships that arose out of SOBCon, which continue to this day.

PG: Did you get what you expected (or more or less or just different) from your first SOBCon?

SW: I’ve been to many conferences over the years, and what I appreciated immediately about my first hours at SOBCon was the obvious sense of trust and friendliness in the room. The in-depth conversations with people in small groups, and one-on-one, were unmatched by any prior conference experience. The small size of the group helped facilitate richer interactions.

PG: How many additional SOBCon events have you been to?

SW: I’ve been to every Chicago event since, so 2013 will be my fourth. It’s like a homecoming in some ways, but always with some great new people to meet.

PG: What keeps you coming back for more SOBCon?

SW: I love the people that come to SOBCon. As a solopreneur, the people I meet through SOBCon have become some of the most valuable people in my network. Many are now great friends. SOBCon is an annual energy boost and idea-generator.

PG: What has been the biggest impact on your business because of SOBCon?

SW: As I began to launch my Clarity Therapy business, a core of people I met through SOBCon have been a huge encouragement and a great sounding board. They’re a great source of perspective, creative energy, and referrals. My SOBCon colleagues are my built-in QA department for new ideas!

PG: What advice would you give someone thinking of attending SOBCon for the first time?

SW: Open your heart as well as your mind. Egos are checked the door, and you never know what new directions you may take after interacting with a smart bunch of pay-it-forward peers.

PG: What advice would you give someone thinking of attending SOBCon for a second (or more) time?

SW: Move to a different table each day. Be sure you “mastermind” with a variety of folks, especially new attendees who are there for the first time.

PG: Anything else you’d like to share about the event or anything else to share?

SW: SOBCon is a great mix of introverts and extroverts. Some conferences can feel very intimidating for those of a “quieter” nature. SOBCon is a wonderful environment for those who value substance over noise.

Steve WoodruffTo learn more about Steve, visit his website at http://stevewoodruff.com or to learn more about his clarity therapy, he came up with this awesome 60 second Clarity Therapy piece that will clear it all up for you.

And what are you waiting for? Sign up for the 10th SOBCon today!

Is Your Business Hiring the Wrong Folks?

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It is 2013 and you have some three-fourths of the year in front of you to take your small business to new heights.

So, what are a few things that concern you over the remaining nine months? If hiring the right talent to helped carry your business to more success is one of those concerns, what do you plan on doing about it?

As a small business owner, you obviously have a full plate to handle on a regular basis. Decisions involving products, services, budgets, promoting your company, and more likely consume you on a daily basis. That being said, where does hiring the right employees rank on such a list?

For some business owners, it just takes one wrong hire to throw off the office chemistry, potentially throwing the company into upheaval as you try and right the ship.

If you have made a bad hire or two in the past, consider the following to negate such choices in the future:

* Chemistry – Just like if you were buying a bus and placing your employees on it, finding the right seats for each of your workers is critical. Let’s face it, some personalities just don’t mesh well, leading to potential conflicts around the office. Although some individuals can fool you or your HR department during the hiring process, never underestimate the importance of personality when looking to hire. An individual can have the most sparkling resume going, but their personality should matter just as much if not more when considering bringing them on board;

* Qualifications – Have you ever decided to hire someone with less qualifications because you could flat out pay them less money? Yes, it does happen more often than you may think, especially in a day and age when companies are trying to save money wherever possible. Some businesses will hire an individual that is less qualified than another applicant, albeit to save money. Keep in mind that making such a move can surely backfire on you, especially if you have to bring someone new in a short time later and go through the training process once again. Qualifications should always be right at or near the top of the list, otherwise you simply get what you pay for;

* Attitude – Just as chemistry and qualifications prove important, an applicant’s attitude ranks right up there too. The most qualified person could be a proven winner for your company, yet their attitude is less than stellar. Yes, attitudes can change over time, but are you willing to risk hiring such a person? If during the interviewing process you sense an individual’s heart just isn’t into your company, great qualifications and all, look elsewhere;

* Mileage – Finally, locating that individual who will go that extra mile for you and your business is golden. Extra mileage means the man or woman who will stay past their regular hours or come in early, speak up regularly at company meetings to offer constructive ideas to grow the company, and not afraid to offer their talents and experience to others in the office. Some employees do just enough that is required of them, while others will go above and beyond. When you find those latter individuals, your business stands to gain.

As the calendar prepares to turn to April soon, are you making it your business to find the right employees in 2013?

Photo credit: employeescreeningblog.com

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of small business topics, including helping those who might say i need online reputation protection.