Just read an interesting post on Mashable called Should You Outsource Your Social Media Efforts? which talks about how…

The costs for social media support can vary widely — some social media consultants charge a flat fee per month for an agreed-upon scope of work, while others charge by the hour, at rates varying from $50 to $100 or more per hour. Whatever the cost, the bar for success will be set much higher when you’re actually paying someone to do it. Make sure you’ve established some measurable goals to ensure that your social media spending is moving the needle for your business.

They speak to measuring ROI which has been a topic I’ve been researching these past few months, and love their suggestions as a starting point:

• Fan base growth:
  Hitting 1,000 fans or followers over a set period of time
• Customer acquisition:
  Getting 50 redemptions per campaign on social media offers
• Support of direct marketing:
  Adding 200 names to your e-mail database per month
• Engagement:
  Achieving 20% participation by your fan base (e.g. Facebook “likes” and comments)

How are YOU measuring social media ROI?

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113296438693650&ref=mf

Please come out and support our efforts to Save Camp X through a fundraising car wash.

As you may be aware, the artifacts collected to commemorate the men and women of Camp X are being sold to the highest bidder by a family member claiming the collection. PLEASE HELP KEEP OUR LEGACY AT HOME!

We will be donating 100% of our proceeds from the car wash, and any donations that we receive directly to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 637 in an effort to raise money to Help Save Camp X.

Special thanks to Speedy Muffler, Brake & Wheel for donating their facility and utilities to enable us to help achieve our goal of Saving Camp X.

These Team Collaboration tools are specifically designed for collective message publishing and conversation monitoring by groups. This will allow enterprises and agencies to coordinate their efforts with colleagues and clients without sacrificing control over valuable account info or compromising the timeliness of messaging.

Business and organizations can now assemble specific Teams to manage accounts, topics or projects. Plus, anyone can add their own social networking accounts without an administrator, adding even more flexibility.

Users can also save keystrokes with the highly-requested “Reply to All” option, and can spread messages auto-magically with streamlined adding of RSS feeds to any social network.

via HootSuite releases Team Collaboration Tools for Twitter, Facebook and Social Media platforms | HootSuite blog – Social Media Dashboard.

Basically, content syndication is the process of sharing your site or blog content with other Web sites related to your industry or niche. In addition to helping you promote your site, this great strategy also helps with your SEO efforts.

via Content Syndication and RSS 101 – Search Engine Watch (SEW).

We’ve assembled 7 wonderful speakers, that will talk to you about tapping into the power of creativity fun and play into your work, knowing your customer’s buying styles and personality, developing your marketing message so that it’s targeted to your ideal buyer, effortless marketing, healthy living strategies for optimum health, getting past limiting beliefs and into the zone and finally you’ll become expert on making the most of online social marketing…

Plus you get breakfast and lunch and have a chance to network and connect to our speakers and teachers directly.

Now, I know if you’re like me…you’re wondering…why should I attend a day like this?

Well first of all…if you sign up now…you save…our regular price is $149.00 (GST) per person…but now until December 31st, it’s $109.00 (GST) per person and it’s just $199.00 if you bring a buddy…

Second of all it’s a tax savings this year…in 2009…

Third if you invest in yourself and you plan and set goals, it makes you more competitive and gives you a slight edge over your competitors.

Fourth…when you get this kind of learning it makes you better able to serve your customers…plain and simple.

So if you want to learn more about this event…log onto the website and see what we have in store for you on January 16th…the link is below…just click on it…

http://www.smallbusinessbigideas.com/CreateIgniteandInspire.pdf

Once you’re on that site…you can see who’s speaking, what the day is about, and of course you can ask me any questions about the event.

I would love to see you out on January 16th…So Jump in…2010 is looking Great!

To qualify for admittance to reSTART, you have to display symptoms of its nine guidelines for IAD. They are as follows:

1. Have a strong desire or impulse to use the internet.

2. Decreasing or stopping of the internet leads to withdrawal symptoms (e.g., general malaise, restlessness, irritability, lack of concentration, dyssomnia); and the above mentioned symptoms may be relieved by similar electronic media (e.g., TV, handheld games, gaming devices).

3. Continually increasing the amount of internet use and the extent of internet involvement to reach sense of satisfaction.

4. Use of internet in spite of its harmful effects; despite knowledge of harmful effects, internet use is hard to stop.

5. Difficulties controlling beginning, and finishing, and the duration of time of internet use; efforts to modify internet use may be attempted multiple times without success.

6. As a result of internet use, interests, recreation or social activities are decreased or abandoned.

7. Internet use is seen as a way to escape problems or to gain relief from negative feelings.

8. The extent of internet use is denied or minimized to teachers, schoolmates, friends or professionals (including actual time and expenditure of internet contact).

9. Everyday life and social function is impaired (e.g., in social, academic and workability.)

via First U.S. Rehab Center for Internet Addiction Opens Its Doors.

1. Do less. It’s hard to slow down when you are trying to do a million things. Instead, make the conscious choice to do less. Focus on what’s really important, what really needs to be done, and let go of the rest. Put space between tasks and appointments, so you can move through your days at a more leisurely pace. Read more.

2. Be present. It’s not enough to just slow down — you need to actually be mindful of whatever you’re doing at the moment. That means, when you find yourself thinking about something you need to do, or something that’s already happened, or something that might happen … gently bring yourself back to the present moment. Focus on what’s going on right now. On your actions, on your environment, on others around you. This takes practice but is essential.

3. Disconnect. Don’t always be connected. If you carry around an iPhone or Blackberry or other mobile device, shut it off. Better yet, learn to leave it behind when possible. If you work on a computer most of the day, have times when you disconnect so you can focus on other things. Being connected all the time means we’re subject to interruptions, we’re constantly stressed about information coming in, we are at the mercy of the demands of others. It’s hard to slow down when you’re always checking new messages coming in.

4. Focus on people. Too often we spend time with friends and family, or meet with colleagues, and we’re not really there with them. We talk to them but are distracted by devices. We are there, but our minds are on things we need to do. We listen, but we’re really thinking about ourselves and what we want to say. None of us are immune to this, but with conscious effort you can shut off the outside world and just be present with the person you’re with. This means that just a little time spent with your family and friends can go a long way — a much more effective use of your time, by the way. It means we really connect with people rather than just meeting with them.

5. Appreciate nature. Many of us are shut in our homes and offices and cars and trains most of the time, and rarely do we get the chance to go outside. And often even when people are outside, they’re talking on their cell phones. Instead, take the time to go outside and really observe nature, take a deep breath of fresh air, enjoy the serenity of water and greenery. Exercise outdoors when you can, or find other outdoor activities to enjoy such as nature walks, hiking, swimming, etc. Feel the sensations of water and wind and earth against your skin. Try to do this daily — by yourself or with loved ones.

6. Eat slower. Instead of cramming food down our throats as quickly as possible — leading to overeating and a lack of enjoyment of our food — learn to eat slowly. Be mindful of each bite. Appreciate the flavors and textures. Eating slowly has the double benefit of making you fuller on less food and making the food taste better. I suggest learning to eat more real food as well, with some great spices (instead of fat and salt and sugar and frying for flavor).

7. Drive slower. Speedy driving is a pretty prevalent habit in our fast-paced world, but it’s also responsible for a lot of traffic accidents, stress, and wasted fuel. Instead, make it a habit to slow down when you drive. Appreciate your surroundings. Make it a peaceful time to contemplate your life, and the things you’re passing. Driving will be more enjoyable, and much safer. You’ll use less fuel too.

8. Find pleasure in anything. This is related to being present, but taking it a step farther. Whatever you’re doing, be fully present … and also appreciate every aspect of it, and find the enjoyable aspects. For example, when washing dishes, instead of rushing through it as a boring chore to be finished quickly, really feel the sensations of the water, the suds, the dishes. It can really be an enjoyable task if you learn to see it that way. The same applies to other chores — washing the car, sweeping, dusting, laundry — and anything you do, actually. Life can be so much more enjoyable if you learn this simple habit.

9. Single-task. The opposite of multi-tasking. Focus on one thing at a time. When you feel the urge to switch to other tasks, pause, breathe, and pull yourself back. Read more.

10. Breathe. When you find yourself speeding up and stressing out, pause, and take a deep breath. Take a couple more. Really feel the air coming into your body, and feel the stress going out. By fully focusing on each breath, you bring yourself back to the present, and slow yourself down. It’s also nice to take a deep breath or two — do it now and see what I mean.

via The 10 Essential Rules for Slowing Down and Enjoying Life More | Zen Habits .

My Mom once told me that she felt sorry for me and other Mothers in my generation because although we had far more toys that made the work easier, our most important priority, our families and in particular raising children, was far more complicated because everyone’s rules were different now.

Children in my era learned and were expected to follow the 10 commandments and although none of us are perfect, we strove to be.   When we didn’t play nicely in the sandbox, our parents loved us enough to tell us so, make us apologize and try hard not to do it again.

Lately I’ve had the unfortunate pleasure to see adults bullying other adults in business, and it makes me wonder how they could’ve been raised to maturity without learning how fundamentally wrong it is, in fact, not even recognize that they’re doing it, so when I ran across this article by Sharon Bar-David, a very talented public speaker, I thought I’d pass it along…

You Are a Bully If…

You may be a bully and not even know it. While some bullies actively target their victims in malicious, planned ways, most bullies have no clue that others view them as such! 

So, in the service of honest self-examination, I invite you to use the following questions to ascertain whether you may, unfortunately, be a bully. (Note: this is not a full, comprehensive list).

Do you ever…

1.    Withhold information from others that may affect their performance
2.    Ignore the opinions of others, especially in public
3.    Remind others repeatedly of their errors or mistakes
4.    Humiliate or ridicule other people’s work
5.    Engage in gossip and rumours
6.    Make insulting/offensive remarks about others
7.    Ignore, exclude or isolate others
8.    Persistent criticize other people’s work and effort
9.    Tease people or make sarcastic comments
10.   Demonstrate spontaneous anger (possibly raising your voice, even shouting)
11.   Claim other people’s work as yours
12.   Make practical jokes
 

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions, there’s a good chance that you are a bully. My suggestion: shape up ASAP! 

(PS for the effects of bullying on others and on the business, visit the Resources section on my website)

There are six human needs—fundamental drives within each one of us—that compel us forward in a quest to experience a life of meaning. There is no conscious effort necessary, our will to satisfy these primal needs is automatic.

Click here to hear Anthony Robbins’ 6 Human Needs

With tweeter, the more people who follow you, the more people who hear your message. Up until this point, I’ve only invited existing clients, and readers of this blog to follow me on twitter and presently have 31 followers, however the results have been astounding so… when I ran across Tweeter Getter which promises to grow your followers expodentially, I couldn’t resist and tried it out.  As with any marketing effort I do, I will be following the success and recording it here to check comments for the latest updates.