Taking Time During the Holidays

I am having a wonderful Holiday vacation. Along with spending time with the kids I am also catching up on some reading .

Here are some observations on what I have been reading:

I am awed by the fact that as I am reading the Book "Naked Conversations - How Blogs are changing the way businesses talk with customers" ,I occasionally exchange Tweets on Twitter with co-author Shel Israel.
Naked Conversations has a lot of the examples of small businesses using Blogs . There is an example of Thomas Mahon and his Blog English Cut where the custom tailoring business can become more successful using Blogs. Horsefeathers - a Bar in North Conway , NH -used Social media to retain as well as expand its guests . The blog address seems to have changed from the one the book mentions. The blog is now at http://horsefeathers.tumblr.com/. The author's of Naked Conversations hope to get the local plumbers to blog - In my new role at Network Solutions I hope we can make that happen ( Network Solutions has a lot of Small business customers who have an online presence)

Another interesting article was from a Twitter Tweet -Social Media can be a Boon or a Bust for your Business written by Lewis Green for Media Bullseye The key questions the article deals with;

• Why should we invest in social media?
• What’s in it for us?
• How do we execute on social media effectively?

I followed Shel Israel's link on his Blog Global Neighbourhoods to Scott Monty's Post on The Best Pitch I have Received . Here the authors of the book " Getting to the first base" - Darren and Julie pitch him to review the book. What he likes about the pitch video:

• Addressed me by name
• Made a note of where I'm from
• Acknowledged that they read the section of my blog about how I like to be pitched

These are good examples to follow.

The New York Times carried an article on Small Business using the Social Media as less expensive marketing tools. 'Blogging’s a Low-Cost, High Return Marketing Tool" . I saw the post article from a Twitter link to Marketing Vox's article "Blogging Dubbed 'Low-Cost, High Return' Marketing Tool for SMBs" -be sure to see the cartoon by Hugh MacLeod ( He is mentioned in the book The Naked Conversations and his Blog is http://www.gapingvoid.com/ ). The New York Times article mentions Aliza Sherman Risdahl, author of “The Everything Blogging Book” who I follow on Twitter as @alizasherman. Congrats Aliza and Hugh.

I am thrilled I am following authors, cartoonist marketers, and Celebrity bloggers in the Social Media. I am so happy that many of the people I connected with will take the time to assist, teach or advice if you ask them a question ot seek advice.