A roundup of a few relatively recent Twitter mistakes - Joe Logon lets go and bares all and of all places the Network Solutions blog. Hey its all about conversation but apparently not in all places
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Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Bloggers meet for food and good at at O'Faolain's Irish Restaurant in Sterling.
http://www.bloggersforgood.org/ organized a meetup today and donated the proceeds of funds, food collected to benefit Loudoun Interfaith Relief. I liked meeting new folks and there was avery good turnout atleast 40 people I think. Erin who organized the meeting did a great job along with Tammi, Dan, Erica to put this together. I was so happy to see Tammi bring her kids (sign of comfort). I wish I had shook hands with everyone in the room but my colleague Joe Loong seemed to know everyone. Mayra Ruiz McPherson had hubby Sylvester in tow . he is a awesome guy and he works just down the road too.
Loudoun Interfaith Relief.(LIR) is the largest and only nutritious food pantry in Loudoun County. LIR serves their clients by providing the food necessary to prepare three balanced meals a day for three days for any size family. I hope the good folks at this meetup made a difference.
There were several firsts here for me.
- My first meet-up in Sterling ( The nearest was at Jimmy's in Herndon)
- The atmosphere was so family friendly and there were normal people ( non-bloggers) and kids too. So no chance of a Echo chamber here.
- Every AOL person seemed to know each other despite the runmor that AOL has 4 huge aircraft hangar sized buildings :)
Some of the Twitter folks there; @edguzm @lpsmonkey @geddie @danilob @nicholasgraham @david_danaan & @visitLoudoun @egarman @municipalist @joelogon @marketingmisfit @tammim
Erin from Suburban Fizz welcoming the Bloggers and would be bloggers at O'Faolain's Irish Restaurant in Sterling.
Myra Ruiz McPherson interviewing the Manager of O'Faolain's Doreen - Blogging can't wait
Mary, Marian and friend
Other Pictures
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Follow-up : Quick Email interview with Yelp
Update : 20th February 2009
- Article in the Financial Times Blog today
- Update on the Yelp Blog
- PC World Article
- Yelp page that explains the reviews and sponsored reviews http://www.yelp.com/business#whatisyelp
- Brian Solis on the Yelp issue
--------------------------
I quickly got hold of Chantelle Karl who was about to hop on a plane back to NYC this morning and asked her to give me a few details about Yelp . Here is the dialogue. You can reach Chantelle on Twitter at @cckarl if you have any questions or you can comment here and I can do a follow-up.
a) What do the Yelp Sales reps sell?
First, to be clear, Yelp provides two types of tools to businesses:
1) Yelp for Business Owners which is absolutely FREE to any business that claims its Yelp listing. These tools include:
-Ability to monitor online conversations
-Make sure contact/location/business hours are up-to-date
-Add pictures
-Reach out to customers through private messaging
-Offer coupons
-Keep track of page views; total number of reviews, as well as get notified when new ones are posted
-About this Business: Biz owners are able to highlight their specialties; provide a short history; introduce owner, manager, etc and recommend other businesses.
Again, these suite of tools are all free to any business and an opportunity to have more of a voice and personality on the site - letting business owners connect directly with the 19+ million people that visited Yelp in the past 30 days alone.
2) The Yelp Sponsorship Program - this is what Yelp sales reps are selling and range in packages and price. Essentially the program offers the following:
-Enhance your business page on Yelp with a slide-show
-A personalized message from your business
-A highlighted favorite review (which is clearly marked as such)
-Your ad will appear in targeted search as well as other business listings
-In addition to all the features available in Yelp for Business Owners
Yelp does NOT remove negative reviews, reorder reviews or let business owners choose the order of their reviews. Please feel free to look at ANY of the Yelp sponsor listings as well as contact them directly to underscore this.
b) What kind of businesses can expect they may receive a call ?
Currently, any business with 3 stars and above on the site. If business owners are interested in learning more about the program, they can either check out the Yelp biz owner FAQ, or complete this form and Yelp will reach out to them directly.
c) Any success stories you can share of a business that advertises on yelp and succeeds?
Absolutely - I'd encourage you to reach out to any Yelp advertiser whether a dentist in NY, a french restaurant in DC or an organic mattress seller in San Francisco. Not only will they corroborate in their own words that Yelp doesn't rearrange reviews, remove negative postings, etc but they can also share insight into why they opted to use the program, as well as what results they've seen. It doesn't really matter what industry, rather we've seen businesses who engage with their customers see the most success. We also have testimonial of Yelp sponsors on the business FAQ.
Please comment and give me your opinion.
Listening to both sides of the Yelp Story
Today I was looking at my Twitter stream and saw Dwight Silverman post this tweet " Whoa. Yelp accused of offering to remove businesses' negative reviews for a price in the Bay Area. http://is.gd/k2Gn" He later followed up with a blog post " Yelp's not helpless against accusations of extortion http://tinyurl.com/bt52ja "
I quickly asked my Kevin Lee who is the DC "public servant" for Yelp about this issue and he pointed me to a blog post by Jeremy Stoppelman Yelp's CEO http://officialblog.yelp.com/2009/02/kathleen-richards-east-bay-express.html ( This guy is just 31 - Man ! These people start very young :) )
Conversations:
Kathleen Richards story on East Bay Says Yelp draws more than 16 million unique visitors to the site each month, according to Yelp spokeswoman Stephanie Ichinose. More than 4.5 million reviews have been written so far, and the company has raised $31 million in funding to date. Specially after the FaceBook stand off last week it is good for the company to engage with the media and the community using social media tools. Here is how the Yelp Conversation was playing out when I posted this.
- @jowyang: Follow up: Yelp's CEO responds to call out --debunks reporter http://tinyurl.com/bbuvfa
- Twitter conversations on this issue http://search.twitter.com/search?q=yelp
- Technorati http://technorati.com/search/yelp?language=n
- StreamGraph for the term yelp http://tinyurl.com/ce94zj by neoformix
Here Kathleen Richards has good intentions in writing this story as it is a journalist's duty to look out for their readers. Yelp has responded on their blog to the article. Social Media is a powerful tool for users.What can we as Social media users do to make sure both sides are heard ? Yelp's integrity is in having genuine reviews from people who actually visited the restaurant. Maybe this is a case of a wayward sales guy saying the wrong things as no company that just landed a huge funding will sanction such sales tactics that may affect their reputation.
A few months ago my colleague Joe Loong wrote two good posts on the Network Solutions' Small Business Blog on reviews . I have been in the restaurant business in a earlier life and the advice i give my friends in the restaurant business is that they make sure they add the listing to Yelp and continuously monitor to see what their customers are saying. Yelp also offers a way for business owners to respond to reviewers. Small businesses are instinctively good at Customer service and if a business is run well they should not fear negative reviews. If a business is getting a lot of bad reviews there are a couple of options:
a) If a particular reviewer mentions a bad experience contact them and set things right
b) Encourage your customers to Yelp
c) Proudly display your Yelp ranking on your web site, it is after all your hard work that got you good reviews.
d) Facing a barrage of negative reviews that seem to be hate filled.
- Reach out and try to contact the reviewer
- If you have a blog explain your side of the story and link to the review ( Yelp did that same in their reaction to the East Bay Express Story)http://officialblog.yelp.com/2009/02/kathleen-richards-east-bay-express.html
e) Yelp is not the only option , you should use the different tools that the web offers today , social networks, review sites, blogging tools, wikis , video and audio to talk to your customers and always be ahead of the game.
f0 Yelp community discussion on giving bad reviews http://www.yelp.com/topic/chicago-ever-think-twice-about-giving-a-bad-review-
What do you think Yelp should do ?
According to Brian Solis "@yelp If businesses perceive that your sales team is too aggressive, then maybe it is. A blog post doesn't shift perception. Action does."
My ideas:
- Quickly shoot a video with Yelpers dressed as characters from Godfather and be interviewed for their side of the story
- Start a wiki Facebook style asking for Yelp members to give their feedback
- Call Kathleen Richards and take her out to a restaurant not reviewed in Yelp ( neutral ground)
What are your ideas ? Comment here and lets have a conversation.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
SXSW : Meeting old friends and making new ones
I used Chris Pirillo's new tool http://twickie.pirillo.com/ to get this conversation to my blog . I had asked my network about who was coming to SXSW this year. This is amy second SXSW and I am excited that I am having a 'Core COnversation" On Saturday 14th at 3.30 p.m . Please mark your calendars.
Details : http://sxsw.com/interactive/talks/core_conversations?action=show&id=IAP0901228
caseysoftware: @shashib I promise to stalk you at #sxsw. When you find that someone has taken a bite of your English muffin and drank your OJ, that's me ;)
A Hard Sell? Social Media & Your Boss
Room 5B
Saturday, March 14th
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Add this to your SXSW CalendarMoving your boss from 'No' to 'Go'Are you frustrated that your company is not engaged in social media? The panel will provide actionable steps to convince your boss of the value. We'll cover how to: become a champion, creative ways to recruit internal proponents (including lawyers), gather & present compelling reasons. Sell your social media ideas!We'll make your social media plan an easy sell
Details : http://sxsw.com/interactive/talks/core_conversations?action=show&id=IAP0901228
last year I met a lot of online friends offline which I documented in this post
zenaweist: @shashib excellent tip, especially for me b/c I'm so short, I like to wear heels, might need some comfy crocs heels for SXSW - thx!
shashib: @zenaweist wear comfortable shoes - there is a lot of walking to do :)
zenaweist: @shashib it will be my first SXSW, glad you'll be there...going to check out your post.
AdeleMcAlear: I remember meeting you for the first time at the Frog Design party (with the fire eaters) good times!
about 8 minutes ago
kyeung808: @shashib let the hilarity ensue! @geoffliving and I will be there. But this time no driving is involved! LOL!
Monday, February 16, 2009
How to Fix your Windows - My Videos folder from crashing?
For the past few days the My Videos folder in my computer has been crashing my Windows Explorer. It is quite frustrating because if you have any Internet Explorer windows open they crash too. Well I am happy to say I fixed it.
I have no scientific evidence for this but I think when you se your Windows folders for a Thumbnail view you may have this problem. ( Also mentioned here http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread65876.html )
Problem:
Every time I opened the "My Videos' Folder all my windows explorer windows and my Internet Explorer windows would crash and I would get the Dr. Watson message asking me to report the problem.
Fix:
- I opened my "My Documents" folder
- Set the view to " Details"
- Clicked on Tools >> Folder Options >> View
- Clicked on " Apply to All folders"
- Clicked on " reset All folders"
Now I can open the folder without any danger of browser or explorer crash.
I hope this helps other folks if at all they have this issue.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Hat Trick at the Small Business Summit New York
I attended Small Business Summit 2009 on Feb 3rd in New York. This was my third time ( hat trick !). The conference is organized by Ramon Ray, Small Business technology guru who writes on Technology for Small Business for SmallBizTechnology.com with Marian Banker of Prime Strategies, a small businesses consulting firm.
Every time I attend this conference attended I am amazed by the energy of both the presenters and the audience. The conference is well planned and the agenda for the Small business conference filed with topics that are tuned to both the novice small business owner and the expert. This is a refreshing focus from conferences that cater to experts only. I met several small business owners and persuaded them to give me a video interview which will be published on the Network Solutions Blog soon.
Small Business Entrepreneurs: Regina Furfy ( http://www.gourmetible.com) and Jill Frechtman ( www.fretzels.com )
Opening keynote at the Small Business Summit was by Bob Pearson- Dell VP Communities and Conversations @BobpDell. The subject of the keynote was "Keeping Customers: It’s The Relationship (First) Not the Product" .
Bob Pearson's recap of the Summit at the Dell Small Business Blog. I want to thank Bob for giving me a impromptu video interview. Bob told me about 3 things that are new at Dell.
- Dell has started twitter only deals at @DellOutlet
- Dell has a new Facebook page for Small business for Social Media Education http://www.facebook.com/dellsocialmedia
- Dell is planning on a B2B community.
Marian Banker moderated a panel "Tips for Thriving When Customers Spend Less"
My buddy and Network Solutions colleague Harry Brooks gave a talk on "Your Online Presence: More Important Than Ever" . This was a step by step explanation of what Search Engine optimization is and how to do it yourself. The talk also laid out the guidelines for the right questions to ask if outsourcing the project.
Harry Speaks all around the country and you can sign up for a SEO seminar here
Harry brooks then became the buffer as he sat between Microsoft office Live's Michael Schultz and Google's Jonathan Rochelle on the panel 'How We Keep and Nurture Loyal Customers" Moderated by my good friend Brent Leary.
I had a long and interesting conversation with Anita Campbell of http://smallbiztrends.com/ . One tip that she gave me was to think about Blog posts as questions that you are asked and answer them. We discussed Network Solutions' Small Business community and web developer efforts and I was thrilled when she mentioned Network Solutions In her recap of the Small business Summit.
Others who covered the summit
Steve Fisher: http://blog.networksolutions.com/2009/coverage-of-the-4th-annual-small-business-summit-in-new-york/
Anita Campbell : http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/02/pictures-from-small-business-summit.html and http://www.ebusinesspractices.com/2009/02/report-from-small-business-summit/
Dell Small Business Blog: http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/smallbusiness/archive/2009/02/10/small-business-tech-summit-09-the-importance-of-connecting-with-your-customers.aspx
Staci Wood : http://www.smbtrendwire.com/2009/01/27/small-business-summit-value-customer-service/
Geekly Times : http://www.geeklytimes.com/?p=544
Laurie Mccabe http://lauriemccabe.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/reading-the-top-trends-barometer-at-the-2009-small-business-summit/
Jonathan Rochelle : http://jrsays.com/2009/02/small-business-summit-in-nyc.html
Sanford Dickert : http://sanford.blogspot.com/2009/02/small-biz-technology-summit-panel-one.html
John Jantz http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2009/01/20/meet-me-in-manhattan/
Centernetworks; http://www.centernetworks.com/small-business-technology-summit
Old friends I met at the Small Business Summit
Michelle Riggins of BatchBlue
And Pam O' Hara of Batch Blue - Contact , Communications and task management software
I had the privilege of taking the train in the esteemed company of Steve Fisher
American Express Rocks - Exceeding my expectations
On a Sunday evening when the weekend is winding down, I like nothing better to watch a movie with the family. Alas my Sony DVD Recorder RDR-VX555 decides to stop working. I am not sure when I purchased it and so I call Sony and they go thorough some steps to troubleshoot. I am glad that SOny even has phone support. The troubleshooting does not work and the SONY support rep tells me I have two alternatives:
- Send the set back to Sony for evaluation and pay UPS ground shipping
- Take it back to Best Buy if it is under warranty.
I haul my sorry axx grudgingly to Best Buy. Service is with a smile and politeness but I am out of luck. I am 30 days out of warranty. From my days in India Sony in my mind was a brand that made things that lasted till the technology changed. I was disappointed that this Sony device did not stand upto the brand promise. Remember I am in the market for a TV and may decide to forgo Sony.
How American Express stood behind its promise
I remember reading a direct mail piece where American express promised to extend the warranty on any thing I purchased on my card. I decided it was worth a call. I called right from best Buy. American Express Rep was very excellent as they always are. They took my info and said I would be notified in 2 weeks.
Come Monday morning , I see an email "We are pleased to inform you that payment has been approved for your Extended Warranty program claim" . How cool is that. I am overjoyed and call my wife and tell her the good news. On my way home I tell this to the audience who listen to me on Utterli. I tell the people who I meet at the tweetup. Sony is mentioned with regret and American Express is mentioned with happiness and glowing pleasure. They kepy up to the promise and also made the process seamless.
American Express you rock. Sony I am disappointed, Instead of a years guarantee you should probably say "lasts for 12 months only". On second thoughts I should have done more research online and was sure to see that peolle had problems with this product but Sony continued to sell it. Yuck !
Technorati Tags: Sony RDR VX 555 bad
Monday, February 09, 2009
February Tweetup - DC/MD/VA - Indique heights
This was the second tweet-up this year at the Indique Heights. When I first started engaging in the social media there were a lot more impromptu Tweetups and then came a flurry of corporate sponsored events which got too frequent. I feel 2009 will bring about a consolidation of "social" social events and learn as you dine events.
Today I met new friends many whom I have known online and some I met for the first time.
The merry tweeters who came to Indique Heights
Chantelle Karl @cckarl Yelp.com's Communication manager for the East coast ( That includes Canada and UK !- figure that out )
Nakeva @nakeva http://www.meeid.com/nakeva/
Gaurav Sharma @gauravonomics http://www.gauravonomics.com/
( Steven Fisher after probably a huge does of Slum Dog Millionaire called Guarav's Hair style a Bollywood actor style)
Lisa Throckmorton @lkthrock http://www.speakerboxpr.com/plugged-in/
Kim Oser @putitaway http://www.putitaway.net/
Allison Lee @dallisonlee http://www.dallisonlee.com/
( We will help you organize your life)
Chris Abraham @chrisabraham http://www.chrisabraham.com/
ThursdayB with Chris @thursdayb http://www.thursdaybram.com/
Joe Loong @joelogon http://www.joelogon.com/blog
Steven Fisher @stevenfisher http://blog.networksolutions.com
Jill Foster @jillfoster http://www.womengrowbusiness.com
Andrew Somyak @asomyak
Kevin @kasrael http://kl.yelp.com/
Allyson Kapin @womenwhotech http://www.womenwhotech.com/
Here is Jeremiah Owyang's definition of a Tweetup
What’s Tweetup? A few years ago, we called them blogger dinners, and it’s where folks got to come together, meet each other face to face (scary huh?) and actually talk in real life. Despite the affection many have for these social tools, there is nothing like seeing people in real life and meeting them.
A few guidelines for social events that I mentioned on twitter: Unlike Fight Club, talk about Tweetups, before, during, and after. Come to meet folks, be social. Don’t “poke” anyone unless you’ve brought protection. The act of “throwing sheep” at anyone other than your spouse is not encouraged. If you’re going to mention people “you’re following them” be sure to give them context whether that’s on Twitter or in real life –hopefully the former.
Kidding aside, just come to network with others, buy someone you’re connected to online a drink, exchange real world information, and most importantly, be merry
Thanks Chef VInod for the good food and for the hospitality.
If you came to the tweetup today- Did you enjoy it ? What can we do better? Any other suggestions for venue, dates etc.
February Tweetup - DC/MD/VA - Indique heights
This was the second tweet-up this year at the Indique Heights. When I first started engaging in the social media there were a lot more impromptu Tweetups and then came a flurry of corporate sponsored events which got too frequent. I feel 2009 will bring about a consolidation of "social" social events and learn as you dine events.
Today I met new friends many whom I have known online and some I met for the first time. Here is Jeremiah Owyang's definition of a Tweetup
What’s Tweetup? A few years ago, we called them blogger dinners, and it’s where folks got to come together, meet each other face to face (scary huh?) and actually talk in real life. Despite the affection many have for these social tools, there is nothing like seeing people in real life and meeting them.
A few guidelines for social events that I mentioned on twitter: Unlike Fight Club, talk about Tweetups, before, during, and after. Come to meet folks, be social. Don’t “poke” anyone unless you’ve brought protection. The act of “throwing sheep” at anyone other than your spouse is not encouraged. If you’re going to mention people “you’re following them” be sure to give them context whether that’s on Twitter or in real life –hopefully the former.
Kidding aside, just come to network with others, buy someone you’re connected to online a drink, exchange real world information, and most importantly, be merry
The merry tweeters who came to Indique Heights
Chantelle Karl @cckarl Yelp.com's Communication manager for the East coast ( That includes Canada and UK !- figure that out )
Nakeva @nakeva http://www.meeid.com/nakeva/
Gaurav Sharma @gauravonomics
Lisa Throckmorton @lkthrock http://www.speakerboxpr.com/plugged-in/
Kim Oser @putitaway http://www.putitaway.net/
Allison Lee @dallisonlee http://www.dallisonlee.com/
Chris Abraham @chrisabraham http://www.chrisabraham.com/
ThursdayB with Chris @thursdayb http://www.thursdaybram.com/
Joe Loong @joelogon http://www.joelogon.com/blog
Steven Fisher @stevenfisher http://blog.networksolutions.com
Jill Foster @jillfoster http://www.womengrowbusiness.com
Andrew Somyak @asomyak
Kevin @kasrael http://kl.yelp.com/
Allyson Kapin @womenwhotech http://www.womenwhotech.com/
Thanks Chef VInod for the good food and for the hospitality. If you came to the tweetup today- Did you enjoy it ? What can we do better? Any other suggestions for venue, dates etc.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Friday, February 06, 2009
Blogger for Good : Meetup in Loudon County Feb 19th 2009
Blogger for Good : Meetup in Loudon County : Details at http://www.bloggersforgood.org/
The inaugural BFG meetup will take place on February 19 from 6-8 p.m. at O'Faolain's Irish Restaurant in Sterling. Bloggers, blog readers, and the general public are invited to attend. This event is free and open to the public. Proceeds will benefit Loudoun Interfaith Relief, the area's largest food pantry.
Featured bloggers include Erica Garman from the Washington Post's Loudoun Extra website, Tammi Marcoullier from Inside Out, Dan Sousa from LoudounPrepSports and Ramblin' Man.
To be listed as an attendee, join our email list or blogroll, get our graphic, or for more information, contact Erin@BloggersforGood.org.
What is BFG ?
Bloggers For Good (BFG) is a new, grass-roots group that sponsors local meetups for people to meet, greet, and give back to their communities. Meetups and other events provide a chance to gather in a fun, social setting with a common interest and a bigger purpose Read more .
When people with passion write - Women Grow Business
I am always proud of working with smarter people and the proof in the pudding is my blog colleagues at http://blog.networksolutions.com - Steve Fisher, Joe Loong and Jill Foster. Steve manages the blog and runs the strategy while Joe writes from his heart often writing the most commented or linked posts there. What started of as a spontaneous idea and got quickly made into reality is WomenGrowBusiness.com. Jill is the editor , Steve helped with the name and setting up of the blog. I perform my part as team member by keeping out of the way while these smart folk do their magic. I know a lot of people want to know how social media tools like Facebook , Linkedin etc can be used , I think you should follow Jill Foster on Twitter @jillfoster and see how she takes this blog to the community and makes it a success.
Since we are sharing Jill Foster's secrets, here is a question she asked on Linkedin http://cli.gs/ZNv2YP . Since she teaches Social Media I am enjoying seeing her practice what she preaches.
Mosey on over to http://www.womengrowbusiness.com and read the stories of success, tips and overall experience. My theory here is that if people are passionate about what they do they will always succed. Jill - Good luck we will be rooting for you :)
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
DC, MD OR VA folks Tweetup on Feb 09 / 6.30 to 7 p.m. @ Indique Heights
Feb 09 Tweetup
Meeting online friends offline and having great Indian Food
When: February 9th 2009 6.30 to 7 ish
Where :
Indique heights ( Above Friendship heights metro)
2 Wisconsin Circle
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
301 656 4822Parking in the building
Please RSVP on Twitter to @shashib or comment here if you can come so i can give the restaurant the estimate.
Who is coming:
@shashib, @jillfoster ,@Stevenfisher ,@joelogon
Twitter RSVPs so far.
alexismichelle @shashib count me in for the 9th :) Looking forward to seeing you again!about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck in reply to shashib
kirbstr I am a maybe- will try. RT @shashib: DC/MD/VA tweetup Feb 09 at 6.30-7 at Indique Heights , hope to see you there, RSVP appreciatedabout 4 hours ago from TweetDeck
asomyak @shashib Big presentation on Wed, but I'm going to try and do my best to get out there on Mon! I'll be clearer on Fri but now count me in.about 4 hours ago from web in reply to shashib
kasrael @shashib To whom are we RSVPing for the tweetup, Shashi? @cckarl and I will plan to be there!
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