via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151647281866807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Important notice to burrito thieves
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151646986936807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
The original Ronald McDonald -- played by Willard Scott!
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151646620241807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Last year Taylor Swift promised a cancer stricken NJ teen she would take him to the ACM awards. He got his wish.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151646154306807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
The Rise of Webimercials – Webinars that are Only Mildly Educational
This is a rant so I’m going to keep it short and not so sweet. There’s a trend in the automotive industry towards putting out really, really bad webinars. It hits really close to home because I absolutely love them, have been doing them for three years now, and get really annoyed when other professionals in the industry use them as pitch sessions.
In essence, it’s giving one of the most important components of pushing the automotive industry forward a bad name.
Let’s go back a few years. There was a time when many would consider the automotive industry to be behind the times when it came to internet marketing. Things have changed in the last several years and now there are shining examples at every level, from individual salesperson all the way up to the OEMs, where ours is an industry of trendsetters instead of being behind on the times.
I believe that webinars have played an extremely important role in this change and I’m proud to have been a part of it. However, I’ve been listening to some webinars lately that are really light on the educational components and heavy on the pitch. This needs to stop.
Here’s how a webinar should work. A company should pick out an important topic in which they have an expertise. They craft a webinar and use the opening to tell the audience who they are. This should be short – no need for 3-5 minutes (or more in some cases) of “here’s what I do for dealers” or “here’s what we’re selling today.” Then, the education begins. At the end of the webinar or even some time in the middle, ask if there are those in the audience who would like to learn more about your services. Again, make this quick – 1 minute max.
The concept is this – webinars should be 95% educational. We know why we do them. The intention is to stir up business. However, it’s not designed to be a pitch, at least it shouldn’t be. A peer once told me that he educates because he believes that 50% will do nothing with the information, 25% will do it themselves, and 25% will ask for help. If you go through and show dealers how they can help themselves, they’ll have a choice. Give them an opportunity to make the choice. If they choose to inquire about your services, that’s great! If not and they take the information you give them to make their dealership better on its own, that’s great, too!
Education at every level, whether it’s webinars, speaking at conferences, writing blog posts, putting out white papers, or whatever you do to educate the automotive industry, it should be with the understanding that you’re establishing yourself and your company as willing to help and possessing the skills to make a difference. If they want a pitch, they can ask for one.
Here’s the thing: if you’re doing your educating right, there will be people inquiring about your services. If you force them to waste their time listening to a pitch when they came to be educated, you’re not helping the industry, the dealers, or yourself.
Sorry for the rant. I don’t do it often, but when I do, it’s for good reason.
Related articles
via Soshable | Social Media Blog http://soshable.com/the-rise-of-webimercials-webinars-that-are-only-mildly-educational/
Monday, April 29, 2013
Truth about how this meme has evolved
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151645389566807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Living in #SoCal is almost unfair.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151645219321807&set=a.10150983922871807.491254.657281806&type=1
This isn't going to end well.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151645059176807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Modern lyrics
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151644695646807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Clearly it's going to be a good week.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151643840296807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Sunday, April 28, 2013
The most admirable part of this photo is that he didn't quit after his first stumble. Or second. Or third. Perseverance.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151643601701807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Testing bulletproof vests in 1923
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151643227846807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
I guess a Prius just isn't green enough
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151642810816807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Looking down the drain
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151642611816807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Something tells me this isn't a good idea
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151642489476807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Pier 54 in Seattle
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151642177891807&set=a.10150983922871807.491254.657281806&type=1
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Ants holding seeds.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151642021541807&set=a.10150983922871807.491254.657281806&type=1
Someday I will have this in my back yard. Someday.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151641925826807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
He said he'd make America burn. Here, he checks his weapons stockpile.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151641547116807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Google Glass Alpha from 1963
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151641254781807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Proof that the theory of relativity is the key to time travel
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640935246807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Friday, April 26, 2013
What have you done?
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151639637851807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
In case you've ever wondered why it's called an eggplant
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151639232901807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Thursday, April 25, 2013
CISPA is dead but cybersecurity legislation will rear its ugly head again
There’s a rush going on in Washington DC right now. It has been going on for over 2 years now and will continue until they get something done. The topic – cybersecurity. The latest failed legislation – CISPA.
US News is reporting that the US Senate will not take up the cybersecurity bill but will draft different legislation to go after cybersecurity – and some would say our privacy as well – in the coming months. Their biggest concern according to Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WVa) is that the bill’s “privacy protections are insufficient.”
This echoes President Barack Obama’s sentiment and is the reason that the POTUS threatened to veto the bill if it reached his desk. It passed by an overwhelming margin last week in the House of Representatives but will not see the light of day in the Senate. That’s not to say it wouldn’t have passed. It only means that in its current form, it won’t even be brought to the floor.
There are others waiting in the wings, including the Cybersecurity and American Cyber Competitiveness Act of 2013. This piece of legislation is arguably milder in language and heavier in privacy protections than CISPA, but it goes after another area of contention by picking up a tone towards entertainment and technology protection similar to the rallying cries of organizations like the RIAA. Here’s how it currently starts off:
To secure the United States against cyber attack, to improve communication and collaboration between the private sector and the Federal Government, to enhance American competitiveness and create jobs in the information technology industry, and to protect the identities and sensitive information of American citizens and businesses.
If it sounds familiar, you’ve probably read CISPA, PIPA, SOPA, and possibly other pieces of legislation that are geared towards taking away our privacy online and putting too much power into both big business and the US government in the name of cybersecurity.
The biggest problem with all of these pieces of legislation is that they do not allow for enough anonymity of the common user online. This is a mistake, not just from the perspective of the privacy advocates but also in the ways to handle cyberterrorism in the first place. They are wanting to gather and catalog vast amounts of personal data to build online dossiers on US and foreign citizens. That is never clearly stated, but it is always allowable within the loopholes of each piece of legislation. We discuss that concept as it appeared in CISPA here.
Until they bring about legislation that keeps the data completely anonymous and encrypted up until the point that a proper warrant is issued, the loopholes will remain. That’s what it will take to make the legislation palatable and it’s also what it will take to make it effective. Criminals will usually have stronger privacy protocols in place with their online exchanges than average people. As such, the current bills do not address this issue and force the legislation to be most easily used against law abiding citizens than cybercriminals.
Something needs to be done. Cyberwarfare is still an extremely dangerous threat to society. However, the legislation proposed to this point will not address the threats enough and will empower the government with potential for digital oppression.
via Techi.com http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techirss/~3/yfqpFnDpDtE/
Animals know better than Americans what not to eat.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151638595431807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Angry typewriter
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151638141531807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
21 years alter. Party on. Excellent.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151637807626807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Why your posts are seen (or go unseen) on Facebook news feeds
EdgeRank. It’s a mythical beast in many ways, not because it isn’t real but because it is very misunderstood by many. It’s one of those things that makes total sense once you get it but that can be very misleading before the light bulb ignites.
The basic way to understand it in one sentence is this – when your content gets positive engagement, it can be seen by more people, but when it gets negative sentiment, it gets hidden. There is a science behind it but that’s not really necessary for success. When you post good content and the people that do get to see it interact in a positive manner, the chance that others will see it too goes up. The opposite is true as well.
This is where posting the right content and “earning” the right for your business to market on Facebook comes into play. Some will say that Facebook can only be used as a branding tool, that if you focus on putting out high-quality content and never actually talk about the business, that you’ll get the maximum benefit. It’s a fair strategy, a safe on, but not necessarily the best, particularly for local businesses. A good mix of engaging content with marketing material mixed in is the best strategy, but that takes more than a blog post or an infographic to explain fully.
In the meantime, here’s an interesting infographic by PostRocket to get you started.
* * *
“Hidden Under Hat” image courtesy of Shutterstock.
via Techi.com http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techirss/~3/V0d57Ehla6s/
3 wolves in Quebec. What a scene.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151637418726807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
This is it.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151636777246807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Short.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151636471426807&set=a.10150804218396807.479308.657281806&type=1
Sequestration furloughs have no impact on ObamaCare workers
The politicization of the sequester has been a clear central point of the furloughs that have affected millions of Americans as high profile programs and events have been affected. White House tours, the Blue Angels, and airport slowdowns have been pushed as “see, I told you so” items that the Democrats cling onto when demonstrating the evil ways of the fiscally conservative right. Those working to administer and organize ObamaCare, however, appear to have been vaccinated from the impact.
“We’re talking about at least a 15 percent furlough of current air-traffic controllers, resulting in delays and perhaps safety concerns, but yet this has been a selective political item by the administration,” said Rep. Greg Harper (R-Miss.).
The sequestration has resulted in several government agencies furloughing employees, reducing hours, and cutting pay. The fact that the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight was not forced to make these cuts while air traffic controllers vital to the safety of travelers across America are facing furloughs is a brilliant political move by the Obama administration. They selected agencies that would provide pain points to citizens and get press from mainstream media in an effort to pressure Republicans to raise taxes even further, but they did not select anything, including ObamaCare, in which the negatives of the furloughs would reflect badly on the administration.
This is a clear case of using the sequestration for political agendas first and foremost. The use of logic by creating a hierarchy for the cuts to actually make sense is something that this administration is unwilling to do. It’s not about what will be best for the country. It’s about what will be best for the administration. They have done many things over the last five years that have been questionable, even criminal in the case of Benghazi and other incidents, but this is the most glaring example of “politics at all costs” while also saying “the citizens be damned”.
America is in a state of great need in the way of leadership and responsibility. This administration seems to hold both of these qualities as very low on their list of attributes.
Related articles
via Conservative Haven http://conservativehaven.com/sequestration-furloughs-have-no-impact-on-obamacare-workers/
With Kobe roast beef, a little mustard or mayo is all I nedd.
via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151636368031807&set=a.10150983922871807.491254.657281806&type=1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)