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	<title>Blazing Minds &#187; social media</title>
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	<description>Blogging Tips, Music &#38; Film Reviews, Memes, Twitter Tips - Thoughts, Ponders - and those funny quirks of life in us all</description>
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		<title>Over 3 Years In The Making Could This Be More For BlazingMinds</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/3-years-making-blazingminds-shorty-awards/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/3-years-making-blazingminds-shorty-awards/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:21:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blazing Minds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shorty Award]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social network]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=9316</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Those of you who do read Blazing Minds often will know that the blog has now been going for just over 3 years and has grown to a point of almost being known for not only the flame haired avatar but also for the diverse amounts of subjects that are posted on the blog. So [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/3-years-making-blazingminds-shorty-awards/">Over 3 Years In The Making Could This Be More For BlazingMinds</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
Related posts:<ol>
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<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/happy-birthday-us-blazing-minds/' rel='bookmark' title='Happy Birthday To Us, As Blazing Minds Is 3 Years Old'>Happy Birthday To Us, As Blazing Minds Is 3 Years Old</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/blazing-minds-years-old/' rel='bookmark' title='Blazing Minds Is Going To Be Three Years Old! Join The Birthday Bash Contest'>Blazing Minds Is Going To Be Three Years Old! Join The Birthday Bash Contest</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Those of you who do read Blazing Minds often will know that the blog has now been going for just over 3 years and has grown to a point of almost being known for not only the flame haired avatar but also for the diverse amounts of subjects that are posted on the blog.</p>
<p>So now the time has come to look forward and hope that all the work that myself, the guest bloggers and you the reader has put in to Blazing Minds has started to help and pay off. I know there are a few of you out there that retweet and share the blog posts across many of the social networks etc and this is so much appreciated.</p>
<h3>Over 3 Years In The Making Could This Be More For BlazingMinds</h3>
<p>It&#8217;s now time to help with increasing not only the blogs popularity but the Blazing Minds name as well, so I ask you all to help by voting for the official Blazing Minds Twitter and blog via the 4th Annual Shorty Awards. It&#8217;s easy to vote and only takes a matter of seconds to cast you vote and help Blazing Minds go even further than it has already.</p>
<p>All you have to do is <a target="_blank" title="Vote for Blazing Minds at the Shorty Awards" href="http://shortyawards.com/BlazingMinds?category=blogger" target="_blank">vote for me at the Shorty Awards</a> with a simple few clicks and a tweet! Yes, that&#8217;s all there is to it.</p>
<div style="width: 300px; text-align: center;"><a target="_blank" href="http://shortyawards.com/BlazingMinds?category=blogger"><img src="http://cdn.shortyawards.com/images/badges/4th/shorty_badge_300x250_us.png" alt="Nominate Karen Woodham for a social media award in the Shorty Awards!" width="300" height="250" border="0" /></a>Nominate <a target="_blank" href="http://shortyawards.com/BlazingMinds?category=blogger">Karen Woodham</a> for a <a target="_blank" href="http://shortyawards.com">social media award</a> in the Shorty Awards blogger category</div>
<p>So that&#8217;s all there is to it, so a big, big thank you in advance to everyone that takes the time to vote for me, your time and votes are appreciated.</p>
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<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogengage.com/story.php?title=what-a-brilliant-way-to-start-2012-with-an-announcement-from-blogengage" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What A Brilliant Way To Start 2012 With An Announcement From BlogEngage</a> (blogengage.com)</li>
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<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/love-blazing-minds-show-support/' rel='bookmark' title='Love Blazing Minds? Then Show Your Support At The Shorty Awards'>Love Blazing Minds? Then Show Your Support At The Shorty Awards</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/happy-birthday-us-blazing-minds/' rel='bookmark' title='Happy Birthday To Us, As Blazing Minds Is 3 Years Old'>Happy Birthday To Us, As Blazing Minds Is 3 Years Old</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/blazing-minds-years-old/' rel='bookmark' title='Blazing Minds Is Going To Be Three Years Old! Join The Birthday Bash Contest'>Blazing Minds Is Going To Be Three Years Old! Join The Birthday Bash Contest</a></li>
</ol></p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/3-years-making-blazingminds-shorty-awards/">Over 3 Years In The Making Could This Be More For BlazingMinds</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Digital Media Being Served Up at Australian Open</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/digital-media-served-australian/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/digital-media-served-australian/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:40:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Business.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australian Open]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tennis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=9301</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>As the race to crown a new men’s and women’s tennis champion at this year’s edition of the Australian Open is served up beginning Monday, Jan. 16, Mashable is reporting that this year’s event could emerge as the most digitally connected major sporting event in history. While the event already offers a number of social [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/digital-media-served-australian/">Digital Media Being Served Up at Australian Open</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
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<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/restaurants-moving-social-media/' rel='bookmark' title='Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]'>Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/importance-social-media-guest/' rel='bookmark' title='The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!'>The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-sites-rock-but/' rel='bookmark' title='Social Media Sites Rock!  But&#8230;..'>Social Media Sites Rock!  But&#8230;..</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/images-tennis.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9303" src="http://blazingminds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/images-tennis.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="225" /></a>As the race to crown a new men’s and women’s tennis champion at this year’s edition of the Australian Open is served up beginning Monday, Jan. 16, <em>Mashable</em> is reporting that this year’s event could emerge as the most digitally connected major sporting event in history.</p>
<p>While the event already offers a number of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.business.com/general/social-media/">social media</a> options, tournament officials will reportedly man the Australian Open Twitter feed 24/7 right through the finals on Jan. 29.</p>
<p>Fans tuning in will have access to a fan leader board that lists players from top to bottom due to buzz, along with offering a social counterpoint to on-court results.</p>
<p><em>Mashable</em> spoke to one of the digital team organizers, who noted that the event was the first Grand Slam on Twitter, while interaction with fans has been increasing not only there but also on Facebook.</p>
<p>Fans can also look forward to learning more ins and outs of the event through the Fan Centre leader board, which will continuously list the top 10 male and female players in the event who are being mentioned most on social media, and whose content is attracting the most attention on the Australian Open site.</p>
<p><span id="more-9301"></span>Other digital goodies for fans to ace this time around include live-streamed in-house video coverage, social prediction games, new mobile Web sites, along with apps for iPhone and Android.</p>
<p>So, does all the social media attention at the big event Down Under in Melbourne this month surprise you? If the answer is yes, you may have double faulted on your knowledge of social media and sporting events going hand-in-hand together.</p>
<p>It is no surprise that such big-time events and social media make for a great partnership. Among the reasons why are:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Wider audience</em> – While not everyone can afford to attend a major sporting event and/or catch the game on television, most individuals have access to the Internet in some shape or form. Social media is a great way to keep fans updated, especially those who are on the go;</li>
<li><em>Quicker delivery time</em> – Just as the speeds with which tennis balls are served is seemingly always increasing, the need for delivering information is too. With real-time delivery of scores, player comments, chatter among the fans, etc. those using social media oftentimes learn the details sooner than those in the media;</li>
<li><em>Fan interaction </em>– Another advantage to using social media for such events is that fans get the details right from other fans, providing more passion and more openness as opposed to a sports reporter who is more likely to be calling things right down the middle;</li>
<li><em>One-on-one feeling</em> – Lastly, more sports stars have taken to sites such as Twitter to engage with the fans. Some networks are even running tweets from the athletes during coverage of an event on television. For instance, one coverage provider of the NHL runs tweets across the bottom of the screen during its televising of games. The bottom line is fans can feel closer to those they enjoy watching play.</li>
</ul>
<p>Given the popularity of the Australian Open – the 2010 event achieved the largest ever single-day day/night attendance record for any Grand Slam tournament of 77,043 and an overall attendance of 653,860 – this year’s event is sure to serve up a social media winner.</p>
<p><em>Photo credit: acclaimimages.com</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/importance-social-media-guest/' rel='bookmark' title='The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!'>The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-sites-rock-but/' rel='bookmark' title='Social Media Sites Rock!  But&#8230;..'>Social Media Sites Rock!  But&#8230;..</a></li>
</ol></p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/digital-media-served-australian/">Digital Media Being Served Up at Australian Open</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>6 Top Guidelines for Brand SEO</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/top-guidelines-brand-seo/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/top-guidelines-brand-seo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:27:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>kimathic</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search engine optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web search engine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=8980</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Many businesses and companies direct all their efforts to SEO for their sites, and don’t remember to optimize their brand names. It is very vital to optimize your brand to make it easy for people to find you through search engines. So how do you go about SEO for your brand? 1. Research You need [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/top-guidelines-brand-seo/">6 Top Guidelines for Brand SEO</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 250px"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/54033169@N00/2042422085" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" title="Brand" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2324/2042422085_ef202f2ec2_m.jpg" alt="Brand" width="240" height="180" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image by Adam Crowe via Flickr</p></div></p>
<p>Many businesses and companies direct all their efforts to SEO for their sites, and don’t remember to optimize their brand names. It is very vital to optimize your brand to make it easy for people to find you through search engines. So how do you go about SEO for your brand?</p>
<h3>1. Research</h3>
<p>You need to think like a customer or supplier as you research. Type in your brand name into search engines and see if the name appears in the first three pages. Write down all the positive articles, reviews and feedback about your brand. In addition, find out what people are saying about your competition. This way, you will be able to know where you stand compared to the opposition.<br />
<span id="more-8980"></span></p>
<h3>2. Update</h3>
<p>Use the positive mentions about your brand to create fresh content. Remember to include the latest news about your company, photos of your staff, images of products and dates for upcoming events. Use anything that will make you appear more credible. Each article should include a back link which will encourage readers to visit your site for more information.</p>
<h3>3. Profiles and domains</h3>
<p>It is important to have a profile with every major networking site. This will expand your network and enhance your rankings. If necessary, you should consider getting a new domain which matches your brand name. However, don’t copy content from the former domain. You will need to write fresh and unique content.</p>
<h3>4. Content</h3>
<p>Once you have your domains and profiles, you should then create new content. You can write blog posts, press releases, articles, and create hubs and lenses which can then be linked to your website.</p>
<h3>5. Link building</h3>
<p>Link building is a vital element of SEO. You can link to different things through your content. For instance, you could link to a hub page, a Wikipedia page, Facebook or a press release. When it comes to link building, you need to be persistent and creative.</p>
<h3>6. Track</h3>
<p>Tracking your results will help you stay abreast of your progress and will show you what profiles are performing best. It is advisable to focus most of your efforts on the profiles which are doing better.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Author Bio</strong></p>
<p>Charles Mburugu often writes about social media, technology and blogging tips. Currently, he is writing for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.site2you.com/">professional website builder</a>.</p>
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<p>No related posts.</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/top-guidelines-brand-seo/">6 Top Guidelines for Brand SEO</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Social Profiles &#8211; How to Maximize SEO Value</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-profiles-maximize-seo/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-profiles-maximize-seo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 04 Dec 2011 08:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>kimathic</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web search engine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=8942</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Social media combined with SEO is vital for building a successful online brand. The following are some tips for maximizing SEO benefits from your social profiles. Link between profiles Linking between your social profiles encourages web users to interact extensively with your brand and your company. The more you engage them, the more likely it [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-profiles-maximize-seo/">Social Profiles &#8211; How to Maximize SEO Value</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a target="_blank" href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mediassociaux.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" title="The social media or the management of social n..." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Mediassociaux.png/300px-Mediassociaux.png" alt="The social media or the management of social n..." width="300" height="224" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Wikipedia</p></div></p>
<p>Social media combined with SEO is vital for building a successful online brand. The following are some tips for maximizing SEO benefits from your social profiles.</p>
<h3>Link between profiles</h3>
<p>Linking between your social profiles encourages web users to interact extensively with your brand and your company. The more you engage them, the more likely it is for them to convert.</p>
<p>In addition, interlinking your social profiles offers you the opportunity of connecting with your audience on several platforms, thus enabling you to reach more people online. If someone follows you on Twitter, you could also invite them to connect on LinkedIn or to like your page on Facebook. Any of these profiles might have a greater impact on their online lives. Therefore, linking social profiles ensures that every message is spread in several platforms.</p>
<p>In social media marketing, you need to remember that the ultimate goal is to drive traffic from your social profiles to your site, and not the other way round. Your website needs to be aimed at converting visitors, not making them friends, followers or fans.<br />
<span id="more-8942"></span></p>
<h3>Promote your content</h3>
<p>Content marketing is vital for SEO campaigns. It is not enough to just create good content. No matter how informative, unique, useful or inspiring your content is, it is useless if no one reads it. This is social networks are very important for marketing. Fresh content encourages people to engage more with your social profiles. Sharing content on social networks create links pointing to your website. Search engines use these links to establish the value of your content. When content is shared in different social networks, it gets more valuable and is likely to rank better.</p>
<p>However, you don’t have to display full posts on your social profiles. A small image and summary is adequate for grabbing your audience’s attention. If they are interested, they will have a reason to visit your site or blog to read the full post.</p>
<h3>Optimize and customize profiles</h3>
<p>Search engines rank social profiles just like they do other web pages. Therefore, you need make sure that your social profiles are well optimized and customized. Make sure you target relevant keywords for your profile titles. In addition, your info sessions and biography should target relevant keywords.</p>
<p>It is also vital to ensure that there is consistency in all your social profiles. All your company biographies and product descriptions need to send the same message. This will avoid confusion when people see your profiles in different social networks.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Author Bio</strong></p>
<p>Charles Mburugu often writes about social media, technology and blogging tips. Currently, he is writing for <a target="_blank" href="http://templates.motocms.com/">Flash templates</a>.</p>
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<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a target="_blank" href="http://mashable.com/2011/11/30/social-profile-eye-tracking/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here&#8217;s How People Look at Your Facebook Profile &#8211; Literally</a> (mashable.com)</li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/29278/The-8-Best-Link-Building-Tactics-to-Boost-Off-Page-SEO.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The 8 Best Link-Building Tactics to Boost Off-Page SEO</a> (hubspot.com)</li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a target="_blank" href="http://marketing.yell.com/web-design/how-twitter-impacts-on-business-local-seo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How Twitter impacts on business local SEO</a> (marketing.yell.com)</li>
</ul>
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<p>No related posts.</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-profiles-maximize-seo/">Social Profiles &#8211; How to Maximize SEO Value</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Extra Marketing Secrets You Don&#8217;t Know About Social Media And Coupon Deals</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/extra-marketing-secrets-dont/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/extra-marketing-secrets-dont/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:19:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>niceguyken</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coupon deals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extra marketing secrets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=8823</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>A successful business has ‘secrets’ that keeps them afloat. If you’re a blogger, then majority of your activities online would include shopping and networking. When you need to experience the other side good side of a business, you need to look for actionable secrets and take bold steps immediately. Social media marketing is very effective [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/extra-marketing-secrets-dont/">Extra Marketing Secrets You Don&#8217;t Know About Social Media And Coupon Deals</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/choose-platform-social-media-marketing/' rel='bookmark' title='How to choose the right platform for Social Media Marketing?'>How to choose the right platform for Social Media Marketing?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/restaurants-moving-social-media/' rel='bookmark' title='Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]'>Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/5-innovative-ways-social-media/' rel='bookmark' title='5 Innovative Ways to Using Social Media'>5 Innovative Ways to Using Social Media</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A successful business has ‘secrets’ that keeps them afloat.</p>
<p>If you’re a blogger, then majority of your activities online would include shopping and networking. When you need to experience the other side good side of a business, you need to look for actionable secrets and take bold steps immediately.</p>
<p>Social media marketing is very effective these days and one of the most sought after topic on the internet. The reason is simple: Google and other search services are going weird by the day; who can predict what’s going to happen next?</p>
<p>Responsible content marketers have lost everything they worked for when algorithm was updated. Do you think your content is the best amongst millions? Please think again!<br />
Social media marketing is the next and best alternative.</p>
<p><strong>Why I Love Social Media Marketing</strong></p>
<p>Social networks exist to fulfill the ultimate goals of life (sharing, connecting). When properly done, you would see a tremendous business growth. Whatever it is you’re doing online would be profitable if you begin to share with others and connect because you care. Not because you want to make some quick bucks – that’s not a good reason!</p>
<p><span id="more-8823"></span>The benefit of running a business is to make profit, but that’s not the essence. The core essence is to solve problems, enhance lives around the world and put smiles in the faces of people. You may not have the opportunity to travel the world over and speak to everyone in your world, but your content would do.</p>
<p><strong>Emotional Marketing Style</strong></p>
<p>Both social media and coupon deals make use of the same marketing style. They speak to the inside of a person and trigger them from their spirit man. Have you considered how much you would save for a pair of shoe if you get a 50% discount coupon?</p>
<p>The moment you hear such offer, you quickly grab it. The fear of losing such awesome deal is the greatest motivating factor in selling. That’s why the pain of losing is stronger than the pleasure of getting.</p>
<p>People want to share and feel important. I see a lot of bloggers and social media marketers who try to sell to their friends and fans with hard-core pushy tactics. It doesn’t work that way. Speak to them emotionally.</p>
<p>Act as though you care even when you don’t. Most of the time, try to know how their businesses, lives and careers are fairing. You would automatically switch on the conversion bulb.</p>
<p><strong>Viral Marketing Style</strong></p>
<p>The possibility of distributing your marketing offers across the web is enhanced with social media marketing. I’ve seen new blog post get over 1000 tweets within 24 hours. What does it mean for the content creator?</p>
<p>Targeted traffic, Responsive subscribers, Credibility, Networking and Sales?</p>
<p>When you compare this to getting a coupon code for shopping especially in festive seasons, consider the scene it would create between families and friends. Most of the items I’ve ever purchased online with a discount coupon code were pre-sold to me by a friend. Viral marketing is the marketing weapon on my sittercity coupon and 6pm discount review blog.</p>
<p>Viral marketing would take your business beyond your spheres of influence, and help you attract high paying customers and clients. Get started by creating quality content that solves immediate problem. Look for ways to package your solution and make it sharable. If it’s an e-book, make sure the cover is charming and colorful – people do judge a book by its cover. Believe me!</p>
<p><strong>Marketing Takeaway</strong></p>
<p>Starting an online business is easy, sustaining and growing the same business takes time. But when you’re armed with the right marketing styles as highlighted above, the whole adventure of web marketing would ride on a smooth wheel.</p>
<p>You should stick with these marketing styles and create an enabling environment to learn more – they’re proven to transform your online business empire. See you at the top!</p>
<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/choose-platform-social-media-marketing/' rel='bookmark' title='How to choose the right platform for Social Media Marketing?'>How to choose the right platform for Social Media Marketing?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/restaurants-moving-social-media/' rel='bookmark' title='Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]'>Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/5-innovative-ways-social-media/' rel='bookmark' title='5 Innovative Ways to Using Social Media'>5 Innovative Ways to Using Social Media</a></li>
</ol></p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/extra-marketing-secrets-dont/">Extra Marketing Secrets You Don&#8217;t Know About Social Media And Coupon Deals</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<title>Social Media Themed Party</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-themed-party/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-themed-party/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:59:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AndreaB</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=8394</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>All of you web wanderers who think you’ve seen it all, let me tell you about something completely different. Last month my oldest friend, Jacob, turned 25 so I decided to throw him a party to remember. Jacob is sweet and friendly, but he’s also super shy. Despite this shyness, he’s a real social media [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-themed-party/">Social Media Themed Party</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>All of you web wanderers who think you’ve seen it all, let me tell you about something completely different. Last month my oldest friend, Jacob, turned 25 so I decided to throw him a party to remember. Jacob is sweet and friendly, but he’s also super shy. Despite this shyness, he’s a real social media junkie. In an attempt to bring him out of the web world and assimilated more into real society, I decided to combine both elements and throw him the ultimate social media birthday bash.</p>
<h3>The Guest List</h3>
<p>I made a list of the friends we had in common and set about rounding up some invitations. I decided to go with quirky invites and scored a great deal by ordering from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.storkie.com">Storkie</a>.  I mailed those to the locals and turned to the Internet to contact people Jacob knew online. From his Facebook page, I sent a general invitation to everyone on his friend list.  I knew most were unable to attend so I asked them to send a photo and a short birthday greeting of 25 words or less similar to what they might say to Jacob on Facebook or Twitter.<br />
<span id="more-8394"></span></p>
<h3>Décor and Favors</h3>
<p>To keep the party relaxed and fun, I chose to go minimalist with the decorations and favors. Along with balloons and streamers, I downloaded images associated with social media sites and had them printed into banners and posters at a local print company. I also ordered an affordable bulk lot of various-sized t-shirts printed with a Facebook status update block containing the words “Happy Birthday” for each guest to wear. To make things even more social media oriented, I ordered a bunch of pin-back buttons that said “friend request” and had everyone wear those as well. The focal point was an enormous poster upon which I had pasted each message Jacob’s online friends had sent to me. Beside the messages, I pasted thumbnail-sized versions of the photos they sent and when I was finished, the whole thing looked like a wall full of Twitter updates</p>
<h3>The Food</h3>
<p>A caterer friend agreed to handle all the food for the party and when she arrived with a car full of goodies, I was truly impressed. She prepared delicious sandwiches with exotic ingredients and then cut them into rounded squares. With food safe paint, she airbrushed each one with a blue background and added a social media icon in white: A lower case “f” for Facebook, a lower case “t” for Twitter and even the MySpace icon with a three-figure shape. The food was awesome but the cake was a true masterpiece. It was a traditional rectangle with images of Jacob’s Facebook page complete with a profile photo and friend updates. Surrounding this were two dozen bright blue cupcakes with a Twitter bird fashioned from fondant.</p>
<h3>The Gifts</h3>
<p>I imagined coming up with appropriate gift ideas might be a challenge, but it was easier than I thought.  I found several websites which sold Facebook and Twitter items and then I sent the links to everyone on the guest list. Some of the gifts Jacob received included one pair each of Twitter and Facebook sneakers; a few social media icon coffee mugs; several throw pillows featuring Facebook, MySpace and Twitter icons; and a Twitter keychain. One person got him a watch with social media icons in the number positions and another bought him a desk-top gumball machine that tweets.</p>
<p>All in all, it was a fun and successful party.  And, in case anyone is wondering, Jacob did promise to try and broaden his social life to include activities outside of the Internet.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Andrea Boley is a writer and blogger.  She is always happy to share her passion for life and experiences through her writing.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=26279059-8b61-463d-b48c-00aa2b901beb" alt="" /></div>
<p>No related posts.</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-themed-party/">Social Media Themed Party</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Social Networking and a Series of Sexual Assaults</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-networking-series-sexual/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-networking-series-sexual/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:15:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Business.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sexual assaults]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Texas]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=8543</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>For police in several Texas cities, the hunt is on for a black male who they allege has sexually assaulted four members of the same college sorority. Reports indicate that the reported attacks took place over several months in the cities of Plano, Coppell and Corinth. Police, meantime, did provide the media with a video [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-networking-series-sexual/">Social Networking and a Series of Sexual Assaults</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ht_serial_rapist_nt_111025_wg.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-8545" src="http://blazingminds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ht_serial_rapist_nt_111025_wg-300x168.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="168" /></a>For police in several Texas cities, the hunt is on for a black male who they allege has sexually assaulted four members of the same college sorority.</p>
<p>Reports indicate that the reported attacks took place over several months in the cities of Plano, Coppell and Corinth. Police, meantime, did provide the media with a video they say shows the suspect, thought to be in his late 30s to mid-40s and on the heavy side, they believe responsible for each of the assaults.</p>
<p>What makes the case more interesting is that the four victims have been out of college for decades now, and were all members of the same sorority, Delta Sigma Theta.</p>
<p>One police spokesperson noted that the suspect reportedly knew personal details about each of his victims; victims’ police say did not know their attacker.</p>
<p><span id="more-8543"></span>One of the police theories is that the suspect may have learned some personal information about each of the women by tracking their moves on different social media sites and/or online directories.</p>
<p>Authorities have been telling sorority alumnae to be careful with providing any personal details online such as their locations and/or plans.</p>
<p>The attacks have had a pattern besides the sorority connection, with all having taken place between 9:15 p.m. and 4 a.m. when each of the victims was home alone and likely asleep.</p>
<p>So, if personal online information was gained by the suspect, how many more women in the greater Dallas area could be at risk? While police did not have a suspect in custody as of Oct. 26, sorority members and any other females for that matter would be wise to take caution when using online tools to discuss matters amongst friends, family and co-workers.</p>
<p>When using social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, women especially should avoid:</p>
<ul>
<li>Giving out personal information where they are going, especially if it is alone;</li>
<li>Noting that their significant others and/or families are away for any period of time;</li>
<li>Providing personal details on where they live, contact information;</li>
<li>Offering information about where they work, go to school and so on.</li>
</ul>
<p>While this may seem like a no-brainer situation, stop and think about when people post their contact information online, especially on their personal Web sites. Oftentimes, the person will forget to remove a home address and/or telephone, making it all that much easier for some intending to do them harm have access to detailed information.</p>
<p>While police in Texas look for the suspect terrorizing members of one sorority, women in general are best served by using online Web sites and social media tools with caution.</p>
<p>That does not mean avoid them; just think before you tweet, share and so on.</p>
<p><em>Photo credit: plano.gov</em></p>
<p>No related posts.</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-networking-series-sexual/">Social Networking and a Series of Sexual Assaults</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Social Media and the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Crowd</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-%e2%80%98occupy-wall-street%e2%80%99/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-%e2%80%98occupy-wall-street%e2%80%99/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2011 06:56:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Business.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[occupy wall street]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=8452</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>For anyone who has been living under a rock lately, the protests going on across the U.S. have been in essence propelled by social media and the ability of people to organize quickly and easily in various cities. While the protests against corporate greed at major corporations, banks, Wall Street etc. have not escalated to [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-%e2%80%98occupy-wall-street%e2%80%99/">Social Media and the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Crowd</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/images-ny.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-8454" src="http://blazingminds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/images-ny-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>For anyone who has been living under a rock lately, the protests going on across the U.S. have been in essence propelled by social media and the ability of people to organize quickly and easily in various cities.</p>
<p>While the protests against corporate greed at major corporations, banks, Wall Street etc. have not escalated to the violence of some of the protests seeking regime change in a number of countries, they have sparked numerous demonstrations nonetheless.</p>
<p>Much like in the government protests in Egypt, Libya, Yemen and elsewhere, sites like Twitter and Facebook are playing a major role in stoking the flames.</p>
<h3>The Impact of the Message</h3>
<p>While some individuals may disregard the digital chatter as just that, make no mistake about it, social networking sites are having an impact in distributing information and helping people to organize and rally support to their causes, be they noble or misguided.</p>
<p><span id="more-8452"></span>Whether or not the information being put forth by these individuals is worthwhile or not becomes the big question for many people. With so much information to filter through, does the audience eventually tune out or do they take the time to sift through, choosing which social media messages are meaningful and which are not? It is safe to guess that the sheer volume of messages has led some companies to tune out, a decision that may or may not come back to haunt them.</p>
<p>What once may have been thought of us useless chatter is now reverberating nationwide to many companies.</p>
<p>Much like politicians trying to be on the offensive instead of the defensive, many corporations who are under attack in the Occupy protests are using social media to present their sides of the story. In fact, many more businesses are now employing individuals for the direct purpose of reviewing social media and what is being said about the company.</p>
<p>Along with the chatter, photos are proving to be a valuable source of transmitting material in the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York and in other U.S. cities. Given the value a photo provides in conveying a message, many protesters are using their cell phones and digital cameras to provide pictures to Tumblr, flickr, Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sharing sites.</p>
<h3>Are There Negative Ramifications to All This?</h3>
<p>Lastly, are some protesters worried about being spotted through pictures or tweets and shares by current or potential employers?</p>
<p>While that seems like a dumb question (why would they be there in the first place if that were the case?) some interviewed in both the print and online media have expressed their concerns.</p>
<p>For them, they are supporting a cause they either believe in or were curious to, but possible negative ramifications for them leave some to want to leave out their full names or faces when being interviewed.</p>
<p>Wherever these protests take the nation is yet to be determined. One thing is for sure; however, social media is and will continue to play a major role in how the news is distributed.</p>
<p>For anyone doubting that, it is time to come out from under that rock.</p>
<p><em>Photo credit: thegrio.com</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>No related posts.</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-%e2%80%98occupy-wall-street%e2%80%99/">Social Media and the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Crowd</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
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		<title>Can Twitter Help Save the NBA Season?</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/twitter-save-nba-season/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/twitter-save-nba-season/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:28:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Business.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[labor dispute]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National Basketball Players Association]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=8370</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>As fans worldwide of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have to wonder if they will actually see basketball and not more media interviews with some of the players in suits, the social media world is making shots left and right. Following the announcement Oct. 10 that commissioner David Stern had canceled the first two weeks [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/twitter-save-nba-season/">Can Twitter Help Save the NBA Season?</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
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<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/03.n1.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-8374" src="http://blazingminds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/03.n1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>As fans worldwide of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have to wonder if they will actually see basketball and not more media interviews with some of the players in suits, the social media world is making shots left and right.</p>
<p>Following the announcement Oct. 10 that commissioner David Stern had canceled the first two weeks of the season due to the current lockout, a number of hoopsters took to Twitter to express their feelings. Yes, social media is a slam dunk when it comes to getting one’s message out there and quickly at that.</p>
<p>With the hashtag “#standunited” on a number of the tweets, players are coming together in unison on the social media site to present their case to the fans. Whether or not they’re gaining any more sympathy is still to be determined.</p>
<p>From the players’ point of view, they are not willing to give up more revenue sharing dollars to the owners. From the owners’ point of view, they need more of the revenue sharing dollars in order to lessen the losses some teams are having off the court.</p>
<p><span id="more-8370"></span><strong>Many Players Have Strong Social Media Presence</strong></p>
<p>Getting back to off the court, one of the game’s most noted personalities, LeBron James tweeted &#8211; &#8220;I wanna sincerely say sorry to all the fans! It&#8217;s a sad day for all of us, especially u guys! There&#8217;s no US w/o You.&#8221;</p>
<p>So how many eyes are these social media messages getting out to?</p>
<p>A quick look at some profiles shows that James has some 2.5 million followers on Twitter; Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) president who has been speaking oftentimes for the players in the media, has around 760,000.</p>
<p>Meantime, the league’s official Twitter feed (@NBA) has only had token mentions of the lockout on its site in recent days. Keep in mind that the NBA’s Twitter feed has nearly 3 million followers; seems like it would be a good audience opportunity to present the league’s side of things.</p>
<p>As is often the case, however, management can oftentimes be portrayed as the bad guys in such labor negotiations, so I cannot say I’m shocked that the NBA’s official Twitter page has refrained from commenting much on the matter.</p>
<p>The league’s most notable owner, Dallas Mavericks head Mark Cuban, has also been low key in mentioning the negotiations on his Twitter page.<strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>Social Media and Sports Labor Disputes</strong></p>
<p>This is not the first time that Twitter has played a role in helping athletes in trying to woo the audience to its side.</p>
<p>In the NFL labor dispute earlier this year, many players used the social media venue to state their case as to why the athletes were truly being locked out and what could be done to change that. As we all know, the two sides eventually came together, avoiding an interruption in regular season play.</p>
<p>What made the NFL case so interesting from a social media standpoint is that it was essentially the first of its kind.</p>
<p>Social media sites (some were either in their infancy or not yet around) were not the rage they are today when the last major professional sports labor dispute (2004-05 NHL season) was taking place. Ironically, we could see another NHL work stoppage next season as the players and owners are in the final year of their current contract.</p>
<p>In yet another attempt to get through this current NBA labor impasse, both the players and league officials noted that their representatives will meet in New York City on Oct. 18, with the director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service trying to jumpstart negotiations.</p>
<p>Depending on how that meeting goes &#8211; you could very likely read about it on Twitter &#8211; at least from the perspective of many players.</p>
<p><em>Photo credit: rt.com</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>No related posts.</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/twitter-save-nba-season/">Can Twitter Help Save the NBA Season?</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
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		<title>Four Industries That Could Use a Facebook-esque Timeline</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/industries-facebook-esque-timeline/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/industries-facebook-esque-timeline/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:15:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vanessa.burke</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook Timeline]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[timeline]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=8248</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>The new Facebook timeline will set up all of our digital messages, links, and music into one easy to view profile website. While the morality of posting everything you&#8217;ve ever done on the social network is somewhat questionable, there is no doubt that the site has become a virtual history book for our online lives. [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/industries-facebook-esque-timeline/">Four Industries That Could Use a Facebook-esque Timeline</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
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<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The new Facebook timeline will set up all of our digital messages, links, and music into one easy to view profile website. While the morality of posting everything you&#8217;ve ever done on the social network is somewhat questionable, there is no doubt that the site has become a virtual history book for our online lives.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6173532305_5d826f6a34.jpg" alt="" width="475" height="500" /></p>
<p>If other companies started using technology like the timeline, Americans would become more proficient and informed consumers. The technology could also increase our education levels by creating more detailed progress reports for students, parents, and teachers to gauge. Here are a couple of the industries that could benefit their products with timeline social networks:</p>
<p><span id="more-8248"></span><strong>Meat Industry</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/524317855_55f50cb19c_m.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="180" /></p>
<p>The meat industry has come under a lot of heat because of documentaries like Food Inc and Fast Food Nation. The deplorable conditions of cattle, poultry, and pigs has turned a lot of people towards organic food, vegetarianism, and veganism. The meat industry and FDAshould develop a social network that allows people to track where their meat is coming from and the chemicals that have been put into it.</p>
<p>This would increase profits for the meat industry by making it more transparent. It would also turn a lot of people back onto the product because they know exactly what they are getting, making mystery meat a thing of the past.</p>
<p><strong>Book Consumption</strong></p>
<p>Amazon has recently introduced the Kindle Fire which uses cloud computing services in order to make recommendations and give access to an endless supply of streaming media options. This product will increase the literacy rates of America and make reading a more interactive experience than ever before. Instead of relying on books, newspapers, and magazines; you can read everything online and keep a detailed history of it. Children could see themselves progress from Dr. Seuss to The Outsiders to The Count of Monte Cristo over their educational careers.</p>
<p><strong>Movies and TV</strong></p>
<p>DVR, Netflix, and YouTube have already done a great job tracking what we watch on a daily basis. What if a company developed a tool that analyzed every program we watch, divided them all into easily digestible subsections, and rated our educational content vs. the entertainment we consume? By finding out how much and what kind of television we watch we might be more drawn to aPBS documentary over a laugh track sitcom.</p>
<p><strong>Sandwich Orders </strong></p>
<p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/industries-facebook-esque-timeline/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p>This might be one of the most superficial parts of the list, but it is a more efficient way to do business. Imagine yourself visiting the same place for lunch everyday and getting the same thing. By placing your order history and patterns into a timeline type of website, you can get your order faster and insure the quality and accuracy of the finished product.</p>
<p>While older people may be skeptical of these timeline innovations, a young person could use these technological breakthroughs as documentation of his or her entire life. This might be the permanent record fictionalized in popular culture.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>No related posts.</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/industries-facebook-esque-timeline/">Four Industries That Could Use a Facebook-esque Timeline</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
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<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>How to choose the right platform for Social Media Marketing?</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/choose-platform-social-media-marketing/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/choose-platform-social-media-marketing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:49:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guest Author</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing and Advertising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social media marketing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=8046</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Marketing is integral to business industry. When deciding on selecting the right platform for promoting business, there are some important considerations to be made. There is no single, easy answer to the question of choosing the correct platform. Several factors determine the type of Social Media Marketing tool you can choose. The goal(s), overall marketing [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/choose-platform-social-media-marketing/">How to choose the right platform for Social Media Marketing?</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/extra-marketing-secrets-dont/' rel='bookmark' title='Extra Marketing Secrets You Don&#8217;t Know About Social Media And Coupon Deals'>Extra Marketing Secrets You Don&#8217;t Know About Social Media And Coupon Deals</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/restaurants-moving-social-media/' rel='bookmark' title='Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]'>Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/importance-social-media-guest/' rel='bookmark' title='The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!'>The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img">
<p><div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 94px"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28849923@N05/4440388153" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img title="Social Media Marketing Is Easy" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4440388153_c0cf52c3bc_m.jpg" alt="Social Media Marketing Is Easy" width="84" height="240" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image by HubSpot via Flickr</p></div></p>
</div>
<p>Marketing is integral to business industry. When deciding on selecting the right platform for promoting business, there are some important considerations to be made. There is no single, easy answer to the question of choosing the correct platform. Several factors determine the type of Social Media Marketing tool you can choose. The goal(s), overall marketing strategy, resources available and industry type are to name some of the factors. Had the selection been so easy, yielding a tested formula for success, there would not have been much discussion on the subject. There are varied tools aiming at areas of customer communication, brand exposure, SEO, etc. to aid business groups in social media marketing. Individual choices may differ based on particular needs and targets.</p>
<p>Supporting business or websites through social media channels is the basic aim of social media marketing. The marketing world has kept evolving since time, and technology plays a significant role here. Industry endorses several good companies which have become great due to their effective marketing strategies. Owing to the huge competition, which only grows in magnitude with the passage of time, organizations tread great lengths to push and promote their products. Much of their effort is diverted to gain the valuable customer faith, which is supposedly very important in extending their business.</p>
<p><span id="more-8046"></span>A business should essentially know its motive and select its audience accordingly. Before choosing the platform for social media marketing, it is important to ascertain how much of sharing and connection with the audience is required. If single fan can bring down your company easily, perhaps there are bigger issues to address internally. If there is considerable concern regarding the negative vibrations about your company or its product(s), it could be an indicator of insecurity lying within. A careful analysis could resolve the matter. Before implementing the media, it is important to work on the logistics.</p>
<p>You have to use the web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Once you establish the communication, you have to continue it. Abrupt breaking can adversely affect the strategies. The industry favors those who manage to anticipate the changes and adopt them quickly. Social media marketing can contribute significantly in having better chances of survival. It endorses low-cost promotional methods which can provide huge amount of traffic.</p>
<p>Social media marketing is still in a nascent stage. However, the smart marketing strategists are not far behind from leaping to the next big marketing revolution. The tools are varied like the YouTube channel, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. The choice depends on individual business and their preferred target audience. You can choose a content rich presence allowing limited user interaction by running a blog. Else, the short form content channel Twitter can be chosen which provides greater possibility of selecting the audience. The choices are diversified and multiple. Individual tools have their merits and demerits. If selecting the YouTube channel, you have the liberty of enjoying a large stalled base. But there is a limitation to communicate beyond the video. If you choose the blogging, you can find rich content and a search friendly format. But it must be updated continuously and provides limited user interaction. Press releases are work well if you want to push out your message, simultaneously avoiding hearing anything in return. The Facebook may be an incorrect choice if you do not want to hear what your fans have to say about your product.</p>
<p>The type of presence is a major determinant of the choice you make. There are some guidelines to help choose a platform. Once the social business channel is selected, you need constant follow up. Regular updated, on what is being said about your product and brand, is essential. Following a blog or a Facebook page lacking update is discouraging. You need to be clear about the content you want to share with your audience. The employees must be thorough with the guidelines. Demarcating between the shared and unshared content can avoid unfortunate incidents.</p>
<p>Establishing a human presence is important. Displaying identity should not be discouraged. A defined tone of voice helps. A schedule is an encouraging option. This can manage your brand’s social media presence. In order to have a continuous flow of content, you can plan a supply of information. Going beyond promotion, is many a times, a good idea. It is wise to use the existing communication channels to market the social media of your choice. Get the customers and the public acquainted about your social media presence. Websites, e-mail signatures, newsletters etc. can contribute largely in this regard.</p>
<p>Your customer base and comfort level are two important determinants of the choice you make. Before making the choice, it is better to have a careful analysis of your requirement and options available. It is better to change the format if not found suitable.</p>
<p><em>About the author: Rebecca is a blogger by profession. She loves to write on <a target="_blank" href="http://www.borntechie.com/" target="_blank">technology</a> and fashion. Beside this she is fond of gadgets. Recently she shared a fabulous article on how to increase life of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.designbuzz.com/entry/cyclus-step2-handy-sustainable-power-generator-recharge-gadgets/" target="_blank">usb power adapter</a>.</em></p>
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<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/extra-marketing-secrets-dont/' rel='bookmark' title='Extra Marketing Secrets You Don&#8217;t Know About Social Media And Coupon Deals'>Extra Marketing Secrets You Don&#8217;t Know About Social Media And Coupon Deals</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/restaurants-moving-social-media/' rel='bookmark' title='Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]'>Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/importance-social-media-guest/' rel='bookmark' title='The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!'>The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!</a></li>
</ol></p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/choose-platform-social-media-marketing/">How to choose the right platform for Social Media Marketing?</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>6 easy ways to FAIL at blog commenting</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/6-easy-ways-fail-blog-commenting/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/6-easy-ways-fail-blog-commenting/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Sep 2011 06:54:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>PC-mitten</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anchor text]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[link building]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search engine optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=7886</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>For anyone who owns a website and wants to improve its rankings, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a common area of interest. While proper optimization requires a complex and multi-faceted strategy, there are simpler ways to get started with it. Essentially, it&#8217;s a matter of learning the best ways to build back-links to your website. [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/6-easy-ways-fail-blog-commenting/">6 easy ways to FAIL at blog commenting</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
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<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
Related posts:<ol>
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<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/an-easy-way-to-check-a-dofollow-blog-in-a-simple-step/' rel='bookmark' title='An easy way to check a dofollow blog in a simple step'>An easy way to check a dofollow blog in a simple step</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/commenting-important-blog/' rel='bookmark' title='Is Commenting On Your Own Blog Important?'>Is Commenting On Your Own Blog Important?</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img">
<p><div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a target="_blank" href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Websiteimage.gif" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img title="Website image map" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Websiteimage.gif/300px-Websiteimage.gif" alt="Website image map" width="300" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Wikipedia</p></div></p>
</div>
<p>For anyone who owns a website and wants to improve its rankings, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a common area of interest. While proper optimization requires a complex and multi-faceted strategy, there are simpler ways to get started with it. Essentially, it&#8217;s a matter of learning the best ways to build back-links to your website.</p>
<p>One of the simplest and most practical habits you can get into as you get started with link building is commenting at other blogs you read with a link back to your website. While this technique is extremely simple and potentially quite advantageous, there are some precautions you should be mindful of to ensure you do not fail at it.</p>
<h2>Common errors of blog commenting for links</h2>
<p><strong>1) Failing to read the article.</strong> It may sound like a strange course of action, but when people set out to build links via blog comments&#8230; sometimes they will get so caught up in their task, they will actually forget the single most important thing they need to do in such a situation: reading the article they&#8217;re commenting on. If you make this basic mistake, there&#8217;s a really good chance your comments won&#8217;t be approved and your efforts will be pointless.</p>
<p><span id="more-7886"></span><strong>2) Failing to catch the point of the article.</strong> Some people actually take half a minute to skim through a blog post before rushing to the comments box&#8230; but with such an haphazard approach, it&#8217;s very likely you won&#8217;t quite understand what the point of the article was. And then you&#8217;ll make a totally unrelated comment and make yourself bad (and your website, by association). It&#8217;s usually better to drop just two relevant and well-articulated comments each day, as opposed to 20 random and nonsensical blurbs.</p>
<p><strong>3) Failing to make a relevant comment.</strong> When you make a point of leaving a set number of comments each day as part of your link building strategy, you&#8217;ll often realize you&#8217;re trying to bite more than you can chew. Sometimes you&#8217;ll struggle and struggle trying to find something vaguely relevant to comment, and still you won&#8217;t be able to think of anything. In these moments, it&#8217;s usually just better to just move on to the next blog, rather than saying something generic such as &#8220;wow, nice post&#8221;. Serious bloggers won&#8217;t look kindly into such half-baked remarks!</p>
<p><strong>4) Failing to write something that&#8217;s not self-serving.</strong> So you read the article, and caught the point of it, and actually thought of something worth writing about. But then just as you started typing, your enthusiasm got the best of you, and you somehow started evangelizing your products, services or websites. Do you really think that&#8217;s a good way to draw public attention? Because it&#8217;s usually the opposite: the more self-serving your remarks come across as, the least interested people will be in what you have to say.</p>
<p><strong>5) Failing to write something akin to a real name.</strong> You have probably read somewhere that links back to your website will be most benefitial when they have a relevant anchor text to them, right? While that is certainly true, you need to balance the impact of having a contextual anchor link with that of having no link at all. Because if you start dropping keywords instead of your name, there&#8217;s a good chance your comments won&#8217;t be approved. Who wants to see comments from someone called &#8220;best blue gadgets 2011&#8243;? It totally ruins your credibility.</p>
<p><strong>6) Failing not to SPAM extra links.</strong> When going out to do blog comments, you need to be mindful that you get one change to plug a backlink, and that&#8217;s the URL field below your name. If you try to be smart and add an extra link in the actual text of the comment, just for the sake of it&#8230; quite likely the result will fall short of your expectations, since you will be filtered bv ever-present anti-comment-spam plugins, and the blog owner won&#8217;t even get to see your witty comment, let alone approve it.</p>
<p>This guest post was brought to you by the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computertooslow.com/">fix slow computer</a> website. Come see us for advice, anytime your sluggish computer is holding back your business strategy! In our archives you&#8217;ll find extensive resources on how to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computertooslow.com/speed-up-computer.asp">speed up pc</a>.</p>
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<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/5-ways-encourage-comment-discussion/' rel='bookmark' title='5 Ways to Encourage Comment Discussion on Your Blog'>5 Ways to Encourage Comment Discussion on Your Blog</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/an-easy-way-to-check-a-dofollow-blog-in-a-simple-step/' rel='bookmark' title='An easy way to check a dofollow blog in a simple step'>An easy way to check a dofollow blog in a simple step</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/commenting-important-blog/' rel='bookmark' title='Is Commenting On Your Own Blog Important?'>Is Commenting On Your Own Blog Important?</a></li>
</ol></p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/6-easy-ways-fail-blog-commenting/">6 easy ways to FAIL at blog commenting</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
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		<title>Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/restaurants-moving-social-media/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/restaurants-moving-social-media/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Sep 2011 06:56:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[infographics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile browsing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=7863</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Social media, mobile browsing and smartphone applications have all seen a phenomenal rise in popularity and usage over the last decade; in fact they&#8217;re now so prevalent that business can no longer afford to ignore them as a marketing avenue, and restaurants are no different. The following infographic, produced by Restaurant App Engines, highlights why [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/restaurants-moving-social-media/">Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/mobile-payments-infographic/' rel='bookmark' title='The Value Of Mobile Payments [INFOGRAPHIC]'>The Value Of Mobile Payments [INFOGRAPHIC]</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-big-business-wheres/' rel='bookmark' title='Social Media Is Big Business, But Where&#8217;s The Money Coming From?'>Social Media Is Big Business, But Where&#8217;s The Money Coming From?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/importance-social-media-guest/' rel='bookmark' title='The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!'>The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Social media, mobile browsing and smartphone applications have all seen a phenomenal rise in popularity and usage over the last decade; in fact they&#8217;re now so prevalent that business can no longer afford to ignore them as a marketing avenue, and restaurants are no different. The following infographic, produced by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.restaurantappengines.com/">Restaurant App Engines</a>, highlights why more and more restaurants are moving towards social media, mobile browsing and mobile apps:</p>
<p><span id="more-7863"></span><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Why-Restaurants-Are-Moving-Towards-Social-Media-And-Mobile-Apps.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7865" src="http://blazingminds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Why-Restaurants-Are-Moving-Towards-Social-Media-And-Mobile-Apps-WEB.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="2070" /></a></p>
<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/mobile-payments-infographic/' rel='bookmark' title='The Value Of Mobile Payments [INFOGRAPHIC]'>The Value Of Mobile Payments [INFOGRAPHIC]</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/social-media-big-business-wheres/' rel='bookmark' title='Social Media Is Big Business, But Where&#8217;s The Money Coming From?'>Social Media Is Big Business, But Where&#8217;s The Money Coming From?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/importance-social-media-guest/' rel='bookmark' title='The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!'>The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!</a></li>
</ol></p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/restaurants-moving-social-media/">Why Restaurants Are Moving Towards Social Media And Mobile Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Getting the Most out of Twitter for Personal Use</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/twitter-personal/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/twitter-personal/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 27 Aug 2011 08:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lesley DeSantis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hashtag]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Communities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social network]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=7492</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Twitter is one of the most popular and easy to use social networking websites available today. The micro-blogging site is very simple &#8211; users &#8220;tweet&#8221; messages limited to 140 characters to other users known as followers. A message feed displays the tweets of the users you follow, which can be organized into lists displaying only [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/twitter-personal/">Getting the Most out of Twitter for Personal Use</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img">
<p><div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 230px"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.crunchbase.com/company/twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img title="Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun..." src="http://www.crunchbase.com/assets/images/resized/0000/2755/2755v30-max-450x450.png" alt="Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun..." width="220" height="61" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via CrunchBase</p></div></p>
</div>
<p>Twitter is one of the most popular and easy to use social networking websites available today. The micro-blogging site is very simple &#8211; users &#8220;tweet&#8221; messages limited to 140 characters to other users known as followers.</p>
<p>A message feed displays the tweets of the users you follow, which can be organized into lists displaying only tweets from certain people. When signing up to Twitter, a profile can be made either public (where tweets are able to be viewed by anyone) or private (where followers can be either accepted or rejected).</p>
<p>A key component of Twitter&#8217;s appeal is the use of hash tags. A hash tag is a word or phrase preceded by a pound symbol (#) relating to a certain topic. Using a hash tag creates a link which can be followed to a feed of tweets all with the same tag.</p>
<p>In this way it is possible to view a large list of tweets about the same subject, including those from users you do not follow. There are even &#8220;trending topics&#8221; relevant to a chosen area which cover the most popular subjects by hash tag usage.</p>
<p>The following tips can help maximize Twitter&#8217;s capability as a powerful social media tool for beginner users.<br />
<span id="more-7492"></span></p>
<h3>Tip 1: Use Lists to Customize Your Feed</h3>
<p>There are many different types of Twitter users.It can be confusing and overly time consuming to have a single feed where celebrities, politicians, friends, family members, and others are all displayed at once. Making lists is easy and helps keep your Twitter feed organized and available for quick reference. Common lists may include &#8220;college friends,&#8221; &#8220;family members,&#8221; or &#8220;rock musicians.&#8221; Usage of lists makes Twitter exceptionally better as an information source.</p>
<h3>Tip 2: Make your Tweets Relevant</h3>
<p><strong></strong>A large part of the social media experience is connecting with other users who you may not know beyond the computer screen. You could tweet about how you went to the grocery store and bought fruit, but who really cares? Twitter offers a fast paced information marketplace where people can share their opinions at lightning speed. Tweet about issues that are relevant and likely to encourage others to view your entire feed. The use of hash tags is essential for this, as is watching trending topics. Another helpful tip in regards to trends; you can change the geographical location of trending topics from World Wide to anywhere in the world.</p>
<h3>Tip 3: A Picture is Worth 1000 Words</h3>
<p><strong></strong>Unlike social networking websites like Facebook, Google+, and MySpace, Twitter does not place a large emphasis on users&#8217; photos and pictures. Users are afforded only one picture for their profile &#8211; however, this picture is visible next to every tweet. Make sure your picture reflects how you want others to view your online presence. If you are comfortable placing a picture of yourself for other to see then choose a photo that you feel displays your personality or interests. If many of your tweets relate to a certain interest or hobby, use a relevant picture. An aspiring artist may post a small sample of his work leading potential followers to become more interested and seek out more of his/her art.</p>
<p>Twitter is a simple concept with powerful implications. Everyone from your next door neighbor to the President of the United States is using Twitter. It&#8217;s fun, informative, and free. These three tips can help you get started on the right foot to getting the most out of the micro-blogging website.</p>
<p>Lesley DeSantis is a content development specialist for Twiends, a Twitter Directory that helps you grow your social network and learn how <a target="_blank" title="How to get twitter followers" href="http://twiends.com/me/Blazing_Minds" target="_blank">how get followers on Twitter</a></p>
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<p>No related posts.</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/twitter-personal/">Getting the Most out of Twitter for Personal Use</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Creative Ways To Increase Your Twitter Followers</title>
		<link>http://blazingminds.co.uk/creative-ways-increase-twitter/</link>
		<comments>http://blazingminds.co.uk/creative-ways-increase-twitter/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Aug 2011 07:28:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guests Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[followers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[QR Code]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blazingminds.co.uk/?p=7435</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>If you have a Twitter account, either personally or representing your brand, then it probably goes without saying that you want to get the maximum amount of followers that you can. This is particularly true if you&#8217;re concerned with SEO, as social media links have been proven to have some effect on your search engine [...]</p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/creative-ways-increase-twitter/">Creative Ways To Increase Your Twitter Followers</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>
Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/twiends-tool-increase-twitter/' rel='bookmark' title='Twiends a Tool to Help Increase Twitter Followers [Twiends Review]'>Twiends a Tool to Help Increase Twitter Followers [Twiends Review]</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/importance-social-media-guest/' rel='bookmark' title='The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!'>The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/write-twitter-bio-gains-followers/' rel='bookmark' title='How To Write a Twitter Bio That Gains You More Followers'>How To Write a Twitter Bio That Gains You More Followers</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img">
<p><div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 230px"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.crunchbase.com/company/twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img title="Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun..." src="http://www.crunchbase.com/assets/images/resized/0000/2755/2755v30-max-450x450.png" alt="Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun..." width="220" height="61" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via CrunchBase</p></div></p>
</div>
<p>If you have a Twitter account, either personally or representing your brand, then it probably goes without saying that you want to get the maximum amount of followers that you can. This is particularly true if you&#8217;re concerned with SEO, as social media links have been proven to have some effect on your search engine rankings (especially in Google and Bing).</p>
<p>But how can you go about increasing your Twitter followers? Many people try the normal routes; adding social media links to your website, cross-linking social media platforms, increasing the number of people you&#8217;re following, submit to Twitter directories, etc. and whilst these are all viable options (and should be encouraged, particularly if your account is new), they don&#8217;t often result in a high, continued stream of new followers.</p>
<p>So let&#8217;s have a look at a couple of creative methods for adding new followers to your Twitter account:<br />
<span id="more-7435"></span></p>
<h3>Competitions</h3>
<p>I work for a creative agency based in the Midlands, and we increased our Twitter following substantially by running an 0n-site competition; giving away some customised LEGO zombies we created for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.designbysoap.co.uk/the-night-of-the-lego-zombies/">a blog post</a>. To enter the competition, all people had to do was follow us on Twitter, and then we picked the winner at random from our followers. We then built a few decent links to the post announcing the competition, contacted a few competition sites and then left it. Within a week we saw our Twitter following more than double, which is exactly what we were aiming for.</p>
<h3>PayWithATweet</h3>
<p>A few months ago I came across a fantastic tool called <a target="_blank" href="http://www.paywithatweet.com/">PayWithATweet</a>, and I&#8217;ve been surprised how how little I&#8217;ve seen it being used across major networks. The tool allows you to give away downloads, products or user benefits (like a downloadable ebook for example), and all the user has to do to download it is send out a Tweet telling their followers that they&#8217;re using your site. This &#8216;social payment&#8217; system is an excellent way of gaining social media links and attracting new followers.</p>
<h3>Discounts and Twitter-only promotions</h3>
<p>If you run an e-commerce site, then you could consider rewarding the people who follow you on Twitter with a discount code to use on your site. Alternatively (or additionally), you could run Twitter-only promotions, whereby you offer discounted products or discounts that are promoted only to your Twitter followers, encouraging more people who visit your site to also follow you on Twitter.</p>
<h3>Infographics</h3>
<p>Infographics are a fantastic way to encourage natural inbound links to your site, increase traffic and gain traction on social media platforms. As infographics naturally encourage sharing via social media sites, they also have the added benefit of increasing followers on Twitter. I recently worked with Kaplan International on an infographic displaying how their students rated their different schools (in terms of recommendations), which are aimed at those looking to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kaplaninternational.com/blog/">learn English abroad</a>. The infographic not only presented interesting information in a much more appealing way, but saw a fantastic amount of sharing between students who had filled out the survey. This not only increased traffic to their blog, but had the added benefit of increasing both Twitter followers and &#8216;Likes&#8217; on Facebook.</p>
<h3>QR Codes</h3>
<p><img class="alignright" title="QR Code" src="http://qrcode.kaywa.com/img.php?s=6&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fremergence.bandcamp.com" alt="QR Code" width="186" height="186" />I wrote about how you can be creative with your <a title="Awesome Designer QR Codes" href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/awesome-designer-qr-codes/">QR codes</a> in my last BlazingMinds post, and how they can be a fantastic tool for sending additional traffic to your website. These codes can also be easily linked to your Twitter account, allowing you to use them both online and in physical publications or adverts, encouraging mobile internet users to visit your Twitter profile (subsequently increasing followers).</p>
<p>Those are just a few simple ideas for pushing your Twitter account to a larger audience, but there are many more ways to increase your Twitter following. Think about what works for your brand and figure out exactly what you&#8217;re using your Twitter account for &#8211; is it a customer services channel? A news portal? A general brand communication outlet? A promotions channel? Once you have a defined goal for your Twitter account, you&#8217;ll find it much easier to incorporate it into your day-to-day business activities.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve come up with any great ways to increase followers on Twitter (or &#8216;Likes&#8217; on Facebook for that matter), then let us know in the comments below.</p>
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<p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/twiends-tool-increase-twitter/' rel='bookmark' title='Twiends a Tool to Help Increase Twitter Followers [Twiends Review]'>Twiends a Tool to Help Increase Twitter Followers [Twiends Review]</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/importance-social-media-guest/' rel='bookmark' title='The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!'>The Importance of using Social Media when you Guest Blog!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://blazingminds.co.uk/write-twitter-bio-gains-followers/' rel='bookmark' title='How To Write a Twitter Bio That Gains You More Followers'>How To Write a Twitter Bio That Gains You More Followers</a></li>
</ol></p><p><a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk/creative-ways-increase-twitter/">Creative Ways To Increase Your Twitter Followers</a> is a post from <a href="http://blazingminds.co.uk">Blazing Minds</a> Copyright 2008-2011. Please link back when using this source material.
<br/><br/>
<b>If you enjoy reading my blog, then please <a href="http://pledgie.com/campaigns/11559">support me with a donation</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazingMinds">Follow @BlazingMinds on Twitter</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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