Posts Tagged ‘product-service’

Make Your Digital Camera Wireless

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

The idea of a completely wireless world keeps getting closer and closer to a reality. The latest step in this evolution is the ability to transfer photos and videos from your digital camera to your computer or even to photo sharing sites like Flickr and Facebook. No USB cable or card reader needed.

Luckily, you probably don’t need to replace your digital camera to get this amazing functionality.
Thanks to the Eye-Fi Wireless Memory Card, any digital camera that uses an SD card can become Wi-Fi enabled.

After a short configuration process, the Eye-Fi memory card will automatically upload your photos to your computer or a favorite photo sharing website. This can take place through your home or office’s wireless network or from anywhere internet access is available. As in this real life example, the photo transfer could take place even after the camera is lost or stolen.

The uses for this technology in the real estate industry are endless:

  • Photos of a new listing could be transmitted back to the office for marketing pieces to be started on immediately.
  • Make the digital photography easier for those real estate agents with an aversion to technology.
  • Community focused bloggers, share photos quickly by posting to Flickr or any of more the 20 photo sharing sites.
  • Not remember where a photo was from or what house it was in? Automatic Geotagging of photos will provide a quick answer to where the photo was taken at.

Eye-Fi Wireless Memory Card models range in price from $80 to $130 for 2-4 GB of storage. This is a lot costlier than a $20 standard 2GB SD card. If convenience and ease of use are important to you and your real estate business, the investment could be well worth it.

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Somebody Give Windermere a KISS!

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Keep it simple stupid…and that’s just what Windermere has done with the launch of their new homepage today! Finding homes is a snap as their search welcomes you to get started! I searched homes in Danville, CA for which a map quickly displayed clickable home icons. You can easily refine your search and access specific details for properties.  When you’ve found a home to your liking, simply choose to save, email or “clip it” (add to your favorites).  With an intuitive interface and great data, Windermere is sure to impress the consumer.

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Organize Chaos with The Real Estate Tweet Plan

Sunday, November 16th, 2008

Have you considered better organizing your time on Twitter? Wait…before you call me a rigid “you know what” or send hate email telling me I’m ruining the spontaneity of Twitter, think first about how much of your work time and efficiency is affected by tuning into to Twitter all day. Maybe it’s not. Perhaps you are the type that can free flow all day, tuning in…tuning out. Or you could be a self-proclaimed Twitaholic, who can easily manage your twitter volume from your desktop on Tweetdeck and Twitterific Pro on the go…never missing a single tweet from your 1000+ followers! Good for you!

But now more than ever real estate twits are working twice as hard. Do you really have time to tweet all day while you’re showing 18 houses, writing multiple contracts, and consulting with your clients? If you do, great…don’t bother reading the rest of this article. The Real Estate Tweet Plan is only for twits looking to organize and better balance social media marketing strategies.

Recently, I wrote a Tweet Plan for Darren Rowse’s new blog, Twitp.com. This was a general Tweet Plan framework really, so I thought I’d share an example Real Estate Tweet Plan. And it goes a little something like this…

Real Estate Tweet Plan created for @RENonna:

(1) Choose Twitter Check-in Times - @RENonna checks in with Twitter every morning with her coffee from 6:30-7:00am and every evening after dinner with her glass of red wine from 7-8pm. During those times, she (1) learns about her followers and chooses to follow back or not, (2) selects new followers she’s interested in and can learn from, (3) updates her tweetlists, (4) looks for helpful resources/media, and (5) schedules her Daily 5.

(2) Start w/ your Daily 5 - @RENonna’s Daily 5 (which are her interest & expertise topics) include: (1) short sale advice & tips, (2) local events in her market area (Pleasanton), (3) seasonal homeowner tips, (4) great buys (deals uncovered while previewing), and (5) weekender attractions. Other real estate specific topics could include: blog post updates, neighborhood stats & info, local tax and legal updates, credit tips and advice, etc.

(3) Make a Tweetlist(s) - @RENonna creates a list of pre-planned tweets that she will either sporadically tweet or schedule throughout the day. Here’s her Tweetlist for a given day:

Tweet 1: Short sale tip: Remember to consult with your CPA - could make the difference between a tax consequence, or not.

Tweet 2: Pleasanton Holiday Food Drive, donations of non-perishables can be made here:  http://budurl.com/tat5.

Tweet 3: Winter Weather Tips for Maintaining Curb Appeal: http://budurl.com/bjvl

Tweet 4: Local steal found on tour! Pleasanton charmer- 1234 Rose Ave, 4 bd 3 ba, 2450 sqft, .25 acre lot, walk to downtown, bank-owned $325,000!

Tweet 5: Ice skating in downtown Walnut Creek begins this weekend 11/13, check here for details: http://budurl.com/erdd

(4) Schedule Tweets - Keep your tweetlist at your desk or on you if you’re mobile. If you don’t want to manually tweet, use Tweetlater or Twuffer to schedule your tweets. Schedule them for time periods you will be focusing on work tasks only (or if you are on a business trip, vacation, etc).  For example, @RENonna set up her Daily 5 to be tweeted from Tweetlater at: 9:00am, 10:30am, 1:15pm, 2:30pm, and 4:15pm.  @RENonna also created Bud URLs for all the resource links she shares so she can track her follower activity. If she notices that she’s not getting much traffic from the morning tweets, then she may choose to schedule more tweets in the afternoon.

(5) Create an auto-welcome message - @RENonna would like to personally review and choose her followers. But she won’t be able to do that working in the field showing homes most days. So she plans to investigate her new followers during her Twitter Check-in times. In the meantime, she would still like to send a basic ONE-TIME “thanks for following” or “welcome” message to her new interested party. So @RENonna composed a welcome message, “Thanks for following me.  Nice to meet you, virtually!” and set it up as an auto-welcome message from Tweetlater to all new followers. NOTE: @RENonna is only sending a quick welcome, NOT auto-following back. She waits until she can personally review new follower profiles, Websites, updates, etc. to make her choice on whether to follow back or not. OFF THE HOOK: Spice up your auto-message with a little transparency topper, a “Welcome Video“.

(6) Supplement w/ spontaneous Tweets - In between your scheduled pre-planned Tweets, you may find yourself with an occasional opportunity to conversationally tweet. Do it! Or if you have an experience or current event that you want to share, by all means, share away. You can also use your Twitter Check-in times to converse and share your most recent thoughts, ideas, ramblings, or happenings. The point is, when you can and want to share, get back in the Twitter conversation. Twitter will be there…most times.

ONE LAST TIP: Be sure to aggregate your Tweets on your real estate blog and other social profiles. Here’s my own example. You can get more mileage from your Tweets by sharing them beyond the Twittosphere - with your blog readers and other networks (Facebook, FriendFeed, etc.).

TWEET PLAN DISCLAIMER: This plan may work great for those with little time in their day to tweet. But for some, taking time to organize tweets may actually be more time consuming that just tweeting off the cuff. This is NOT a plan for spontaneous tweeters and those of us that have adopted Twitter as a member of the family. This plan is for twits that want to tweet but are finding it hard to do so during their busy work day.  Please Note: This is only one Real Estate Tweet Plan example, what does yours look like?

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AppLoop Turns Your RSS Feed into a Brandable iPhone App

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

AppLoop for iPhoneWould you like your blog on the iPhone? Well now you can! Start by visiting AppLoop and requesting a beta account. Their slick new tool will convert your blog to a fully native mobile application in about 2 minutes. The cool aspect of AppLoop is that you can brand your iPhone application and learn about usage through supplied analytics.

Also check out AgentGenius, they’ve covered another app called intersquash.com. This tool works slightly different, as it turns your RSS feed into a webpage that fits your iPhone.

iPhone Application Generator Demo from AppLoop on Vimeo.

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7 Apps to Improve Your Next Online Group Meeting!

Monday, November 10th, 2008

1. Notifu

Trying to communicate with a group can be difficult! Particularly with the increasingly busy schedules of today’s real estate professional. If you’re looking for a product to address this challenge, you need to check out Notifu. This free web application lets you send a message by Email, SMS, AIM, Gtalk, ICQ, MSN IM, Yahoo IM even phone to a group of people without having an account on those services. With phone calls, Notifu will deliver to any phone number worldwide by converting the text you’ve typed in a voice message. After the messages have been delivered, you’ll know who has received the message and who has not.

2. Twiddla

Twiddla is a free tool for online group collaboration with no limit to the number of participants you can invite. The interface is cool because it’s different than most. Right from within the canvas you can search a web page and mark it up with your colleagues. Markup tools include lines, shapes and text. It’s also straightforward to add images (.jpg, .gif, .png, etc.) and documents (.doc, .xls, .ppt, .pdf, .txt) onto the canvas.

3. DabbleBoard

Dabbleboard is a free whiteboard application that works well for group collaboration. This interface is simple yet powerful. Start by creating a new whiteboard/canvas. If you want to invite others, click Share + Chat. DabbleBoard supplies you with a private URL and email invite feature. Once the collaboration has started users can upload images, work with freehand tools and adjust colors. When the canvas is complete users can download the project in PNG format. Also make the canvas public, to get listed in the “Public library” and obtain embed code for use outside of Dabbleboard.

4. MindMeister

MindMeister is collaborative online mind mapping software offering both free and paid packages. The interface is simple and intuitive. If you’ve built mind maps before you know the shape evolves as you get going. Having a canvas that can be adjusted is very useful. I also appreciate MindMeister for integrating with various gadgets and extensions. They understand that when thought happens you may not be sitting in front of a mind map. These tools are designed to fit into life where thought happens. Tools include a Gadget for Google Gears, Windows Vista Gadget, Mac Dashboard, Yahoo! Widgets Desktop, browser extensions and text/email.

5. Snipd

The idea behind Snipd.com is that you can clip parts of the Web including text, images, and videos…then share with friends. It has certain Twitter like characteristics, but it’s for “snips” you collect across the web.

Start by adding their bookmarklet onto your browser toolbar. Then as you surf the Internet and come across interesting content you would like to save or share simply highlight the text or object and click the Snipd bookmarklet. Then add some brief notes or comments. Back on Snipd.com your account has been aggregating recent snipping’s. These snips will be available via a custom URL you set up.

6. Stixy

Stixy is described as an online bulletin board, but that doesn’t capture the power of this application. To start Stixy offers a clean interface that allows for the dragging and dropping of objects called widgets. These widgets come in the form of tasks, appointments, files, photos, notes, and bookmarks. These widgets can be placed anywhere on the Stixyboard. Stixy also supports sharing of Stixyboards.

7. Oovoo

Turn your phone conference into a video conference. Oovoo is a free technology that allows face-to-face conversations over the web. Invite up to 6 participants into an Oovoo session. If your goal is to produce an interview for your website or blog, try Oovoo and then export the video to your favorite video sharing site.

Outside of the video, Oovoo also has a chat client. It’s setup much like the others. They’ve also got the ability to send files to your connections.

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New Choice for Social Media Signature: Hyplet.com

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

I’ve always been a fan of the email signature. If done properly, your contacts will know exactly how to get in touch with you. But they don’t exactly have a web 2.0 flare. Sure you could list out each social network with text links, but that’s looks boring and spammy. All those links my even trigger a spam filter. Check out Hyplet.com. They’ve created a free service to help you quickly create a signature or “personal ID” for your emails, website or blog. The service is similar concept to Retaggr but Hyplet offers much more customization.

Hyplet’s personal ID’s come in a variety of shapes and colors. Easily make modifications with drag and drop tools, even rearrange all contact information including phone, email, Skype, IM, Facebook, Flickr, Delicious, Twitter, your blog and others with the text editor. I did run into a small issue when using Firefox to customize my personal ID. In Firefox I was not able to apply formatting like bold or increase font size. I tried the same tasks in Internet Explorer and it worked fine.

In regards to compatibility, I’ve only used Hyplet with Outlook. Although, Hyplet says their ID’s work in many applications such as Gmail, Hotmail & IncrediMail.

Start creating a Hyplet now.

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Confucius Say: You will inherit some money or a small piece of land

Saturday, November 1st, 2008

Well, that’s what I was hoping for when I read my fortune after eating take-out recently.  Actually, I tried switching with Reggie but he held fast to his fortune:  “A member of your family will do something to make you proud.” And apparently I did just that this week! In fact, when good things happen, they seem to come in 3’s, so without further ado:

Good fortune #1: I was named as one of the 25 Most Influential Bloggers in Real Estate by Inman News. Can you believe it! I thought @LaniAR (also named on the list) was pulling my leg, but it’s true! I will say, this is obviously a subjective list, but nonetheless, I share this achievement with 24 other rockin’ bloggers, and of course with my MTO co-authors, Reggie Nicolay and Chad Johnson. According to Inman News, “This annual list of most influential real estate bloggers recognizes those bloggers who are well-known, well-read and have a knack for stirring up discussion and debate on important, timely and relevant topics for the industry.”  I was included in the “Marketing & How-to” section along with Dustin Luther and Jim Cronin.  Check out Jim’s blog for the complete list of bloggers.

Good fortune #2: I scored a book deal with co-author Mary McKnight! I’ve actually been an author for some time now (minus the actual published book). When I was in 5th grade I wrote, “Mrs. Edney’s Kidnapped Class”, the story of a Wheel-a-Fortune winner turned music teacher who kidnapped an entire class to create a Russian choir. Anyway, my teachers always told me I have one wild imagination! And thanks to Mary, we now have a book deal and are feverishly writing, “Sacrilicious: the Art of Shock & Awe Marketing”. The book will hit shelves in ‘09 and cover social media marketing strategies to make your hair stand up, but in the mean time you can take part in the outrageousness at our pre-book blog: Sacrilicious Marketing.

Good fortune #3: I was a speaker BiztechDay in San Francisco and nobody ran out of the room! Oh contraire, there were so many peeps they had to sit on the floor around the stage. BiztechDay was attended by over 500 entrepreneurs looking to better infuse technology into their business. Organizer, Edith Yeung, had the idea for this event in July. She rallied sponsors and rockin’ speakers like Tim Ferriss and George Wright. My partner in crime for the event, Rick Rochon of Adsymetrix, and I shared the basics on how to create a Web presence for your business.  For those of you that attended and wanted a review session, I have posted our power point below. So review away…but be sure to let me know if you have any questions pertaining to your own business goals.

One thing you should keep in mind when being bombarded by numerous social media sites……you need to have a PLAN. So select the type of media you will use consistently (blogging, podcasts, video, etc.) and share on various social profiles across the Web. Like any good planner, you will need to reassess how the strategies you’ve chosen are working for you. So make time to REVIEW your plan and make needed adjustments along the way.

NOTE:  A special thank you to Tim Ferriss! He is a super genuine guy and left me with rockin’ tips and motivation to complete my first book.  Anyway, as we approach the much anticipated Election Day, I thought you might want to know how Tim Ferriss plans to cast his vote! View his answer here! And remember…Confucius Say: “ROCK YOUR VOTE!”

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Mobile Email Without a Magnifying Glass

Friday, October 31st, 2008

A hole in the computer industry has been filled. The crazy thing is that no one saw the hole. Let me explain.

With laptops and smart phones, it would seem that the mobile real estate agent’s computing needs are fulfilled. When the laptop is too much to carry, you have the smart phone for email, internet and even document creation. What else would anyone need?

Unfortunately, the smart phone isn’t the perfect mobile companion for everyone. As eye sight goes, those tiny screens get tough to read. On top of that, the thumb-stroke keyboard is only suitable for short messages.

A new class of notebook, the “micro” or “mini”, has hit the market to fill the void between the laptop and smart phone. Equipped with 9-10″ LED screens, full keyboards, webcams, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and solid state hard drives, these mini notebooks make checking email and surfing the internet a real join.

These aren’t laptop replacements. The low power components used in these systems does limit their capabilities, but most real estate agents don’t need a lot computing power on the go. They simply need to write an email, check a listing on the MLS or surf the web and watch an online video or two.

A real benefit to using a low power machine is battery life. Some mini notebooks are boasting 8 hour battery life.

The ASUS Eee PC is the leader in the mini notebook market, but the Dell Mini 9 and HP Mini-Note are new products that are growing in popularity. Prices vary, but some models start at under $400.

There are a lot of configuration options when buying a mini notebook. Operating system, hard drive size and type, memory, web cam, wireless connectivity are all items that you will need to decide upon. You can create systems that are tiny Windows-based laptops or barebones, high efficiency handheld computers.

When configuring your mini notebook, remember that this isn’t going to replace a traditional laptop. You don’t want a lot of power and functionality. You won’t need it. You want quick and easy implementation of basic computing needs.

A few recommended options:

  • Solid state drive instead of spinning hard drive - less capacity but faster, more energy efficient and reliable
  • Upgrade to the most RAM available
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth - wireless connectivity continues to grow in usefulness
  • Quality webcam for Skype video calling
  • Linux instead of Windows for the operating system

The choice of Linux is a bit unusual, but well worth it. Windows is slow and a resource hog, Linux will run faster and start quicker. You will be limited on software for the Linux, but that isn’t an issue. Since you are using the mini notebook for just email, internet and docs, web services and free applications like Google Docs, web-based email and Open Office will meet your needs.

You can bet that a mini notebook will be on my holiday wish list.

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Attending NAR? Don’t Miss The Web 2.0/Social Media Panel

Friday, October 31st, 2008

If you’re attending NAR 2008 in Orlando, make sure you attend the Web 2.0/Social Media panel sponsored by Diamond Dwellings. [more at Diamond Dwellings]

Panelists include:

Jeff Turner @respres from Real Estate Shows

Teresa Boardman @TBoard from StPaulRealEstateBlog.com

Cyndee Haydon @cyndeehaydon in Clearwater, Fl. Her blog is from SandbarstoSunsets.com

Ines Hegedus-Garcia @ines from — also well known for her blog at Miamism.com


Panel start at
11am on Saturday November 8th. Location below:

Look for the “Exhibitor Presentation Theater” which will be located in the Exhibit Hall E, Booth 4840

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Free Seminar Tomorrow: Top Ten Money Making Tech Tools of Today’s Top Real Estate Agents

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

I have another free opportunity to improve your technology skills in a webinar coming up tomorrow. The event is sponsored by Cyberhomes and presented by Allen Hainge of CyberStars. If you are an MTO fan, you may remember that Allen has recently become a guest contributor here at MTO. He has lots of industry knowledge and is a techno-fan too! See more on Allen here.

For those of you attending the webinar, you’ll leave this session with concrete, proven steps to increase your business today!  Here are a few of the topics Allen will cover:

  • Why old tools & strategies don’t work in today’s market
  • The Top 10 tools top agents use to build their businesses
  • 3 types of agents Web sites…and why only one really makes you money
  • 5 “must have” elements of a money making Web site
  • 5 things listings on your site must have
  • And much more!

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now!

Join us for a Webinar on October 30th, from 10 am to 11 am PST
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/938348453

Here are a few other upcoming events:

How to Effectively Drive

Prospects to YOUR Web Site

November 3, 2:00PM PST

SEO Expert
and Leading Technology Trainer
The Seven Keys to Social Networking

for Profit

November 11, 2 :00PM PST

Technology Expert
Leading Technology Trainer
Three Things You MUST do to Survive in This Tough Market

November 13, 2:00PM PST

Trained Economist and
Marketing Expert

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Is a Mobile Smartphone Docking Station In Your Future?

Sunday, October 26th, 2008

Hold on to your seat, Active Innovation Management (A.I.M.) is trying to turn mobile computing on its head. They’ve started with a vision of making an efficient and inexpensive alternative to Netbooks called the Olo. Their concept is a “mobile smartphone docking station” which would not include its own processor, memory, or wireless connection.  These specifics play into their concern of shrinking our “ecological footprint.”

A.I.M.’s goal is to make the Olo fully compatible with future versions of smartphones. So when it comes time to upgrade your mobile device, simply upgrade the phone and make any necessary updates to the Olo fitting module. Now the new smartphone could be applied. There is no need to replace components like monitor, speakers, keyboard on the Olo.

No physical prototype is available yet, but the patent process has begun to protect the OloTM concept. So for know well be waiting in anticipation for this great idea to surface.

What will this mean for Real Estate Agents?

In an industry where being mobile is an advantage, I suspect this idea will be warmly welcomed.  Don’t get me wrong, this device will surely have limitations. But what real estate agents need most while mobile is internet with email, access to MLS and contracts.  These activities could be carried out with the limited processing power of a next generation smartphone. Add a large screen and keyboard; I suspect the Olo will be a winner.

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Free Seminar Today: Web site secrets and powerful social networking strategies

Friday, October 24th, 2008

Trying to build your online presence?  Cyberhomes has hired Randy Eagar, Search Engine Expert and leading technology trainer in the real estate industry to teach you the secrets of some of the most successful agents earning over six figures a year online.

In this seminar, Randy will share easy-to-implement web site secrets and powerful social networking strategies that work. He’ll also introduce a ton of other ideas you can use to dominate your market online!

The Seminar is today Friday, October 24
1-2 pm PT / 2-3 pm MT / 3-4 pm CT / 4-5 pm ET

If you are interested, click this link to RSVP

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Anyone Up For A Game Of USB Switch-A-Roo?

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Two computers, a printer, scanner, external drive and a business card reader.

Sound like an inventory of the technology in your real estate office? How do you share those devices with both computers?

Playing the old USB cable switch-a-roo? While this game can burn extra calories and is entertaining to watch, it is a real pain.

Getting crafty with device sharing over a network? This is a better solution with 2 major shortcomings:

(1) The host computer needs to be on to use the devices. This is tough if all of your computers are laptops.
(2) If you work in a large office, your devices will probably be exposed to everyone on the network. Yikes!

Finally, a better solution is available with the release of the Kensington ShareCentral.

The ShareCentral is a hub that allows 2 computers to share USB devices easily. Connect both computers and your peripherals to share devices with the push of a button. It even supports Automatic Printer Sharing on Windows XP and Vista machines, for effortless printing.

The ShareCentral comes in 1, 2 and 5 device models to fit the needs of any real estate agent. Go for the 5 device model to give yourself a bit of room to grow.

To cut down on confusion, Kensington throws in labeled button covers. The large printer, scanner and hard drive icons make peripheral switching a breeze, even without putting on your glasses.

A little bonus, the ShareCentral acts as a USB hub by allowing 5 devices to be connected to only 1 computer port. A huge benefit for those with limited USB ports.

Models range in price from $40 to $80 and can is available at most electronic stores and online.

Pick one up and simplify your computing experience.

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StudioNow: The Affordable Answer to High-Quality Video

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

For the last few months we’ve covered many different options for adding video into your business. Some of the methods were self produced, some originated from still photos…and today from a full service network. StudioNow has assembled a network of professional videographers, directors, editors, animators and voice over specialist available for your next video project.

Is it really that simple?
That’s the idea. Streamline the process; work with the best freelancers in the industry and provide high-quality video content. That’s the idea from founders David Mason and Adam Solesby.

David explained that StudioNow has created a robust tracking and communication tool. Think UPS tracking but for the video upload, creation, production and distribution. Have a question about where your project is in the process…just login and view.

Don’t fumble at the goal line.
Once you have your completed video project, your work has just begun.  The obvious next step is to make sure the video gets viewed by the right audience. StudioNow can automatically push your videos to Google, YouTube, Yahoo!, AOL, MSN, MySpace and many more based on your requirements. DVD’s can also be delivered.

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Blog Action Day: Using Social Media to Fight Poverty

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

It’s MTO’s 2nd annual Blog Action Day post! If you’re not familiar with Blog Action Day, it’s (1) a uniting of bloggers worldwide, (2) taking action on their blogs, (3) by voicing thoughts, opinions, concerns, etc. on an important issue affecting us all. Last year, the environment was the issue at hand. Click here to read MTO’s 1st Annual Blog Action Day post on recycling.

This year, Blog Action Day asks us to take a closer look at poverty and how we can help those in need. It’s especially hard to understand poverty if you don’t see it in your own backyard. But, the current economic crisis is making all of us reassess our spending and savings. So if we’re hurting in one way or another, imagine how much more affected the impoverished will become if we stop giving our time and resources.

You may feel strapped which may make you feel less powerful to help. But there are plenty of ways you can reach out using tools and items on hand. So don’t let this economic crisis get you down…get inspired by a need and get motivated to provide what’s needed.

The holidays are approaching so finding ways to reach out are usually apparent. You can easily get involved or be the organizer for your local food drive, blood drive, coat drive, or tech drive. Yes, I said tech drive. Not everyone can afford the latest and greatest technology. Some of us may have been rapid fire upgraders, I know I’m guilty. But our older technology may actually be quite new to others. Let’s face it, computers are no longer a luxury, they are a way of life.

So, don’t wait until Spring to start cleaning out old devices and computers from your garage. Do it now! Gather other passionate tech-heads, reformat old systems and donate them to schools, community centers, and shelters, etc.

Make rallying donations offline a bit easier by choosing a school or recycling center as your donation hub. Then get the word out using the social media tools that already distract you at work and keep you up late at night.

Use Meetup to organize your offline collaboration and Facebook to rally your online network around a Fan Page or Group.  Be sure to select images or photos that can tell a related story or how to help. Upload and tag them on Flickr.  Post event updates on your blog and create an event badge (ex: Tech Drive Donations) others can put on their blog. Tweet your posts and updates on Twitter. And use Twitter Search, Twitter Local and Twinkle to find others in your area or with interest in the same cause.

You already use the tools, so it’s just about finding your passion and direction for fighting poverty. We were strong before social media took off. Think how much more effective, resourceful, and ultimately powerful your efforts can be now!

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