Just Checking In

JUST CHECKING IN

A minister passing through his church

In the middle of the day,

Decided to pause by the altar

And see who had come to pray.

Just then the back door opened,

A man came down the aisle,

The minister frowned as he saw

The man hadn't shaved in a while.

His shirt was kinda shabby

And his coat was worn and frayed,

The man knelt, he bowed his head,

Then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed,

Each noon time came this chap,

Each time he knelt just for a moment,

A lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister's suspicions grew,

With robbery a main fear,

He decided to stop the man and ask him,

'What are you doing here?'

The old man said, he worked down the road.

Lunch was half an hour.

Lunchtime was his prayer time,

For finding strength and power.

'I stay only moments, see,

Because the factory is so far away;

As I kneel here talking to the Lord,

This is kinda what I say:

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,

HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.

SO, JESUS, THIS IS MIKE CHECKING IN TODAY.'

The minister  feeling foolish,

Told Mike, that was fine.

He told the man he was welcome

To come and pray just anytime

Time to go, Mike smiled, said 'Thanks.'

He hurried to the door.

The minister knelt at the altar,

He'd never done it before.

His cold heart melted, warmed with love,

And met with Jesus there.

As the tears flowed, in his heart,

He repeated old Mike's prayer:

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,

HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.

SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY..'

Past noon one day, the minister noticed

That old Mike hadn't come.

As more days passed without Mike,

He began to worry some.

At the factory, he asked about him,

Learning he was ill.

The hospital staff was worried,

But he'd given them a thrill.

The week that Mike was with them,

Brought changes in the ward.

His smiles, a joy contagious.

Changed people, were his reward.

The head nurse couldn't understand

Why Mike was so glad,

When no flowers, calls or cards came,

Not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed,

He voiced the nurse's concern:

No friends came to show they cared.

He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Mike spoke

Up and with a winsome smile;

'the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know,

That he's in here all the while

Every day at noon He's here,

A dear friend of mine, you see,

He sits right down, takes my hand,

Leans over and says to me:

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, MIKE,

HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.

ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,

I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY, AND SO Mike, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN TODAY.'

My Aunt Jeannie Sent me this, and under the story it said:  "If you are not ashamed of Jesus, pass it on"  I have done so.  I saw no Copyright attached hereto, but it would seem to me that someone took effort and time to write and edit this short story.  I do not claim it as my own, and publish it here only to hope that it might change a day or even a moment in someone's life.   God Bless Ya!  Pass it on.

AdWords Vs Organic Search   http://pronetworkbuild.com/adwords-vs-organic-search/

How to Get 1,000 Local Connections Per Week http://pronetworkbuild.com/use-twitter-to-get-local-followers-and-clients/

Local SEO And Micro Local Social Media http://pronetworkbuild.com/local-seo-and-micro-local-social-media/

Google's + Local is Just a Social Network Gig

Google's Catastrophic Screw Up

Inside: "Most companies are doing this unaware that they are signing up for a Social Network, and are not consulting their staff about what to do."


Google's New "Google + Local" program was basically kicked off in typical Google Fashion: by nerds in Google Land.  Most of the writing to date has been rather sparse, because the Tech writers and bloggers were caught unaware of this massive shift in Google Search. Here's a great example: SAI posted an article this morning, ranting about Google, but the author doesn't even mention this tectonic shift http://www.businessinsider.com/google-evil-2012-5 either he is unaware or had this article in the can, and didn't want to update it for relevance.  I threw a link up on my site when it happened, and have tried to remain ahead of the curve. http://pronetworkbuild.com/mobile_marketing.html Going so far as to make the link in bold nasty print:  "UPDATE". 

Basically, anytime anyone anywhere logs into a Google Product, like Gmail, or Searches for anything having logged in even three days ago, they are immediately forced to sign up for a Google + Account!

Thinly Disguised Product Forces You To Sign Up for Google's Social Network

This is fantastic at it's core, and probably even violates anti trust laws.  Since Google is the undisputed king of search, I find it a bit distasteful in the very least that they are using their weight to force people to open an Account on what is Google's fledgling and third rate Social Media Site:  Google +.   The site has signed up about 40 million users, and most of the research indicates that users open an account but never use Google +.  Early adopters were allowed in, and we had to be "invited" by one of the chosen few.  This means that the first level of users have thousands of followers in their Circles, and the rest of us were left to gnaw on the bones.

My own ranting aside, there is something very odd about this transition.  And it strikes me as not only very, very bad PR and Marketing, but poor Search Engine Optimisation as well.  And since search IS Google's primary function, this is equally disturbing from a very practical, and sociological point of view.

Bear in mind folks, Google has done away with Google Places.  Most end users don't know what that is.  When we go into Google and search for instance, "Dry Cleaners, Chicago"  we are using Places.  This has been the primary driver of Google's focus for years, and the way that SEO Specialists, Google Certified Trainers, Marketing Professionals, and Advertising Gurus, not to mention Madison Avenue big time firms have done business.

And with this decision, POOOF!!!  Places is completely eliminated, and integrated wholly into Google + Local, with no announcement, no training, and no discussion.  Nobody even seems to know how to use the thing properly!!

And this is where the catastrophic screw up really occurs down on the street level:  Who checks the mail in most professional offices?  It's the Administrative Assistant.   Rare is the Doctor, Lawyer, Judge, Manager, or other Professional who does not have a first tier screener check the mail for garbage, spam, or unwanted solicitations.

Update:
How Does Google + Local and Facebook "Promoted" Posts Effect Small Businesses?

So Google in it's infinite wisdom (and rush to sign up people for it's Social Network, Google +)  now has people setting up business pages all over the planet, and what's really embarassing, is that those pages have nobody in their circles, and nobody has any content on these pages.  From a search standpoint, you have millions of people entering information  into Google's databases at an unprecedented  rate, and they don't even know the implications are, what strategy to implement, or even if they should have a strategy.  Most companies are doing this unaware that they are signing up for a Social Network, and are not consulting their staff about what to do.   It's probably the most bullying I've seen in years by any big Internet company, and yet, it's also amateurish overtly obvious manipulation.  Maybe this is why they did it with no preamble?  To avoid the public outcry and Federal Regulators?

In any event, if you go to search a company and find absolutely nothing on their Google + page, send them my way, I'll fix it for them.  For a fee of course.  I don't work free, and undoing what Sally Smith typed in yesterday may take a lot more effort and many hours of creative thinking than the 5 minutes she spent on screwing it up.

 Here's an example.  A client created her own page without realising the implications.  She left the "T" off the end of the word: "Street" and so there is the Google+ page, created with a misspelled word, and I have to go back in and fix it. Not a big deal. But the business page was in her personal name, and she was opening the mail for her Plastic Surgeon boss.  Now that is a problem, and a big one. She innocently did what Google directed her to do when checking her mail.

Now, multiply this by the many Google Accounts I have, and you get the idea.  Remember, there was no ramp up, no alert, no notice given.  Google just did this two days ago. There is no "How To" ... We are left to our own devices.  Google doesn't even supply a FAQ because nobody has had a chance to accumulate any questions.

Then there is the testing.  When we go back into search to "Test" the account, we are asked to open another Google+ account, just to check to see if the last one we created is working?  What in the world was Google thinking?

Well, you read it here first.  Most of the article writing, as I said is non existent. A search for the term on Google for the words: "Google + Local" (if you are logged in) will bring you to local restaurants. If you log out?  It will bring you amazingly to Google Places or Google Maps as apparantly Google never set up a centralized dump for this particular roll out.

I hope I have put you ahead of the pack by a few days.

Have a great weekend. 

Google + Local Created, Google Places Listings are Affected http://pronetworkbuild.com/Google___Local.html

SEO Packages from ProNetworkBuild: http://pronetworkbuild.com/seo-packages-from-pronetworkbuild/

How to use Twitter: http://pronetworkbuild.com/how-to-use-twitter/

Twitter Account Management: http://pronetworkbuild.com/twitter-account-management/

__________________________________________________

http://facebook.com/ProNetworkBuild

Lon Dunn writes on Evan Carmichael as a productivity and efficiency expert. He wrote and edited The Thesaurus News from 1995 to 2001 with a specialty in Telephony Infastructure Stocks. With over 20 years following the Mobile Industry, Lon helps Companies, Professionals and Organizations develop Mobile Marketing Strategies combined with Social Media Strategies to strategically target specific markets and demographics to rapidly increase revenues. His most recent book available on Amazon is “How to Use Twitter for Local Business” with Tips and Mobile Marketing Strategies that anyone can do themselves. You can download the free “Kindle App for PC to download the book to your Desktop available on the Kindle Site:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Twitter-Local-Business-ebook/dp/B007VSR6Y2

If you leave a comment, please leave your Twitter Handle, So I can get back to you.

Does Your Twitter Profile Really Matter

According to Analysis by Twitter and Research Teams, people follow based upon:

  Picture or Avi 
  Profile 
  Tweets

Unfortunately, in that order.

So we are still in a world where it's what you look like, and what you say you are, rather than what you say.  Strangely, content of tweets is not the main reason people follow.  Look at the influence of any celebrity, and the sheer number of followers explains that it is not content which attracts millions of fans to their accounts.   At least on Twitter.   There are exceptions of course, and I'd get eMail explaining each one if I didn't mention Mashable for instance.   As great as their content is?  They still use a good looking guy as their Pic on Twitter.  Not a logo.

I was reading a research paper last week, and the team discovered that people are more likely to follow you when you add words like "Director"  or CEO or Guru in your profile  rather than not using a Title.   

The above notwithstanding, I have found a backlash against the word "Guru" in a profile.   Bloggers and skilled social media hacks don't like the word, because anyone can tag themselves such.  But they may be missing the point here:  Alot of people new to social media need or listen to self styled and self appointed gurus.

When I was younger, my dad hired a "spiritual guru" so to speak to counsel me through a troubled patch, or as they put it, "just to talk" if and when I felt so inclined.  This spiritual guru was supposedly a man of great depth and understanding, but he ultimately failed in his quest for changing my mind on anything, and I didn't get much value from the relationship.   He didn't call himself a guru, I have fashioned that moniker upon him.

Which brings me to the last point.  If someone wants to flatter you with the label, "Guru"  that might be fine.  If you want to put that on your Twitter Profile to gain newbies, and attract the unguarded, uninitiated and neophytes, than it might work alongside other words like "Director" and CEO.   But remember, there are lots of good writers and media skilled influencers who are selling against you.

Experienced Social Media experts are constantly pointing out that anyone who calls themselves a guru probably is not much of one.


AdWords Vs Organic Search   http://pronetworkbuild.com/adwords-vs-organic-search/

How to Get 1,000 Local Connections Per Week http://pronetworkbuild.com/use-twitter-to-get-local-followers-and-clients/

Local SEO And Micro Local Social Media http://pronetworkbuild.com/local-seo-and-micro-local-social-media/


_______________________________________________




http://facebook.com/ProNetworkBuild

Lon Dunn writes on Evan Carmichael as a productivity and efficiency expert. He wrote and edited The Thesaurus News from 1995 to 2001 with a specialty in Telephony Infastructure Stocks. With over 20 years following the Mobile Industry, Lon helps Companies, Professionals and Organizations develop Mobile Marketing Strategies combined with Social Media Strategies to strategically target specific markets and demographics to rapidly increase revenues. His most recent book available on Amazon is “How to Use Twitter for Local Business” with Tips and Mobile Marketing Strategies that anyone can do themselves. You can download the free “Kindle App for PC to download the book to your Desktop available on the Kindle Site:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Twitter-Local-Business-ebook/dp/B007VSR6Y2

A ReTweet Says Love

ReTweeting is the Epitome of Engagement

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We  should all download this "Classic ReTweet Button for Mozilla Firefox" which will allow you to use the cut/paste way of ReTweeting.   Another reason for doing this "classic retweet method" is that people can see you engaging them, communicating with them.  It is also available on Chrome.  

Twitter works better on Mozilla, and has  surpassed Explorer as the World's most popular browser. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/classic-retweet/

Another of the primary uses of the traditional retweet is not to 'repeat' something at all, but to start or continue a conversation, with 2, 3, sometimes even 4 or 5 people participating in a single tweet. In this type of classic retweet, you're repeating something in order to preserve the conversational thread. If you use Twitter's "ReTweet" button then people have to hover over your profile, and it takes a while, and I have noticed over the years, but moreso recently, that fewer and fewer people thank you for the ReTweet that way.

For instance, I was just working on a new account last night, and ReTweeted some very large accounts.

I retweeted the same people using Twitter's RT button, and then with another account, retweeted the same people, and the same tweet using the “Classic ReTweet” Method. It would be obvious to any Twitter veteran who will get the fastest response, but I wanted to be fair to the originators of the Tweet, and to the reading audience.

Those tweets where we used Twitter's button were ignored; at least from the standpoint that the originators did not respond at all. 

When Others Use the RT Button, It Helps Us, But We Can't Get Back To Them Easily

 

But from the Classic ReTweet, we got results fast!! Instead of blowing her off, or ignoring it like they would have if we used the RT button, they thanked her, engaged her, spoke to her and commented. A much better result, because when someone communicates with us, their entire timeline can see it, and we get free advertising.

In a nutshell, this will allow you to get more benefit from "engagement" and make it easier to communicate. Here's the button: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/classic-retweet/ it only takes a minute to install. If you have Chrome, then you can find a link to the same button for chrome at the bottom right hand corner of this page: http://jonpierce.github.com/classic-retweet/

Lastly, I would like to add that Twitter wants us to use the RT button, not for our benefit but for a commercial purpose. It is easier for vender applications, and Tweet counters to show Lady GaGa or Johnson Wax that “You've been ReTweeted 1,831 times this month!! Your message is spreading!” . Us normal people hardly factor into the equation for them. Which is probably another reason, albeit Twitter would deny that it is so hard to actually thank someone, or respond to anyone who uses their RT Button. It just takes too long, and it is too much trouble.

Remember, when someone engages with us, even ever so slightly and momentarily, we make a connection, and we enhance our experience on Twitter. And in life.

SEO Packages from ProNetworkBuild: http://pronetworkbuild.com/seo-packages-from-pronetworkbuild/

How to use Twitter: http://pronetworkbuild.com/how-to-use-twitter/

Twitter Account Management: http://pronetworkbuild.com/twitter-account-management/

______________________________________________

If You Comment, Please Leave Your Twitter Handle in the Comment Itself

On LinkedIn  http://linkedin.com/in/londunn

Lon Dunn writes on Evan Carmichael as a productivity and efficiency expert. He wrote and edited The Thesaurus News from 1995 to 2001 with a specialty in Telephony Infastructure Stocks. With over 20 years following the Mobile Industry, Lon helps Companies, Professionals and Organizations develop Mobile Marketing Strategies combined with Social Media Strategies to strategically target specific markets and demographics to rapidly increase revenues. His most recent book available on Amazon is “How to Use Twitter for Local Business” with Tips and Mobile Marketing Strategies that anyone can do themselves. You can download the free “Kindle App for PC to download the book to your Desktop available on the Kindle Site:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Twitter-Local-Business-ebook/dp/B007VSR6Y2

Two Devilishly Handsome Guys

Facebook has some issues moving forward. Zuckerberg said during Facebook's traveling horse and pony show last week that the social media juggernaut is “just getting started” on it's mobile app. Just getting started? With over 50% of it's users accessing the site via a mobile phone, you would have thought that was handled years ago.

Another feature that is lagging behind is search. Facebook makes it almost impossible to locate and find new businesses locally without first knowing people. Then if we are lucky, we might see another person “Like” a local business, and so on. But as far as searching for and finding local businesses with Facebook, it is almost impossible without some prior knowledge that said business exists.

Twitter has made it infinitely easier to use search from it's inception; yet is also the most overlooked feature.   

I have found some interesting ways to make my clients an income using Twitter.  (Now if I could just find a way to get them to share some of the profits!)

I recently undertook a client who gave me the link to their website: an “Investment Group”. I knew that was going to be a tough sell as a new account on Twitter. So I tweaked the profile a bit to read: “Two Devilishly Handsome Guys who Tweet Sports, News, Entertainment, and Music in Seattle”. Within 5 hours they had been invited to a bi weekly networking lunch for a group of 300 ladies. And Voila' ! There was a contact made on Twitter with a newbie account, in hours, not days. Not to mention that these two guys will have plenty of contacts from just that one meeting. And no telling how many they will have moving forward.

It works folks. Twitter is a powerful tool. Do NOT overlook the potential to make real, powerful, meaningful connections in less time than it would take to mail out thousands of eMails, or make tens and hundreds of phone calls. 

If we insist on looking at Twitter in the terms defined by Twitter, we may never meet anyone. Twitter does not, and has not convinced itself of this, or they would market these opportunities more. Twitter is interested in selling Madison Avenue style campaigns to large companies with a global reach. 

Meanwhile some of us are using that little grey search button to do some pretty amazing things in our own backyards.

UPDATE: A week ago, I handled an account for car detailing outfit in the woods of Canada.  For most Social Media Managers, this would be a daunting task in the very least, if not a "turn down".  Who wants to accept a case with little or no means of solid success, right? I mean there are better clients than this, we might think to ourselves.  Anyway,  I started following locally for the client.  And here's the nice part:  WITHIN 2 MINUTES I GOT A TWEET FROM A LADY WANTING HER CAR DONE!!!!  That is an all  time record, even for me.  Two Minutes!!  That case study alone would be enough for most of us to put in our portfolio, and talk about it for years to come.  So I told the lady I would get back to her as soon as I finished my Twitter Management.  This was truthful enough.  And about 20 minutes later, the Town Police Department had tweeted my little car detailing account in the back woods of Canada, and made a connection!!  Now that my friends and readers is how it's supposed to work out, and IF YOU ARE NOT GETTING DAILY RESULTS ON TWITTER AND MAKING DAILY CONNECTIONS AND CONVERTING THOSE CONNECTIONS TO SALES AND DOLLARS THAN YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG!!!   
Remember, I don't ask for business, I engage.  I make connections.  I make it work.  Twitter search and my local following techniques work folks. 

Don't keep doing the same things and expect different results.

________________________________________

My Home Page is:  http://ProNetworkBuild.com

My Google + https://plus.google.com/107944712352726038449/posts

And On Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/LonDunn

If you would like to leave a comment, please leave your Twitter handle in the comment itself.  Plant and Sow


AdWords Vs Organic Search   http://pronetworkbuild.com/adwords-vs-organic-search/

How to Get 1,000 Local Connections Per Week http://pronetworkbuild.com/use-twitter-to-get-local-followers-and-clients/

Local SEO And Micro Local Social Media http://pronetworkbuild.com/local-seo-and-micro-local-social-media/


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Lon Dunn writes on Evan Carmichael as a productivity and efficiency expert. He wrote and edited The Thesaurus News from 1995 to 2001 with a specialty in Telephony Infastructure Stocks. With over 20 years following the Mobile Industry, Lon helps Companies, Professionals and Organizations develop Mobile Marketing Strategies combined with Social Media Strategies to strategically target specific markets and demographics to rapidly increase revenues. His most recent book available on Amazon is “How to Use Twitter for Local Business” with Tips and Mobile Marketing Strategies that anyone can do themselves. You can download the free “Kindle App for PC to download the book to your Desktop available on the Kindle Site:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Twitter-Local-Business-ebook/dp/B007VSR6Y2

Comments Expand Your Reach

Comments Expand Our Reach?  How?

When you comment on someone's post, your comments are piggy backing on whatever reach the article has.  If you comment on a NYTimes article, your comment might be seen by a million people!

Here's one I left in 2010 http://articles.businessinsider.com/2010-08-09/strategy/29968948_1_interns-social-media-bomb-threat 

The point here is that the comment is still there, still providing my Internet imprint, and has permanently become part of Google Search.

If you put your Twitter handle in the article, I have found that 99% of the time, the censor (oh, they hate me calling them that word, they prefer "moderator") will not block your comment, or take it down.  Especially if you leave a thoughtful comment that adds to the conversation.

If I take the time to surf to, read an article thoroughly, and then not leave a comment? I am killing time.  Sure, I might be gaining knowledge, but I am already there, I am already at the site.  There is less a chance I will find it again if I leave without commenting.

Here's the sweet spot:  Try to be the first or at least second to comment.  Your remarks and Twitter handle will be the most viewed.  If you are number 78 or worse, number 178, nobody will see your comment, you are just venting.  It is still worth it, you will be broadening your reach, but less likely to gain a follower, or be seen.

Ask.Com for instance is a great way to gain exposure.  And Yahoo Comments are great too.  I know a girl who increases her followers by over a thousand new readers a month on Yahoo question forums!  Talk about powerful.

Here is a piece from the Irish Times on the Reverse process, having to respond to your comment stream after writing a controversial article: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2012/0505/1224315639047.html

And I wrote an article:  Comments are Like Crack Cocaine for Bloggers http://pronetworkbuild.blogspot.com/2011/05/comments-are-like-crack-cocaine-for.html 
Which discusses the idea that a Retweet is much more powerful than a comment.

If You Would Like to Comment on this Thread, Please Leave Your Twitter Handle.

And I completely tore down my home page, and put up a video instead, if you'd like to give me some feedback, I would appreciate it.  http://pronetworkbuild.com

http://facebook.com/ProNetworkBuild


SEO Packages from ProNetworkBuild: http://pronetworkbuild.com/seo-packages-from-pronetworkbuild/

How to use Twitter: http://pronetworkbuild.com/how-to-use-twitter/

Twitter Account Management: http://pronetworkbuild.com/twitter-account-management/

_____________________________________________

Lon Dunn writes on Evan Carmichael as a productivity and efficiency expert. He wrote and edited The Thesaurus News from 1995 to 2001 with a specialty in Telephony Infastructure Stocks. With over 20 years following the Mobile Industry, Lon helps Companies, Professionals and Organizations develop Mobile Marketing Strategies combined with Social Media Strategies to strategically target specific markets and demographics to rapidly increase revenues. His most recent book available on Amazon is “How to Use Twitter for Local Business” with Tips and Mobile Marketing Strategies that anyone can do themselves. You can download the free “Kindle App for PC to download the book to your Desktop available on the Kindle Site:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Twitter-Local-Business-ebook/dp/B007VSR6Y2

A Quick Thought on Words

Thoughts will live as long as we remember them, our words as long as others remember them - but what we write?  Our written words live until the computer makers change over to a new format.   ~~ Apr 4, 2012

http://facebook.com/ProNetworkBuild

Twitter Account Management: http://pronetworkbuild.com/twitter-account-management/
Local SEO and Micro Local Social Media: http://pronetworkbuild.com/local-seo-and-micro-local-social-media/
The Most Importain Decision Any Small Business Owner Will Make: http://pronetworkbuild.com/the-most-important-decision-any-small-business-owner-will-make/

Lon Dunn writes on Evan Carmichael as a productivity and efficiency expert. He wrote and edited The Thesaurus News from 1995 to 2001 with a specialty in Telephony Infastructure Stocks. With over 20 years following the Mobile Industry, Lon helps Companies, Professionals and Organizations develop Mobile Marketing Strategies combined with Social Media Strategies to strategically target specific markets and demographics to rapidly increase revenues. His most recent book available on Amazon is “How to Use Twitter for Local Business” with Tips and Mobile Marketing Strategies that anyone can do themselves. You can download the free “Kindle App for PC to download the book to your Desktop available on the Kindle Site:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Twitter-Local-Business-ebook/dp/B007VSR6Y2

Surrender To Win

Some years ago, I heard the expression, "Surrender to Win" and it resonated.  At first, it seemed that it was antithetical to all that I knew.  Aren't we supposed to relentlessly pursue our dreams?  Didn't Churchill famously say,  "Never, ever, ever give up" ?  Actually, if you research that phrase from Churchill, he didn't exactly say that, but you get the point.

Surrendering was never one of my strong points, and yet, it truly is the way to find personal development.  In this bustling world where we are taught to fight to the bitter end, surrendering just seems like an odd pursuit.

1.  Worry is wasted energy.  When we worry about the future, which we cannot accurately predict, we assume we are in control of the future.  When we are honest with ourselves, none of us actually knows what tomorrow will bring.

2.  There are things beyond our control.  Only delusional people try to control their entire existence, and often, sadly end up miserable, or in the least detached from people as they plot and scheme more controls, which is an endless cycle.

3.  The past is over, the past is not our reality.  If there is one area that we need to surrender, all of us, it is to surrender what has happened yesterday, or years ago, and most importantly, the bad moment we have just had today.  A bad moment or event, need not become our bad day.  We can start over at any time.

4.  Misery is a choice, so is isolation, loneliness, regret, and shame.  We can carry them around or we can choose happiness and serenity.  Surrendering to serenity,  the present moment, and choosing happiness means we have less stress, live longer, and can approach each obstacle with dignity and grace.

Today, I was told that my heating and air conditioning blower would need replacing, and the labor was 300 dollars.  The parts were 500 dollars.  Eight hundred dollars!!  That thought was terrible, even to contemplate.   I let go of the negative energy, decided that I was not going to spend my day worrying about the money or the loss of same.  Detached from worry, detached from unproductive scheming, the answer almost jumped out at me by accident.  I wasn't going to wallow in the pain and just went about my day. Instead, I plucked around on the Internet, found a forum which said to check a separate component.  Which I did.  I fixed the car for free in 5 minutes.   

A few years ago, I was unemployed, life was pretty terrible.  The storage place called, and said, "Mr. Dunn you have three days, maybe four, and we are selling all your belongings"  WOW!! I had sent out 138 resumes, and nothing.  All the calls were scams, or crappy sales jobs, knocking on doors, likely no better than scams.  138 resumes, and the storage place was selling all my things.

I spoke out loud:  "God.  I am letting go of this situation.  The more I think about this terrible position, the worse it feels.  I am letting go.  I am NOT SENDING OUT ANY MORE RESUMES!!  I have sent out about as many as I can humanly send.  I am letting go of this, I refuse to worry about this.  If they take all my stuff, and sell it, then they do.  If I am homeless, so be it.  If I become a bum on the street, then so be it, but I am letting go.  Whatever happens next is up to you, I am surrendering this entire mess over to you AND I am surrendering to you.  Do as you wish".

By letting go, a tremendous peace came over me, and the worry no longer existed.  I went to my meeting.  I had so little money, that the only way I could get a call was on my voice mail which went to eMail.  I couln't even pay the cell phone bill.

When I arrived to check my computer, there were two job offers on my computer.  And I was working within 3 days, and I didn't lose my belongings.

If there is somebody who is hopeless, or struggling with something that is causing you stress, or a loved one who is ill, I hope this story has helped you.  God bless you, as you surrender to win.

_______________________________________________________

Lonny Dunn Tweets at @ProNetworkBuild

Facebook Lander:  http://facebook.com/ProNetworkBuild 

Month Long Complete Social Media Campaign: http://pronetworkbuild.com/month-long-complete-social-media-campaign/

SEO Packages from ProNetworkBuild: http://pronetworkbuild.com/seo-packages-from-pronetworkbuild/


Adword vs Organic Search: http://pronetworkbuild.com/adwords-vs-organic-search/

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Lon Dunn writes on Evan Carmichael as a productivity and efficiency expert. He wrote and edited The Thesaurus News from 1995 to 2001 with a specialty in Telephony Infastructure Stocks. With over 20 years following the Mobile Industry, Lon helps Companies, Professionals and Organizations develop Mobile Marketing Strategies combined with Social Media Strategies to strategically target specific markets and demographics to rapidly increase revenues. His most recent book available on Amazon is “How to Use Twitter for Local Business” with Tips and Mobile Marketing Strategies that anyone can do themselves. You can download the free “Kindle App for PC to download the book to your Desktop available on the Kindle Site:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Twitter-Local-Business-ebook/dp/B007VSR6Y2

New Twitter Tips

The New Twitter format is only new if you have been through the last incarnations.  If you just signed up the New Twitter is all you know.  Here are two quick tips dealing with Search.

Twitter's most undervalued asset is the "Search" Feature.  Far better than Facebook's, (I personally find Facebook Search to be almost meaningless.  When I want to find someone on Facebook, like others, I use Google) Twitter search has an entire range of commands to help you sort people by place, or  "near" a city, or within a certain geography.  I will not go into those commands here, but will deal with the basics.

The Search feature is located in a small oval box on the top tool bar regardless of which page you are on.  This is what it looks like from my home page.

I have another account strictly for entertainment purposes called @CicerosGhost
so we will use the word "Cicero" in search from the Home Page of Twitter and from the @ Mention Page.   One lady Tweeted yesterday:  "Thanks New Twitter. No Manuel?"  I couldn't agree more with her sarcasm.  I have had to learn to use the new features by repeatedly looking up Cicero quotes.

From the Home Page, above, when we type "Cicero" into the Search Oval, we find TWEETS concerning Cicero.  From image above, we are finding Tweets with Cicero in them.

Tweets Containing the word: "Cicero"

However, from the @ Connect Screen, (button is located on the Top Left of every Twitter Account and Screen)

(formerly called the @ Mentions or Mentions Feature) when we type "Cicero" into the Search Oval, we find PEOPLE WHO have Cicero in their name, as opposed to Tweets containing the word Cicero. 

So remember, from Home, Search finds Tweets.  When you are in          @ Connect Search  finds People.


Twitter Account Management: http://pronetworkbuild.com/twitter-account-management/
Local SEO and Micro Local Social Media: http://pronetworkbuild.com/local-seo-and-micro-local-social-media/
The Most Importain Decision Any Small Business Owner Will Make: http://pronetworkbuild.com/the-most-important-decision-any-small-business-owner-will-make/

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Please Leave Your Twitter and/or Facebook Handle, or BOTH when leaving a Comment, and I'll follow you back. 

Follow Lonny on Twitter at @ProNetworkBuild

Lonny is on Facebook at http://facebook.com/LonDunn

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Lon Dunn writes on Evan Carmichael as a productivity and efficiency expert. He wrote and edited The Thesaurus News from 1995 to 2001 with a specialty in Telephony Infastructure Stocks. With over 20 years following the Mobile Industry, Lon helps Companies, Professionals and Organizations develop Mobile Marketing Strategies combined with Social Media Strategies to strategically target specific markets and demographics to rapidly increase revenues. His most recent book available on Amazon is “How to Use Twitter for Local Business” with Tips and Mobile Marketing Strategies that anyone can do themselves. You can download the free “Kindle App for PC to download the book to your Desktop available on the Kindle Site:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Twitter-Local-Business-ebook/dp/B007VSR6Y2

Building an Audience on Twitter

Beginner to Intermediate User

Twitter drives more traffic to blogs than either Facebook or LinkedIn.  Have you ever Googled the key words in the title of your blog, and noticed that you are on page 78 of Google search results?  I wouldn't count on Google to drive traffic to your blog.  If you are going to be heard, if you are going to be noticed in the clutter of the Internet, you need an audience.  If you are going to build an audience, you will eventually run into a paradox.  That if Twitter drives blog traffic, and you must tweet the link to your blog,  how are you going to increase the size of your Twitter following? 

Increasing our audience on Twitter amounts to learning that we must unfollow.  Mastering who to unfollow, and weeding out the unproductive tweeps frees up space due to Twitter follow limits.   It is no secret that Twitter allows us to follow no more than 1,000 people per day, regardless if we are Justin Beiber, or just some new person recently signed on.   Of those thousand people, maybe 100 or 200 follow back.  What about the other 800?   We have to unfollow them.

This is where we run into another Twitter rule:  We cannot "aggressively follow, then unfollow".  Twitter does not want us to strip the followers as soon as they follow back, or worse, follow a thousand people, and then unfollow them immediately.  This will get one's account  suspended until we reply to the eMail and beg forgiveness.

I use http://Tweepi.com  (Free Version) to Unfollow.   There is no need to "set up a profile" on Tweepi, you can by-pass this step.  Use the "FLUSH" feature to unfollow tweeps who are not following back.

Always unfollow from the last page.  After logging in, and going to the "Flush" feature, on the bottom of the page is a small square on the lower left corner.

This is key to your unfollowing process.  Always work from the last page, backwards towards today.   Mastering speed and ease of use on Tweepi means getting familiar with the arrows (indicated in the above screenshot) and quickly going to the bottom of the screen and moving on to the next group of followers.  Mastering Tweepi means immediately scrolling to the bottom of the page, and hitting the "next" or "previous" button.

For the intermediate user, or someone who has been on Twitter for more than 3 months, here is another Tip:

You can use http://Tweepi.com  "Clean Up" feature to unfollow people who haven't tweeted in a few weeks.  These are rather safe, since they are A. Following You.  B. Are probably innactive  or C.  Have forgotten their password to Twitter.

Using Tweepi Cleanup to Find and Unfollow 1500 Innactive Tweeps

Using this feature, we can locate those followers who are no longer "Active".  Why is this a safe bet?  It is a logical and statistically probable conclusion that someone who hasn't tweeted in 3 months (or 5 months or 12 months) is probably no longer on Twitter.  In the very least, they will not notice that you have unfollowed them to free up space under Twitter guidelines, so you can follow more people each day.    I have also found it to be true that someone with a low ratio of followers to following is NOT as good an account manager as someone who has a high ratio. (Tweepi allows you to control this feature as well.  At the top, again in the "column" feature, you will note a column marked "Ratio" just click that button, and Voila!  you have this very important statistic).


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When leaving a comment, please use your Twitter handle in the body of the comment.  

Lonny can be found on Facebook at  http://facebook.com/londunn

And on Linked in at http://linkedin.com/in/LonDunn


Month Long Complete Social Media Campaign: http://pronetworkbuild.com/month-long-complete-social-media-campaign/

SEO Packages from ProNetworkBuild: http://pronetworkbuild.com/seo-packages-from-pronetworkbuild/


Adword vs Organic Search: http://pronetworkbuild.com/adwords-vs-organic-search/


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Lon Dunn writes on Evan Carmichael as a productivity and efficiency expert. He wrote and edited The Thesaurus News from 1995 to 2001 with a specialty in Telephony Infastructure Stocks. With over 20 years following the Mobile Industry, Lon helps Companies, Professionals and Organizations develop Mobile Marketing Strategies combined with Social Media Strategies to strategically target specific markets and demographics to rapidly increase revenues. His most recent book available on Amazon is “How to Use Twitter for Local Business” with Tips and Mobile Marketing Strategies that anyone can do themselves. You can download the free “Kindle App for PC to download the book to your Desktop available on the Kindle Site:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Twitter-Local-Business-ebook/dp/B007VSR6Y2

Get More Done Each Day

My dad, an executive for an insurance company taught me early on that writing things down crystallises our thinking, reminds us, and helps us to accomplish more in each day.  I think it was Napoleon Hill who used this technique and said, "Use this method.  You might not get ALL the tasks accomplished each day, but you will never discover another better method for getting them done either".

I received an eMail reminder of this easy method for accomplishing more each day, and I have reprinted it in it's entirety from Dan Robey.  Here it is:

Here's a question you may want to ask yourself regularly:

What am I doing with my 24 hours?

In other words, every day, what do you have to show for burning
through another 24 hours of your life?

If the answer is, 'next to nothing', or 'not nearly as much as I
would like', then I'm happy to tell you that you can change that
right now, and in a moment, in this email, I'm going to give you a
simple system for doing it.

If you're ready to put more life and more action into your day,
then get a pen and paper and write down this simple system.

It consists of 3 basic steps. Here they are:

1. Write down all the tasks you want to get done today

2. Assign a specific block of time for completing each task
   (like 30 minutes)

3. Select a task, start a timer, and focus on nothing else until
   that task is complete!

That's all there is to it.

Simple, yes! Incredibly effective, YES!

By itself, this system can put your productivity into high-gear -
IF you use it.

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As a productivity and efficiency expert for Evan Carmichael, I have some variations and tips on this above, easy method:

Make sure you can accomplish the task.  Don't write down, "Climb Mt. Everest" ... Tasks are achievable daily accomplishments, not life goals.

Write down the tasks you want to accomplish in no particular order. Don't worry about HOW you will get them done, just write them down.   As you go about your day today, and as you think of things, just write them down, don't worry about prioritising them yet.


At the start of each day, review your list for that day. 


Assign a task number, 1.,  2., 3.,  etc. to them at the start of the day.


Accomplish the HARDEST task first, the rest of your day is downhill.


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I hope these simple effective reminders make you more productive this week.  Remember, only about 5% of working adults actually write things down.  Move into the elite group, accomplish more.  Life is progress, not perfection.  Take what you learn, and pass it on.  Plant and Sow.


Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Pronetworkbuild


On LinkedIn  at http://www.linkedin.com/in/londunn


On Facebook at http://facebook.com/londunn


If you leave a comment below, please leave your Twitter Handle. 


Twitter Account Management: http://pronetworkbuild.com/twitter-account-management/

Local SEO and Micro Local Social Media: http://pronetworkbuild.com/local-seo-and-micro-local-social-media/

The Most Importain Decision Any Small Business Owner Will Make: http://pronetworkbuild.com/the-most-important-decision-any-small-business-owner-will-make/

_________________________________________

Lon Dunn writes on Evan Carmichael as a productivity and efficiency expert. He wrote and edited The Thesaurus News from 1995 to 2001 with a specialty in Telephony Infastructure Stocks. With over 20 years following the Mobile Industry, Lon helps Companies, Professionals and Organizations develop Mobile Marketing Strategies combined with Social Media Strategies to strategically target specific markets and demographics to rapidly increase revenues. His most recent book available on Amazon is “How to Use Twitter for Local Business” with Tips and Mobile Marketing Strategies that anyone can do themselves. You can download the free “Kindle App for PC to download the book to your Desktop available on the Kindle Site:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Twitter-Local-Business-ebook/dp/B007VSR6Y2

Social Media Marketing and Your ROI

Here's a great resource I found on LinkedIn this weekend.  It's a free download from Argyle, which recently raised 1.2 million in funding.  This is a complimentary  eBook about Social Media Marketing, and measuring your ROI (return on investment).

Free eBook: http://www2.argylesocial.com/l/9922/2011-11-14/60SR

Follow Lon on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/ProNetworkBuild

On Facebook:   http://facebook.com/londunn


Month Long Complete Social Media Campaign: http://pronetworkbuild.com/month-long-complete-social-media-campaign/

SEO Packages from ProNetworkBuild: http://pronetworkbuild.com/seo-packages-from-pronetworkbuild/


Adword vs Organic Search: http://pronetworkbuild.com/adwords-vs-organic-search/


____________________________________________________

Lon Dunn writes on Evan Carmichael as a productivity and efficiency expert. He wrote and edited The Thesaurus News from 1995 to 2001 with a specialty in Telephony Infastructure Stocks. With over 20 years following the Mobile Industry, Lon helps Companies, Professionals and Organizations develop Mobile Marketing Strategies combined with Social Media Strategies to strategically target specific markets and demographics to rapidly increase revenues. His most recent book available on Amazon is “How to Use Twitter for Local Business” with Tips and Mobile Marketing Strategies that anyone can do themselves. You can download the free “Kindle App for PC to download the book to your Desktop available on the Kindle Site:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Twitter-Local-Business-ebook/dp/B007VSR6Y2