Madison Who’s Who Blog

Who’s who in online used book marketing? Why, it’s those rascally “Boomers” again, plying their years of corporate and executive wisdom into a trade they love with the intent that it will provide for the independence that is the great galvanizer of all successful business network strategies.

“A major piece of research into online used book selling in America has revealed how this fledgling, but rapidly growing, industry is driven by the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation who are spending long hours in front of computers, long hours on the road and committed to extending their businesses deeper into cyberspace.

Between October 2006 and January 2007, AbeBooks.com – the world’s largest online marketplace for new, used, rare and out-of-print books – polled 1,949 booksellers from the US who sold through its network of Web sites as part of a global research project.

Online bookselling has only existed since the mid-1990s when Internet marketplaces like AbeBooks emerged and the research shows how the profession appeals to entrepreneurial ‘Silver Surfers’ eager to escape the 9-to-5 rat race. The poll also reveals that long working hours and knowledge of technology are key aspects of the job.”
(Source)

Silver surfers? That sounds like a niche market. And successfully plowing the fields of a niche market sufficient to meet your needs is what happens when entrepreneurial tenacity is wed to technology. And since we seem to be beating the entrepreneurial drum lately, a very complete list of superb blogs that cover every facet of the topic is available from Bootstrapper.com. Bookmark it for future edification.

Who’s who in office rudeness? Who so rankles your nerves that their annoying habits seriously impact your work day?

Forbes.com has gathered up the worst annoyances one endures from fellow colleagues and the number one offense is loud talking. Private calls, loudly broadcast, that include information that absolutely no one wants to hear.
A close second are annoying ring tones followed by folks who can’t keep their computer on mute.

Unfortunately, in todays politically correct, lawsuit obsessed world, correcting your annoying office mate’s habits may not be so simple.

“Randstad, the staffing organization that contracted the pet peeve survey, takes workplace etiquette so seriously it incorporates it into new-hire seminars…. Personal cellphones must be on vibrate or silent the minute employees walk in the door. If they’re not, someone will likely send a note that says, “Remember the rule? Turn your ringer off.” To maintain a “professional” atmosphere, employees are only allowed to have two personal pictures on their desks.

Private rooms are provided where employees can make personal calls. And on some floors at every sixth desk, there is a table where four or five people can do work together. “We do that so there isn’t that socializing that distracts other employees,” says Genia Spencer, Randstad’s managing director of human resources.”
(Source)

Network strategies do not allow for too many enemies and upsetting the equilibrium at your office in order to correct an associate can backfire later. In contentious situations, always take the diplomatic high ground.

Network strategies also would include strategies for handling any incidents precipitated by you, or those closely associated with you, that are damaging to you or embarrassing for your brand. Peer networking events inevitably involve alcohol and when your professional mask slips to reveal the remaining frat boy or girl, sometimes the worst damage done to your rep is that which you do yourself.

Using Paris Hilton as an example of the remedial steps needed to address personal faux pas, Nicole of WORKS makes some suggestions. What follows is synopsis.

• Take responsibility for your actions

Despite a rocky—and well-publicized—start, Paris ultimately accepted her punishment and literally did the time for her mistake. Likewise, if you majorly screw up, you have to suffer the consequences—in silence…..

• Rebrand yourself

Think of this situation as an opportunity to start over. To do so, you have to think strategically about what aspect of your image needs revamping…

• Figure out who your friends are

When you’re a success, your list of hangers-on is limitless. Make one misstep, however, and life gets mighty lonely. Be thankful for those who stick by you, and make a note to call on them when you land your next big gig. You’ll want people like them on your team…

• Believe that you will survive

Though it may seem hard to fathom right now, you will make it through this rough period. And if you work for a small company or in a small industry, surviving may mean switching companies or even careers….

(Source)

Network strategies rarely have to overcome censorship but, it is an ongoing threat for all who depend upon and value global networking. With censorious so-called hate crime laws and Fairness Doctrines promulgated by the left in America and EU countries attempting to impose similar Orwellian injunctions against their citizen’s free speech, one begins to truly appreciate the absolute necessity of defeating any attempts to impose censorship, anywhere.

Of course, Google certainly didn’t forward the cause of freedom of speech in China, but Google is a company that seems to believe in it’s own hype, thus holding themselves above the criticisms leveled at it.

One Chinese blogger featured in an interview posted on Interfax China.cn would likely beg to differ.

“Zhou Shuguang may appear to be your average Chinese youth at first glance of his Web site. Born in Hunan Province in 1981, he graduated from junior middle school and maintains he is independent from any political party or faction.

But Zhou also happens to be one of China’s most popular bloggers. Writing under the pseudonym Zola, on his Web site zuola.com, Zhou writes about everything from public events, to his defiance against Internet regulation. Thus, he has been labeled by some Chinese Internet users as a “citizen reporter.”
[…]
Sticking to his idea of creating “a real harmony that allows diversified voices, instead of a one-dimensional society,” Zhou has publicly criticized the Chinese government’s control of the Internet. After his site was blocked by the government’s Golden Shield Project, otherwise dubbed the Great Firewall of China, Zola set up two mirror sites on bullog.cn and my.donews.com and published a “public-interest advertisement” on his blog, recommending all Chinese Internet users bypass the firewall by using Tor.”
(Source)

Follow the link above for the interview.

B2B networking stategies, acquiring business referrals, promoting your brand were a totally different ball game, even a mere decade ago. That the internet has changed the face of business is beyond question - and in not that long an expanse of time. Network strategies demand forecasting future innovations in what is fast becoming the essential medium in which to conduct business.

Rob Millard of RobertMillard.com takes strategy seriously and references a study he’s currently reviewing that prognosticates what global networking might function, look and act like in the near future.

The deployment of a global network: “A majority of respondents agreed with a scenario which posited that a global, low-cost network will be thriving in 2020 and will be available to most people around the world at low cost. And they agreed that a tech-abetted “flattening” of the world will open up opportunities for success for many people who will compete globally. Still, a vocal and sizeable minority of respondents say they are unsure that the policy climate will be favorable for such internet expansion. The center of the resistance, they say, will be in the businesses anxious to preserve their current advantages and in policy circles where control over information and communication is a central value. In addition, a significant number of these dissenters argued that the world will not flatten enough to wipe away persistent social inequities.”
[…]
Luddites, technological “refuseniks,” and violence: Most respondents agreed that there will people who will remain unconnected to the network because of their economic circumstances and others who think a class of technology refuseniks will emerge by 2020. They will form their own cultural group that lives apart from “modern” society and some will commit acts of violence in protest to technology. But many respondents argue that violence arising from conflicts over religion, economics, and politics, will be more prevalent.
(Source)

Millard highly recommends the site Imagining the Internet if you wish to anticipate what your online future might be.

Who’s who in blogging expertise? Since we posted earlier on what to do to attract a strong readership for your business blog, we thought a follow-up with some reading material will help round out the picture.

The prevalence of blogs online and those entrepreneurs who have succeeded in carving out a niche business from their readership is not easily dismissed. Online network strategies launched from your blog can go far to extending your brand exposure to new markets and put you in touch with experts and affiliates in your field.

The selections offered by North x East will serve you well in determining how to improve your business blog, o,r if you want to investigate a bit more about what is entailed in starting one.

Here are the first few titles, following the link will take you to the entire review.

No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog

As we like to stress here on NorthxEast, writing quality, unique content for your blog is what sets it apart and ultimately leads to success. Margaret Mason demonstrates she knows a thing or two about writing just by having such a damn catchy title! And though it’s a quick read, this book should get you thinking.

WordPress 2 (Visual Quickstart Guide)

If you’re new to WordPress and looking for some hand-holding, this could be the book for you, it’s easy to read, takes you through step-by-step on installing, customizing and getting the most of WordPress. Of course you could just save yourself a few dollars and get yourself a WordPress account and start tinkering!

Killer Web Content

Content is after all what a blog is all about, so a book on killer web content just can’t go wrong. If you’re interested you can also read the first chapter freely online to get a taste.
(source)

Effective global networking requires a strong dose of realism and a measured approach. Many entrepreneurs have unrealistic expectations of what is necessary to launch internationally, many having failed to thoroughly research aspects of their venture.

Smart Answers columnist Karen E. Klein , in an interview with Asian expert Kaye Crippen, asks what are the common mistakes entrepreneurs make.

“They don’t realize how profound the communication and cultural differences are, and they don’t have good estimates of the time and resources it takes to expand internationally in an effective way. They have unrealistic expectations about how they’re going to go into a country and find the perfect partner who will smooth out all the difficulties for them. Sometimes connections get made easily, but oftentimes they don’t; you have to be prepared for that.”

Network strategies that have proven more realistic involve researching the big companies already doing business overseas and piggy back as a contractor or supplier for an ongoing project.

“This would be a real win-win if your small firm has veteran or minority status, or you’re an immigrant entrepreneur, because large corporations are looking for those partnerships, and it will be much easier for you to gain entry to an international market that way. Let the larger company do the tough and expensive work of making the contacts, doing the business administration, and making the mistakes, and you can focus on delivering what you’re hired to do. Later on, once you’ve gotten familiar with working in this foreign market and made some contacts on your own, you can do projects there independently if you want to.”
(Source)

Network strategies that resemble a “land grab” presents an interesting notion. The territories up for grabs, however, are not terrestrial but cyberspace.

“For Japanese Internet users of all ages, Mixi has become a favorite place to network online. In France, Dailymotion draws a big audience for its user-generated videos. And in South Korea, Cyworld has long been a popular destination for teenagers who want to hang out.

As the so-called Web 2.0 phenomenon represented by social media sites like these ripples around the world, new national champions have emerged. Social networking, video- and photo-sharing and blogging destinations are becoming the new hot properties”

.
MyFace, FaceBook, and the like are viewed by some as largely American innovations. Yahoo’s and Google’s recent acquisitions in social marketing and networking weren’t done with a view of remaining national. They have international plans on the book but it may be that even the most effective global networking strategies will fail to cross local cyber borders.

“These companies, however, may well find that the advantages of scale and global reach take them only so far in what is inherently a local business.
[..]
Travis Katz, senior vice president in charge of MySpace’s international operations, adds that his company’s year-old international push has brought it up against many entrenched national-level competitors. “In most of the countries we’re in, there are already local rivals,” he says.

In some ways, the race to stake out Web 2.0 territory has provoked an even greater sense of urgency than the one that came with the dot-com boom. Sites that rely on social networking and communication features are very “sticky”: Once users join a network that includes their friends, family or business contacts, they have strong incentives to stay.”
(Source)

Network strategies that employ blogs in building connections and community can provide an unanticipated boon for your personal brand. Who’s who in your online network? Are you? Do you want to be?

Darren Rowe at ProBlogger has several suggestions on how to promote your personal brand through your blog.

• build trust - increasingly marketers are finding that people want to know and be in some sort of trusting relationship with those that they buy products or services from. This is particularly true for a personal service like consulting…..
• be personal - building on the last point - one way to make a deeper connection with potential clients is to show something of who you are. This doesn’t mean blogging about your personal life, but show you’re human injecting humor, a photo or two of yourself and showing your personality.
• use story - I find readers respond very well to story on blogs. Stories of my own experience, stories of other clients (shared with permission as case studies) etc. Using relevant stories can help build credibility in your niche.

(Source)

To read the piece in it’s entirety, follow the link above - and bookmark it if you are developing a blog. You’ll find it a good resource.

Effective global networking has opened wide the world of commerce for millions. But peer to peer networking groups look a little bit different when business is not at stake. Not all network strategies have to do with commerce. Some have to do with freedom and survival.

” We may be tired of hearing about the “revolutionary” blogosphere…The ubiquity of blogs has in some ways blanched the medium of much of its importance.

But in Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak personally picks the editors of major newspapers and quickly replaces them for disloyalty, the importance of blogs is hard to miss…Ha’aretz reported this month that “blogs have become one of the most effective means of expression for the Egyptian opposition recently.”

In February a 22 year old Egyptian blogger was imprisoned for 4 years for insulting the clerics and Mubarak. New laws were ratified that increased the list of offenses for which you can be jailed. But what has been noted is that they have not been able to silence the bloggers as thoroughly as they have the legacy news media, and that is when networking becomes all about hope.

“To Americans, perhaps, blogs may not seem exceedingly groundbreaking because our country has taken pains since its inception to protect “the lonely pamphleteer” - that thinker on the local corner disseminating his idea…
Not so in Egypt and most other Middle Eastern countries, where the lonely pamphleteer has historically been quite lonely indeed, often alone in a cold cell. Fifteen years ago, it would have been highly unlikely for the young man I saw in the Internet cafe to share with more than a few people his take on Egyptian politics…”
(source)