Organizing Social Media Strategy

Social media has made a tremendous impact on your business and now you need to come up with ways that you can improve your strategy to make social media even more effective for you. A checklist can help tremendously.

A wonderful way to get organized and to stay organized when it comes to your social media interactions for business is to develop a checklist. Checklists are a wonderful tool when it comes to many things. It is a really sensible idea never to commit anything to memory. Of course, there will be details that you do remember on a consistent basis; however, if you have everything written down, you will have a guarantee of never allowing anything to fall through the cracks.

An effective checklist for your social media marketing efforts should look something like this:

Organizing your social media strategy: Evaluate the structure of your business organization and determine if it is set up in a manner that is conducive to achieving great success in your business. You should ask yourself:

• Who (or what) supports your efforts?
• How will your staff benefit from your use of social media and is it being shared in a way that will be of great use to everyone with whom you work?
• Is the structure of your social media team solid and does it do what it is supposed to do?
• What proportion of your staff is already working with social media in your business?
• Among your staff, which people are helping your social media marketing efforts and which people are hindering them?

Listen carefully: Listening is one of the most important skills to have in business. You can't do anything unless you have learned how to listen.

• A part of listening is thinking long and hard about your company branding, products and services, and people who you want associated with your business. Whatever you choose to put in place will be a result of listening to what other people need from you in the way of offerings.
• Send out surveys to your prospective customers and existing customers. When you have received the responses to the surveys, really listen to what they are saying and adjust your approach accordingly.
• Listen to what your competition is saying. Watch what they are doing and how they are approaching other people in an effort to sell their products and services.

Social Media Myths Debunked

Like many new things, Social Media initially met with a lot of resistance because of misconceptions about what social marketing is and how it can be used by accounting firms. If you are serious about getting into the Social Network circle (or circus) as part of your company's marketing plan, it might be well worth your time to clarify some of these misconceptions before you begin.

SOCIAL MEDIA IS A FAD: Sociologists have recognized the paradigm shift in the way we communicate during these times where technology has taken center stage.

Rarely do we send snail mail. We are more preferential to e-mails for many reasons. They reach our audience faster, cost less and save on paper which in turn saves trees. If we can't reach our Accountant on their office phone, what do we do? We call them on their cell phones. We used to get our news by way of the morning paper with a cup of coffee; now, friends and strangers from the opposite side of the globe tweet about the death of Michael Jackson even before CNN can say - "This just in".

Imagine going back to the days when all these did not exist. When internet is "down", almost all businesses come to a screeching halt. Our lives and businesses have become so entwined with technology and with the communication shift that Social networking brought about we are left helpless without it.

Using An Online Stock Trade

To begin an online stock trade, a market order must be placed to buy or sell a stock at the current market price. It must be current, which is the best Bid or Ask price that the seller or buyer will fill your online stock trading order at. In addition, your market order must be placed immediately, which can mean anytime for the next 7 minutes or so. Online trading works best if it is done before or just at market open. It is possible to buy stocks after the market open but this depends on the issue and the spread. For informational purposes, the spread is the difference between the Bid and Ask price. All online stock trading is different and it depends primarily on the execution system you use. The broker you select also plays an important role when trading stock online. Your ultimate goal is to trade in the best possible manner and to make a profit by your actions.

Online trading also involves limit orders which are decidedly different than market orders. This is when you place a stock trade at a specified price. It means that you go ahead and place your order and it will be executed if the market reaches or betters the price. It is a way to avoid unexpected price changes. It is recommended to be used for stocks with larger spreads (0.03 or so) and also with extra volatile stocks.

Trading stocks online is a very convenient way to do business. There are many companies that have websites dedicated exclusively to providing efficient and easy to use online trading tools. Using these websites gives you an excellent opportunity to quickly learn about stock trading and also how to spot potential opportunities in the market. Most work with multiple market centers to give you the best trading options. Execution of trades of stocks, options and mutual funds can take as little as five seconds and most are provided commission free. You will see profitability if you use online stock trade wisely and select an online trading company that provides you with the tools and support that you need to be successful.

Stock Trading Software

Success in penny stock trading depends on selecting the right stock at the right time. If your stock selection is not proper then you may end up in a mess. You can use stock trading software for stock selection. Actually, this software will have a database which stores the values of different stocks in different times. The risk involved in penny stock trading is slightly high. So, if you use the help of a software tool then you can reduce the risk to an extent. The basic job of the software program is to monitor the market and if there are any fluctuations in price of any stock then bring it to the notice of the user.

The basic rule in penny stock trading is that, get the hottest stocks and remove the poor performers. The stock variation will happen in a short period of time. So, you will have to keep an eye on the market always. In order to do this, you will have to spend more time. But if you use Penny Stock Trading software then things can be made much easier and simpler.

This software will let you know which stock to pick up and at what time and which stock to sell. It will provide you with all information regarding the price of the stock at different instants of time. Otherwise, either you will have to do a lot of research or must depend on the penny stock advertisers. You can avoid these things if you use an automated tool for your trading. This tool can be really helpful to a newbie. Another fact is that all such software programs are not good. So, if you plan to purchase one then make sure that it is an effective one. You can ask the opinions from other experienced people.

Social Networking Will It Help Your Business

Social Networking is a big buzz phrase nowadays. It is nothing more than finding new ways to distribute and share what you think about companies, their products, people and anything else using the Internet as the medium. Social Networking is an amazing and fun way to build your business by establishing relationships and communicating with people around the world.

Networking

The usefulness of social networking sites is (and should be) measured in how useful they are in solving some of real life's "connecting" problems. Networking is a skill, and some people do not understand that. Networking is one of the best strategies for finding a new or better job. It is what you do when you're doing office politics well. The international market for social networking appears to be at least twice as large and growing faster than that of the US, and as Facebook rolls out foreign versions, the ad revenue generated could make the investment seem like a steal within the next few years, regardless of the equity value of Microsoft's 1. If social networking sites are a way to bring the masses together, advertisers are begging for a way to prune those masses into smaller, easier targets. Networking is about adding value to peoples' lives.

Facebook

Facebook is increasingly being used by school administrations and law enforcement agencies as a source of evidence against student users. It can also be seen as a form of procrastination for younger people, and is now officially a valid excuse for not doing your homework. Facebook does a good job of re-inventing myspace with good dress sense, but looks set to suffer from another problem; that of Application Abuse. They reached its high-water mark with the Microsoft investment and is now in decline.

Blog

Blogs, chats, social networking sites are replacing parties and get-togethers to create a forum where the number of people participating grows exponentially. You want people to know about your blogs, right. Blogging is a powerful tool that can become useless if it isn't kept relatively fresh. Make yourself a regular at various blogs and forums. Blogging is quirky and individual and done well is highly creative.

Business

Social networking began to flourish as a component of business internet strategy at around March 2005 when Yahoo launched Yahoo. Business Week said "this is the biggest change to business. Sure, business networking is valuable, and it's great to have a lot of resources who might know someone who can help you with. Social networks connect people at low cost; this can be beneficial for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand their contact base. Social networks operate under an autonomous business model, in which a social network's members serve dual roles as both the suppliers and the consumers of content. Business executives also have turned to online forums, email lists and message boards to sound off on information related to their industries. Since businesses operate globally, social networks can make it easier to keep in touch with contacts around the world.

Myspace

MySpace is both a Blog platform AND a social Network. MySpace and Facebook also allow companies to target advertising based on their members' interests and habits, but their efforts have drawn criticism from users concerned about those companies' use of private information. It is starting to generate ad revenue for its parent company News Corp.

MySpace...Friendster...Facebook...Classmates...Youtube...LinkedIn...MyFamily...no matter where you look, Social Networking is becoming a headliner for Web 2. MySpace dominates according to a recent study issued by market research firm Telephia, MySpace is the most popular mobile social networking site among U. It has specialists that will work with you, or your online agency, to create custom campaigns within targeted sections of the environment. The members customize their own page, integrate interactive elements (images, video, music, polls, blogs, forums, etc.

Green and Clean Computing

Little thought may be given to the energy consumption of computers, but as more and more computers are purchased each year, it is not just the number of computers that forces increased energy consumption but the way in which computers are being used that adds to the building energy burden. Research has shown that most computer desktops are not being used a great deal of the time they are running and are left on for long periods of time. As with other forms of energy consumption, electricity is wasted when it is not being used and this burns fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide into the air and cause smog, acid rain and other detrimental environmental side effects.

The typical desktop computer consists of a system unit which houses the central processing unit (CPU), a monitor and a printer. The CPU may require 100 watts of electrical power; the monitor, which may be 15 to 17 inches, may require another 50-100 watts; a laser printer can use as much as 100 watts or more while ink printers use as little as 12 watts while printing. The cost for operating a 200 watt system all day and night, everyday, would be $125 annually, while the cost of operation for normal business hours of 40 hours per week would range around $30 annually. Considering the tremendous benefits derived from using computers, this figure may not appear extensive, but when multiplied by the many computers used on a daily basis in this country, the total grows phenomenally.

There are many ways to reduce personal computer energy consumption. 

Computers, printers and monitors can be turned off when not in use. Many years ago, it was considered harmful to the computer if it were turned on and off periodically during the course of a day. However, the internal circuitry of personal computers is designed to be protected from power damages that might result from on and off switching. Doing so will not substantially affect the computer's useful life.

Internet and Business One Bite At a Time

A family friend once asked me, "How do you eat an elephant?" When I didn't know how to respond he said, "One bite at a time."

This seems like either an obvious statement or an attempt a humor. For Internet marketing it is perfect advice.

There are multiplied millions of web pages available online and multiplied millions of web sites to consider.

How can a new website manage the marketing of a site that will exist in the midst of what may seem an infinite number of other more established websites?

One Bite At A Time

You won't be able to accomplish all your marketing goals overnight, but if you systematically forge a path through a jungle of marketing roadblocks you may begin to observe others who are able to find the path you have forged and venture back to your online store.

Just like a jungle the undergrowth can become pretty thick so it takes ongoing effort to keep the path to your site open and unobstructed. This can mean tracking down broken backlinks as well as developing new marketing strategies.

As more traffic comes to your website the easier it becomes for others to find it. A path is worn to your site and motivated consumers share details on how to get to your site with others.

The process may seem painstakingly slow and you may wonder if there will ever be any positive outcome to all the time and labor you have invested in marketing your site, but there will come a time when you suddenly realize you do not have to work as hard at marketing to see new customers.

Best Online Stock Trading Platform

The meeting of technology and the lucrative stock market industry has allowed investors to buy and sell stocks online. This means that the stock broker who acted as the middleman in the stock market trading process is more or less absent thus leaving the investor to navigate alone. More and more people are increasingly looking for the best online stock trading options due to various reasons the most immediate being that this is a great stream of income flow. The growing popularity of stay-at-home jobs has made online stock trading a feasible option for making money from the comfort of the home. Additionally, the costs that were incurred in hiring the services of a stock broker are also substantially eliminated..

These benefits can be enjoyed fully when investors choose the right online stock trading platform. As much as there are so many companies that broker trading options there are also many trading companies that offer accounts that enable one to trade in stocks. Although these companies have the same objective in mind they differ from each other substantially.

The first consideration to make when choosing the best online stock trading company is the reputation of this company. There are several ways that you can ensure that a company is most capable of handling your money. Use online portals that rank the popularity and legitimacy of the company. It is also good to inquire from fellow investors about the companies that they are using to trade their stocks online.

The best online stock trading company is the one that offers relatively low commission costs for an account. Remember that the whole idea of embarking in online trading is that it is cheaper; it eliminates the stock broker commission costs. Trading companies have their way of making money from the online business, and one of those is through the interest rates that are generated by your account balance. However, it is important to note that the online trading firms that have bigger well established brand names may have higher commission costs than their counterparts.

Share Trading Tools Techniques

Technical analysts make use of charts to display the history of price action for a particular stock, in order to best evaluate the probable direction of future movements. The technical analyst has many tools at their disposal which are either directly, or indirectly, derived from the stock price. The technical analyst uses these indicators to aid their decision about when to enter, or exit a trade, based upon which type of opportunity they are trying to exploit. For the technical analyst, there are three main types of trading opportunity:

1. Trend trading;
2. Break-out trading; and
3. Reversal trading.

Trend trading is the most common and most intuitive approach to market trading. The idea of trend trading is to enter a trade during a well established uptrend, riding on the back of rising prices, and close out before the trend comes to an end. Trend trading is not about trying to capture all of the uptrend, but rather a sizeable portion. The philosophy of trend trading is best remembered using the following analogy:
When eating dinner, it's better to have many small portions and be satisfied, than to try and fit all of it in one mouthful and choke.

Trend trading works better in markets which are actually trending. Although obvious, traders can often try to apply trading techniques which are not suited to the current trading environment and market sentiment. Entering positions based on trend trading signals in a non-trending or slightly bearish market will be destined for failure. As a rule of thumb, if a stock is trading below its 150-day moving average, then the stock is more than likely in a long-term downtrend state. If it is below its 21-day moving average, then the stock is more than likely in a short-term downtrend state. As a trend trader, it is preferable that price action is above both the 21-day and 150-day moving averages.

A concept often overlooked by traders is market support. In order to confirm that a stock is trending strongly, and with the backing of the market, entry signals must occur on relatively heavy volume. In fact, in general, all upward price movements within the trend should be accompanied by heavy volume. This can be quantified using the 50-day volume moving average, as well as the 5-day moving average. It is preferable to have the volume of stock traded for a particular company above its 50-day moving average, as well as the 5-day moving average above the 50-day moving average.

Types of indicators commonly utilised in trading trends are:

• ADX;
• On Balance Volume (OBV);
• Multiple Moving Averages (MMAs);
• Relative Strength index (RSI); and
• Price Oscillator.

A break-out trade develops after a stock has experienced a pause in trending activity (i.e. periods of consolidation, accumulation, or other similar non-trending price activity). When the price breaks away from this period of non-trending activity, the opportunity arises for a break-out trade. As a general rule, the longer the inaction time (the time where a stock price flat-lines), the larger the reaction (the greater the change in price when the period of inactivity expires). Break-out trades are a favourite amongst those who are able to recognise the opportunity, as they present high-probability trades at a low risk.

Types of indicators commonly utilised in trading break-outs are:

• Bollinger bands;
• OBV;
• Moving Average Convergence -Divergence (MACD); and
• Stochastic Oscillator.

Reversal trades may appear similar to break-out trades, however, this are fundamental differences. In a break-out trade, price activity stalls temporarily, before exploding in a particular direction. Reversal trades, as the name suggests, involve a complete reversal from one trend direction to the opposite. That is, price action reverses the trend direction without a period of consolidation, accumulation, or any obvious period of non trending activity. Reversals occur most commonly after there has been a sharp downward rally in price action - in a blind panic the market brutally drives prices downwards only to realise that in the process the stock has become drastically undervalued. This presents the opportunity to purchase a stock at a greatly discounted price and the market behaves accordingly.

This trading opportunity presents the most amount of risk, but can also produce the largest amount of gain for the alert trader. Traders looking for these opportunities must be wary of the "dead cat bounce", where stocks can rebound after a significant low point giving the indication of a reversal trade, only to suddenly run out of momentum and continue the downwards plummet. Market support needs to be monitored carefully for this type of trade.

Types of indicators commonly utilised in trading break-outs are:

• Trend lines;
• OBV;
• Count-back entry;
• MACD;
• Bollinger bands;
• RSI; and
• Stochastic Oscillator.

Given that trend trading is the most basic form of strategy available to the technical analyst, it is often recommended that this form be undertaken for new traders to the market. Once confidence has been built and the trader has become successful using this type of trade, surveying for break-out trades can follow. Reversal trading presents the most difficulty, and should be undertaken last.

Social Media When At Twitter

There is no denying the prominence of Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter over the past couple of years. Although these social media platforms did not exist a decade ago, they are now firmly integrated into modern society. In fact, it is incredible how much our lives are influenced by social media. We not only communicate online, but we also "tweet" and "digg" and "bookmark" and "favourite" and share all kinds of content. Any event of interest, regardless how insignificant it may be, is almost guaranteed to be reported via multiple online avenues. Whether it is a tweet or a blog post or a viral video, the buzz spreads rapidly across the Internet. After all, we are the Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter generation - we live and breathe through social media.

In particular, the rise of social media brought upon an interesting phenomenon within the traditional media format. Recently, the world watched its first ever situational comedy inspired by a Twitter account. Crassly titled $#*! My Dad Says, the show features William Shatner as a cantankerous old man with a wide array of snappy one-liners, while his son records these remarks on the Internet. The actual Twitter account has almost two million followers; the sitcom premiere debuted to an audience of over twelve million viewers. Let those impressive numbers sink in first, and then you better realize that it was an anonymous old man - who would never have been famous without the Internet - drew this much attention and popularity.

At first, the concept of a Twitter account sounds laughably absurd - how could an actual television show sustain based on the random tweets of less than 140 characters? As it turns out, $#*! My Dad Says is no different from the standard laugh track comedies on CBS, complete with Shatner's distinguished way of delivering a ha-ha punch line (or any line at all, really). Yet, it is the idea behind the sitcom that displays the most originality. Think about what the show has accomplished by its mere existence: a social media icon is being celebrated in network television! Can you imagine getting a TV show based on your disjointed thoughts online? Can you imagine being famous because of your Twitter account?

The Mystery of Social Media

"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life." -- Rachel Carson. Social media has made sure that people will never be alone. There is always a way to connect to others.

Many business people regard social media as unexplored and mysterious territory. There is a vast volume of content that is being offered up online on a very regular basis. It may seem difficult at times to sort through the massive amount of content in order to find the gems that are really valuable.

The actuality is that social media marketing is a lot more straightforward than you might think. Basically, social media takes ideas that have already been presented to the world and presents them in a new way. The ideas are not new. Only the method or approach is new. In essence, social media is based on some very simple activities or techniques. They are:

• Listening: When you listen (really listen), you are embracing information that will keep you on top of what is happening in your industry or niche. You pay attention to what your competitors are doing, which trends are important to follow, which new products and services might help you in your business, what is going on with pricing, and of utmost importance, what people are saying about you and your business.

The concept of listening is certainly not new. Business people have been listening since the beginning of time. They have used a large number of tools to help them listen more effectively and efficiently, such as conversations with vendors, reading trade publications, analysts' reports, trade association newsletters, seminars and other sources.