The Current Trends in Mobile

The Business Insider’s team kicked off the conference with the discussion on the current trends in mobile…the growth of smartphones and tablets, the platform wars, and how consumers are using mobile devices. 

Last year the number of smartphones sold exceeded the number of PCs sold and the potential for growth in mobile is still enormous and in fact, we’re still early (835million SmartPhone users vs. 5.6billion DumbPhone users).

 View the Full Slide Deck.

The Future of Mobile Apps

Simon Khalaf, President and CEO of Flurry showcased the current trends in mobile apps and talked about how mobile app businesses are disrupting industries, mobile app usage, and how app developers are monetizing mobile apps.

Mobile Apps are eating software and the world? View the Full Slide Deck.

The Golden Nuggets

Throughout the day, we heard from many companies and VCs in the mobile space. Here are some pearls of wisdom that I heard from some of the presenters.

• “We’re not in another bubble…In 1999, there were 38 million broadband Internet users worldwide. Today, there are 1.2 billion people getting broadband Internet access on their phones” ~ Simon Khalaf, President and CEO of Flurry
• “Smartphones are enabling new markets. Postmates, which enables geo-located services like the ability to press a button and get a bike messenger or a truck, and Gigwalk, which is disrupting the temporary jobs market. You can get a job in a few minutes.” ~ Jeff Clavier, founder and managing partner at SoftTech VC
• “The leading edge stuff is usability … it’s not leading edge … it’s just sh*t we aren’t very good at.” ~ Dave McClure, founding partner at 500 Startups
• “It’s about going through false starts... Brbn was a false start. The best companies in the world have all had predecessors. YouTube was a dating site. You always have to evolve into something else” ~ Kevin Systrom, CEO of Instagram   

  (Instagram originally started out as a check-in app called Brbn)

• “Hiring is a long-term process. Hiring starts a year before you build your company. It’s the network you build. The first five people we hired at Instagram were good friends. Trust is by far the most important thing. You’ll never find your co-founder on Craigslist” Kevin Systrom, CEO of Instagram 
• “Great CEOs are made, not born. One reason Facebook has been so successful, is that Mark Zuckerberg has learned how to be a great CEO, which he wasn’t at the beginning”. Andreessen Horowitz, founder and partner Ben Horowitz
• “Zynga is a game company. We stopped looking at ourselves as a game company.It’s not just the launch of a game, it’s the launch of a franchise. It’s bigger than most movie launches in Hollywood. Rovio is one of the first brands to launch from the digital to the physical world” ~ Peter Vesterbacka, CMO  Rovio  
• “In technology, you are in the innovation business. In order to hit the next product cycle, you’re going to have to reinvent the company. If you look at long lasting technology companies – IBM, HP, Intel, Facebook, and Amazon – all of them are run by founders who play a prominent role in them. The innovation comes from the founder”. ~ Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Ben Horowitz
• “Zynga has been good at buying companies early. We bring in teams that are a good DNA fit for our business. Also, games that bring good games into our ecosystem” ~ Travis Boatman, Mobile Chief of Zynga

Follow the #ignitionwest hashtag to see what other people tweeted at the event.

canadian pharmacy Mevacor

online pharmacy Paroxetine

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Facebook announced, last week, that starting March 30, they are forcing all Facebook Business Page owners to convert to the new timeline format, which will completely eliminate the custom landing page option. In fact, a call to action on a Facebook business page will now be against Facebook’s terms and conditions! (see more details below)  (Note: you can still use your custom tabs in your Facebook Page).

New Facebook Page Layout:

(click to enlarge)

Cover Image

The cover image is the new representation of your brand on the Facebook page. The image dimensions are 850px x 315px. Unlike in the previous versions of Facebook page designs, this time around, Facebook has very strict guidelines against adding any marketing tactics and language on the cover image. Facebook’s policies state that cover photos cannot include:

• Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it at our website.”
• Contact information such as a website address, email, mailing address, or information that should go in your Page’s “About” section.
• References to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features.
• Calls-to-action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends.”
• Covers must not be false, deceptive or misleading, and must not infringe on third parties’ intellectual property. 

Since this is the only visual representation of your brand on the business page, the design of this image is pretty important.  To get your creativity juices flowing, check out these Facebook Timeline designs examples from SocialFresh & InspirationFeed.  You can also check out the Webgrrls Facebook page
 

Profile Picture

This is the image that gets shown next to each of your updates. You can use a logo or any image that is representative of your brand.  We, at Webgrrls decided to highlight our business members in that area.

Choose an image that fits 180 x 180 pixels and also looks good when scaled down to a thumbnail size of 32 x 32 pixels. 

Larger Page Tab Icons

The Page Tabs are now located toward the top of the page instead of the sidebar.  This, along with the increase of the tab icon size (111px x 74 px), allows you to highlight & showcase your tabs where users can’t miss them. Use this space to showcase your calls to actions and create a clear graphic that shows what’s behind the tab. For the Webgrrls page, we have created 3 graphics with text describing the tabs and these tabs now serve as our ‘navigation’.

Follow these steps to assign an image icon to a tab,

You can also set the order of your tabs by dragging them into the location that you want. (Note: the Photos tab location can’t be changed).

Larger, wider page tabs.  

Previously, page tabs were 520px wide, but with the new layout you have 810px of content area to use.  You should now go back to all of the previously created page tabs and ensure that they work with the wider width.

Stories – Star, Hide, or Pin 

Stories also got revamped. By hovering over individual stories, you can make them wider, hide them from your timeline (pencil icon), highlight them as important (star icon), or delete them. A great new feature is the ability to pin/anchor a specific story to the top of your timeline for up to 7 days. This means you can highlight specific posts with remarkable content, calls-to-action for your marketing offers, or events you want to feature. Pinning it to the top of your page will prevent the content from getting buried by more recent updates.

Messages 

This is a brand new feature which allows you to send and receive private message to your page visitors allowing you to can handle your customer service issues directly on Facebook.  

By default, the messages will be turned on.  To turn off messaging capability, go to Admin Panel, and choose ’Manage’ -> ‘Edit Page’ -> ‘Manage Permissions’ and uncheck the ‘Messages’ box.

Milestones

This is another new feature that allows page owners to tell a story….your business’ biggest accomplishments, awards, product releases, etc.  You can create a milestone through your status update box.  In addition to title, location, date, and story, you can upload a 843 x 403 pixels image 

Admin Panel

This is a new interface that offers page admins an overview of what’s going on with a page. Charts, new notifications and “likes”, check-ins, and more. Everything involved with managing your page and creating ads can be done straight from the panel.

 ________________________________________________________________

Please take advantage of the 25 days that you have to carefully plan and design your new Facebook Page so that when March 30th comes around, you are all ready to go.

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I work in a creative business – the business of creativity to be exact, and I see how difficult it is for some business people and academics to understand HOW a creative approach can help a business grow. But in today’s business environment, I can’t imagine a thriving business that is not looking at their business in a creative way.

The subject of creativity in business has been on the forefront lately, discussed in business blogs and articles in serous publications. There is no question that the term “CREATIVE“ is getting some major traction, according to LinkedIn (based on 135 million professional profiles in several languages), in 2011 “CREATIVE” was the most overused buzz word on user profiles in the US, Canada, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, UK.  But what the heck does it REALLY mean in business ?  

What does creativity mean in business?

Does this mean that executives should immerse themselves in afternoons of finger painting in order to find their inner creative mojo? (I am sure this wouldn’t hurt in the least). For the most part business people have been indoctrinated to draw inside the lines, and to ask them to reverse this way of doing things is quite radical, so how can you change this?.

In one of my favorite business books, Daniel H. Pink’s A Whole New Mind , Pink suggests, that the era of “left brain” dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, are giving way to a new world in which “right brain” qualities-inventiveness, empathy, and meaning-predominate. But how do we make this change that Pink describes? How do we transition from the predominance of the left brain into the right brain?

Click here to view the embedded video.

There is no doubt, that we are experiencing a major departure from a time when there was a distinct separation between business and creativity, when there was little room for creativity in “serious” businesses, and creativity was something relegated to “free thinkers”. This change is evident as even more conservative companies like Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Sears, are hiring creativity consultants in the hopes of helping to develop a culture where original ideas and innovation are stimulated. Thankfully, we are also seeing a great change in business schools, as they are starting to recognize the importance of creativity, and the role that it plays in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.

There is no doubt that creativity is one of the most important ingredients for a successful startup.  And it is also one of the most important success criteria for anybody involved in business leadership. Evidence of this can be seen in IBM’s survey of more than 1,500 Chief Executive Officers from 60 countries and 33 industries worldwide, who overwhelming stated their belief that creativity is the number one most important quality to successfully navigating an increasing complex world.  But how does a business go about making this part of it’s culture?

Earlier attempts at creativity in business – “Thinking outside the box”, OR the MOST overused expression ….. ever

In an effort to foster creativity and innovation, in the late 90′s we overused the term “Thinking outside the box” (I cringe when I hear this expression), this concept was meant to help develop creative thinking, among business people, and a creative way to look beyond what is tangible and present, and think beyond boundaries and envision POSSIBILITIES. There was a great deal of conversation about this concept, but few business people actually grasped the meaning of this, much less the implementation of what is learned when really “Thinking outside the box”. 

I really believe that most people like knowing what is outside of the box, but few actually embrace it, and that could be because it means change, and most people are uncomfortable with that. 

Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats.
~Howard Aiken

Creativity in business is not only about product innovation, but can help businesses create ways that help us work smarter and improve the quality of life, think about Apple, Google and Facebook. Let us not forget that true creativity spawned these companies, and they are helping to redefine our world.

I believe we are all creative, the expression varies, to me it is not second nature IT IS my nature. As a result, I probably developed more right-brain thinking skills and so, creativity and creative thinking are the way I think about everything from taking brushing my teeth to problem solving. But how can people who are not accustomed to thinking in a creative way, learn to do so?

Adding structure to creativity is how you codify your ideas

It’s true that creativity can lead to innovation, but sometimes……. it just leads to doing something with no particular quantifiable results other than providing a great deal of personal satisfaction, in business, where ROI measures success, this can be unsettling. But the truth is you can’t force creativity or innovation in business, it has to be a part of the culture, and it has to be “native” to the people in the company – you can’t just make a shift to a creative culture happen over night. 

One of the first systems I learned about that helps to give structure to the creative process is Julia Cameron’s “Artists Way”. It has tools for creative people, one of the most important is a daily ritual called “Morning Pages’. And even though this process was created for artists, I wholeheartedly encourage anyone to try it.

There is little mystery, like anything else, creativity takes practice, to become a music virtuous it takes practice, to become a great painter you must paint tirelessly…. so allow yourself the room to practice being creative – even if it means finger painting in your office when no one is looking! 

Related posts:

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2. What are you doing to promote creativity at your company?
3. Free! Why $0.00 is the Future of Business

In that weird time between Christmas and the start of the next year, I love reviewing the year. My 2011 has been quite remarkable, I accomplished many goals and ticked off a few things on my bucket list, including graduating from Thunderbird in Europe, attending Sundance, visiting India and Germany – and overall, just had a wonderful time of travel, friends, and family throughout. 

Now it’s time to read the Top and Best of lists for the year, and as 2011 winds to an end, and we start to get a peek at 2012, it’s time to review what 2011 brought us…. and some of the lists it has spawned.

Here is a list of some of the Best Of lists of 2011 that I have found… I would LOVE to hear some of yours!

1. 50 Economic Numbers From 2011 That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe
2. 19 Biggest Social Media Moments of 2011
3. 2011 Top Ten Global Topics
4. Top Selling DVD’s
5. 2011 Best Companies to work for
6. The Best Movies of 2011
7. The Best Artists of 2011
8. Top 10 Songs of 2011
9. The Best Games Of 2011- Awards
10. The Best of Ted Digital
11. The Best Cocktails of 2011 and where to drink them
12. Top Cars of 2011
13. The Top 10 Marketing Infographics
14. Best Photos Of The Year 2011
15. The Best of 2011 by Discovery
16. 10 Best Commercials of 2011
17. 2011 Year in Review: Best in art
18. 50 Best iPhone Apps 2011
19. 2011 Top Ten TV Shows
20. The 50 Best Websites of 2011
21. Best Books Of 2011
22. 2011 Best Dressed Celebrity Women
23. Forbes Most Powerful People
24. Best Of 2011 Pop Culture’s Tastiest bits
25. Best of 2011 – The Superficial
26. Forbes Most Powerful Women
27. The World’s Best Hotels 2011
28. Best Young Tech Entrepreneurs
29. The Best Mixtapes of 2011
30. The Best of 2011: Job Search and Recruiting
31. The Best of 2011 – AOL
32. Best of 2011 Brands and Films
33. Most Admired list of 2011
34. Top 10 Wines of 2011
35. 2011 Best Places to live
36. The Most Viral Fortune 500 Brands

So the Myan calendar ends in 2012. So what? My calendar ends in December. I just buy a new one. ~ Mr. Youngblood Geography teacher

And in 2012, pending that the world won’t end, here are some interesting lists of things to look forward to.

1. Color of the year 2012 – Tangerine Tango
2. The Top 10 Franchises for 2012
3. Where to Invest 2012
4. 2012: Beginning of the End or Why the World Won’t End?
5. The List: 2012

Now as I am thinking ahead to 2012, making my resolutions, planning, strategizing and imagining what the year ahead may bring… I wish you all an amazing 2012.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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As consumers spend more and more time online, it’s critical for marketers to reach our consumers at the right time, with the right message, communicated in the right way. Tools that help drive those insights help us stay on the cutting edge.
~ Gayle Fuguitt Vice President, Consumer Insights, General Mills

Most of my career I have worked as a traditional producer, and have had the privilege of working on commercials, TV programs, documentaries, long and short form film projects, corporate videos and pretty much any form of moving image communication – but in the last 3 years I have gone from producing traditional video communications, to producing video content specifically for online dissemination across proprietary and for pay platforms.

I have to say, it is a very exciting time, as we witness the evolution of the internet, going from a static environment to that of moving images. Marketers are creating online video for everything from replacing boring static online catalogs, to fully branded webisodes.

This evolution has created a new medium in itself, completely different from the antiquated platform of TV, so it’s no surprise that this new medium presents a challenge to advertisers and marketers on HOW to message the audience. The online environment has infinitely more channels, and there is lots more content ….. this represents a great challenge and an opportunity for marketers to truly engage their audiences. What I like is that there are no hard and fast rules regarding this new medium, so it’s exciting to come up with ideas as you go along.

Instead of “adapting” a :30 or :60 ad made for TV, and recognizing that this is a new medium – my clients have created video communications specifically designed to engage online audiences.  In the past 24 months alone, I have worked on 5 different online video projects, for 5 very different clients, with very different communication goals. All of them chose to include online video as a cornerstone to their overall marketing strategy – and all have achieved great results by doing so.

Research shows that creating quality original content represents a huge opportunity for brands, because original content has the best effect on consumers’ recollection of brands, as well as fostering positive sentiment.

Below are some of the projects that I mentioned.

• A non-profit start-up, used a short film to illustrate their work and their mission. The video was used for fundraising purposes, and the results have been great.

• For General Mills, we created 20 “How to videos” in English and Spanish. The videos where then deployed on their proprietary microsite as well as on several independent channels including youtube.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bisquets de Queso y Bizcochos de Fresa

Click here to view the embedded video.

• To increase attendance at an annual national conference, one of my corporate client in the software development space, we created several “invitation” and “welcome” videos that not only were deployed on their website but also as part of an email campaign.  As a result, they increased their attendance by 30%. 

• A film for the NROTC for the US Marines, geared to the parents of prospective NROTC candidates. 

NROTC (Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps) Marine Option

Click here to view the embedded video.

• While at Graduate School at Thunderbird, I directed and produced for the Marketing Department 4 candid student interviews, that are used on their YouTube Channel and for recruiting.  
  

  Executive MBA Student Perspective – Choosing Thunderbird

Click here to view the embedded video.

All of these projects involved telling a story, an entertaining story that connected with their audience and compelled them to listen and watch. 

The growth of online video has been exponential

• According to a recent study by emarketer, US online video ad spending will grow by 43.1% in 2012 making it the fastest-rising category of online spending.
• In 2015, online video ad spending will reach $7.11 billion.  
• The total US internet audience viewed an all-time high of 42.6 billion videos in October.
• 184 million US internet users watched online video content in October for an average of 21.1 hours per viewer, according to comScore.
• A study by Philips (electronics) found that 80% of people who watch video content online do so on laptops

It’s still going to be about the people who can tell a story, you can own the TV network or outlet but you need to hire the people who can tell the story or you won’t own it for long. Michael Eisner, former CEO of Walt Disney and founder of The Tornante Company

One of the reasons that marketers are moving towards online video content could be the growing migration towards watching content online, the 2010 study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, indicates that 69% of adult internet users, or roughly half of all U.S. adults (52%) have used the internet to watch or download video.

It’s not only important to produce a good quality video that engages with your audience, but it’s equally important to deploy the content on all relevant platforms, including social media and proprietary websites. Your video can be as simple as the ones I featured or as complex as creating webisodes.

Still, there are some challenges, including clients understanding how to properly measure ROI. However, there are better technologies to do so, and changing monitization models – this is all very fluid stuff because constant refinements are happening everyday.

If your company is not using video communication as part of your marketing strategy, you are missing an amazing opportunity to really connect with your audience with a message that is relevant. You can start small by experimenting with simple videos and move on to more complex ideas – but don’t wait!

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Don’t get a “job”, create a life and career you love – why not?

I’ve done a lot of complaining here, but of all the things I’ve complained about, I can’t complain about my life…….. And all this time I’ve been paid to say what is on my mind on television, you don’t get any luckier in life than that.
~ Andy Rooney

One of the things that struck me during the coverage of Andy Rooney’s life and passing, was his resolute claim that he did what he loved professionally for 70 years – and in fact he did it right up to his passing at the age of 92. Some would say that he was one of the privileged few, but I say why not do something you love to do professionally? why shouldn’t we all do what we love?

Living your life’s passion can not only be extremely rewarding but can lead to prosperity. Interestingly, most creative professionals that I know, will tell you that they do what they love – why can’t this be true for everyone?

Watch Gary Vaynerchuk’s funny and inspiring video. Gary is a 35 year old New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best-Selling author and a self-trained wine and social media expert, and the founder of Winelibrary.com.

Gary Vaynerchuk: Do what you love (no excuses!) TED Talk

Click here to view the embedded video.

Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.
~ Wayne Dyer

Have you asked yourself:  What do you love to do? What do you care about? What sparks you? Find your niche, whether it’s working for a non-profit or becoming an entrepreneur creating a company based on your passion?

1. Is there something you already love doing, a hobby? 
2. Care about your self first – figure out what you love and then do it.
3. Study the market carefully and you will find opportunities. Consider conducting a market survey with potential customers to uncover untapped needs, position yourself to succeed

I am not suggesting that you leave your great paying job tomorrow …. but really think about it, plan it and pursue it. Start in small steps, and work on pursuing your passion after you leave the job you are lukewarm about.

Here are 3 stories of people I know who are pursuing their passions:

People might tell you, you can’t do it, you will starve – well I am here to tell you that you can! Here are 3 stories, of people that I personally know, who are making a go at it in 3 very different ways.

• Molly Butler, someone I know in Atlanta was just laid off – she actually enjoyed her full-time job, but her true love is pets. This past year she started Wag & Purr, a pet sitting services she was growing on the side. Now, it’s a no brainer, the passion she had as a side business will most certainly grow and provide her a great income – because she loves it. 

• I have a friend who has been a writer his entire career – he has written for major publications, the news – you name it. But recently he started working on writing a book about 2 of his great loves – Sports and cooking.  There is no doubt in my mind that this venture will be successful, because his passion makes him a credible source, that and the fact that there are so few cookbooks geared to men. 

• Rob Mazze was a well respected Executive at a large New York advertising agency, who got laid off less than 2 years ago. When that happened, he went through a period of introspection about WHAT to do next, and decided to follow his passion for yoga, (which he regularly practiced for 20 yrs.). He enrolled in the teacher training program at Yoga to the People and is now registered as an instructor by the Yoga Alliance. Keep in mind that he went from a highly paid executive job to being a student and re-building his career and income. In a very short time he has built a private clientele as well as regularly instructing at several studios. I have no doubt that his business will grow, and if he chooses he will soon be running his own studio.  

These are just a few of the stories I know personally, you get the idea …. define yourself by your passion, build your business based on that definition and you will have an instant brand for yourself and your business, and that is something that potential customers are naturally drawn to.

Passion is important, especially in your work life since we spend an average of 8270 hours a year at work – and I will tell you that entrepreneurs typically spend much more than that. Be in control of your own future and create the opportunities to do what you love!

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Social Media is Nothing New

Before we dive into the tips, it’s good to realize that Social Media is nothing new and we all have been doing it from the beginning of time…Social Media is about connecting with people.  What has changed are the tools.  The tools now allow us to make that human connection on a whole different level…having access to people from all over the world where information travels at the speed of light!

Tips for Building a Brand on Social Media

1. Define your brand…your story
   In Social Media, your brand story appears in your bio or tag line.  Make sure to write a great bio/tag line that tells your story. 

   Things you should include in your Brand Story

   • Identify What You Value
   • Identify What Makes You Unique
   • Identify How You Want To Be Perceived
   • Identify Your Specialty
   • Identify Your Target Market 

   Here are 3 examples on Twitter community that tell a great story:
   

   

   One important note is to tailor your bio for each community if necessary.  The target audiences that you want to reach in different communities might vary, so, you have to know the community in order to speak to it’s members in a language that they understand and expect.

   Also, remember to use keywords that you want to be found under in your bio as this is how users of that community will find you.

2. Use a Great Photo
   I can’t stress this enough.  Your photo is the human connection.  Make sure that it is clear and portrays your personality.  Can you guess which photos I think you should use?
   
3. Engage with your community to build relationships
   Because there is so much going on in everyone’s lives today, engaging with the community members is the only way to stay on top of their minds.

   How do you engage?

   • Ask Questions
   • Answer other people’s questions
   • Comment on people’s posts
   • Respond to people when they try to reach out to you

   To help you manage your Social Media communications, you have to monitor what people say about your brand and respond in a timely manner. To monitor what people say about your brand, you can use Google Alerts, Addictomatic, and Twitter Search.

4. Be Remarkable!
   In order to succeed in Social Media, you have to be remarkable!  The power of Social Media tools are SHARING features, where people can easily pass something they like on to their networks.

   People share remarkable things

   People want to connect with remarkable people

5. Be Ubiquitous
   You have to create multiple streams of YOU on all the different social networks but you have to create a “HUB” (usually your blog/website) where people can find all of the info about you in one place. 

   

What do you think?  Do you have any other tips for building a brand on Social Media, please share in the comments!

Related posts:

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2. Tips for managing your Social Networks
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When you are looking for a job, it’s important to remember that doing what you have always done is just not enough. Think it through, and then take action. After all, that’s what your employer will want you to do when you accept the job anyway.
~ Priscilla Claman, President of Career Strategies, Inc.,

OK I admit it, I don’t like looking for a job – does anybody really????

I thought getting an EMBA would be on of the most challenging things I would ever do, well it would take second place to the arduous labor involved in finding a full time job, while career slashing. In fact, my current job search involves some of the hardest work I have ever done.

People, if you know someone who is looking for a job – give them some applause, and a BIG hug …. really, they deserve it!!!

The topic of unemployment, jobs and the economy is inescapable, the subject predominates every news medium and permeates conversations – to tune it out is hopeless unless you really isolate yourself, and that’s the last thing you want to do….. add to that the plethora of job search advice, columns, articles and opinions – it’s really too much! 

Take a deep breath,

here are some tips and advice that have worked for me,

maybe they will work for you too.

Stay positive and focused – not so easy, but essential!

The MOST IMPORTANT thing you need to do is stay positive and focused. Job searching is difficult, and there are times when you will be discouraged. Sometimes …… I fantasize about being curled up on the coach eating cheettos in my PJs, watching a comforting Lifetime movie (cue music), instead of slugging away at finding a job, but instead opt for a focused and positive attitude, this is absolutely essential in order to get an interview and a job.

You must communicate:

• High energy
• Enthusiasm
• Positive attitude

No one is going to give a second look at someone who does not communicate all of these things. So really think about this in every communication that you put out there; writing, phone, personal interview, body language, make sure you…….do it!

My “Work”

I have devised a “work plan” much like a project plan, while it’s really nothing new or revolutionary, it is very helpful. When I started “the great job quest of 2011″, it was completely overwhelming – I had never had to pay much attention to a resume/CV or a job search, because during my career, most of my work had come from word of mouth referrals from my network. But I am now on a slightly different career track, and the job search has changed significantly in the last 24 months – and I acknowledge that it’s going to take all of my resources, intellect and energy to get my dream career opportunity - but it is one of the best investments I can make in myself.

Here are some ideas of how to go about the work of getting a job

• Everyday “go to work”…..because getting a job is your job for now. 
• Find a quiet comfortable space, like the local library – not a coffee shop.
• Break down the week into several “objectives” - search, network, connect, follow-up. 
• Search for job openings that are a good match, discard those that are not.
• Search LinkedIn and close personal network for connections to decision makers that can help with job openings.
• Research companies that are consistent with your core values and direction.
• Make calls to your network, persons in your industry and recruiters.
• Email recruiters with news, updates, send resume and follow up.
• Schedule 15 – 30 minute  “informational” or “scoping” calls.
• 30 minute with your career or life coach - keeps you track and accountable.

Ask for help – seek out advice from professionals

You would be amazed at how generous people are with their professional advice. Recently career coach Susan Goldberg, Susan Goldberg Executive Search Consulting, was kind enough to speak to me for 30 minutes and give me some amazing perspective regarding my own job search, here is some of her advice.

5 Tips to Follow (if you are truly serious about your job search).

1. Never waste your time sending an email or resume unless you have a specific individual to send it to, otherwise follow-up is next to impossible. 
2. Don’t bother sending a resume or an email unless you plan on following it up with a phone-call. Otherwise, it indicates that you are not interested. 
3. Be remembered after an informational interview, be gracious, offer to help the person who is meeting with you and make the offer as specific as possible.
4. Always leave an informational interview with other names to contact.  Ask at the end of a meeting, for specific people to contact so that you can further expand your network, be ready.
5. Never leave an interview without knowing what the next steps of the hiring process will be. It will keep some of the control of the hiring process in your hands and the asking itself will make you feel more confident and self-assured in leaving what can be an anxiety provoking experience.  (If you haven’t been told what next steps are to be taken, ask.  

Focus, re-evaluate, re-group = tweak, tweak, tweak 

Take jobseekers who send out hundreds, sometimes thousands of resumes, and never get any results. In any other context this would merit a change in approach, but they just keep sending out more resumes. This tough job market makes it even more important to stop the mindless application-mailing and analyze what isn’t working – because the problem might be devastatingly simple.
~ Priscilla Claman President of Career Strategies, Inc.

During the last 4 months I have redone my resume at least 6 times – and these tweaks involve heavy thinking and introspection on my part. I have been lucky to have had lot’s of help along the way, ask your friends and network for help – sometimes it’s hard to remember your accomplishments.  

Try using the STAR Key Achievements as a guideline.

• Situation, describe the situation
• Task or Target, what were the initial targets, goals or objectives
• Action, what you did to achieve that target
• Result, what were the results using specifics and measurements (if possible, otherwise rounds numbers or percentages)

And finally…..

• Be Assertive and Proactive
• Be clear
• Tell everyone in your network about your job search 
• Maintain a detailed record of all the jobs you have applied to, including communications, interviews, referrals, and follow-up actions. 
• Networking should be at the center of your job search strategy
• Get to go out there and make it happen.
• Be clear on what you want and need, you’re on your way to getting it.
• Be kind to yourself … it takes time and dedication to find the right fit.

Related posts:

1. Re-thinking your job search strategy – because of ageism
2. YOUR personal image is part of YOUR personal brand
3. Where are the opportunities in the “New Normal” economy

Gamification is the process of using game thinking and mechanics to engage audiences and solve problems.

Game dynamics are now entering every aspect of daily life. Good games take players (aka customers) on a journey. Early Gamification techniques only involved adding simple game mechanics like points, badges and leader boards to websites and apps. But, what I discovered at the Gamification Summit in NYC, an incredible 2 day event, is that it is not enough. The gamification journey should give the user something to learn and master, encourages people to stay engaged with your brand and have FUN in the process.

Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivations: (what motivates people)

How do you figure out what “journey” to take your user on?  By understanding what motivates people.  There are two types of motivators:

• Extrinsic – monetary exchange for a product or service. 
  In game mechanics, these motivators would translate into rewards such as money, points, or schedules
• Intrinsic – exchange of an intangible for a product or service. In a game, these motivators would translate into things like friendship, commitments, & loyalty.

Extrinsic Motivators are very good for encouraging people to complete simple tasks. To achieve longer term engagement and have people exceed their own performance, you have to use intrinsic motivators ~ Amy Jo Kim

What Motivates People? (competition or satisfaction)

When designing game mechanics for a particular group of people, to effectively generate the appropriate user engagement, it is important to understand the underlying motivations and personality types that make up your community.  What some people find fun or motivating, others might not…competition and winning are important for some, for others, a simple feeling of recognition or making a difference may be more satisfying.

Michael Wu, one of the presenters at the Gamification Summit, wrote a great post on Psychology of Motivation where he breaks down the science behind motivation.

What Personality Type is your Customer?

Gabe Zichermann, the chair of the Gamification Summit and author of  “Gamification by Design”, says that we need to really understand each of our customer type motivations so you can unpack what your consumer will think is fun.

He classifies all users into 4 Bartles player types, each motivated by different things:

• Achievers are driven by in-game goals, usually some form of points gathering – whether experience points, levels, or money.
• Explorers are driven to find out as much as they can about the virtual construct – including mapping its geography and understanding the game mechanics.
• Socializers use the virtual construct to converse and role-play with their fellow gamers.
• Killers use the virtual construct to cause distress on other players, and gain satisfaction from inflicting anxiety and pain on others.

Can Gaming make a better world?

I was really inspired to hear the many case studies, examples, and conversations, of how gaming will transform the world and would really recommend that you watch Jane McGonigal TED talk on how gaming can make a better world.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Learn More:

If you were unable to attend the Gamification Summit, be sure to check out the live blog for a recap off all of the events and visit the conference SlideShare page for all of the presentations

NYC Webgrrls Gamification Seminar:

Are you going to be in NYC on November 9th? Then you have to attend the NYC Webgrrls Gamification Seminar.  We are extremely excited to have one of the top thought leaders in Gamification, Gabe Zichermann, lead the seminar! http://www.webgrrls.com/events/:396

See you there!

Related posts:

1. Enter to Win Free Pass to Gamification Summit NYC (Sep 15-16)
2. User-Generated Content Moves from Side Show to Center Stage
3. Online and offline trends to help you increase your brand equity

The business landscape has changed fundamentally; tomorrow’s environment will be different, but no less rich in possibilities for those who are prepared. McKinsey & Company, worldwide (former) Managing Director, Ian Davis

A lesson from the (original) Great Depression – opportunities always exist!

Many years ago, I heard a story of a man who became a millionaire during the (original) Great Depression. This banker had lost his fortune and had watched many of his friends capitulate to the circumstances. Faced with unemployment he learned a trade and became a tile layer, he eventually worked his way back up, and was hired to work on the the construction of the Holland Tunnel in New York and got the contract to supply the tiles for the inside of the tunnel….. in the process regaining his wealth.

The Great Depression was a terrible time for many, some would compare today’s economy and the Nation’s battered spirit to that time. I have thought about this story many times lately, and the lesson. In the US, there are always opportunities to make money in ANY economy, you just have to have a little vision and be prepared to grab them.

Your own “Reinvention plan”

The lesson of this story was one of the influences that propelled me to make one of the boldest moves in my life – going back to school to get my MBA in Global Management at Thunderbird. This was part of my “personal reinvention plan” which was spurned by the reality that the industry I had worked in had changed dramatically due to advances in technology, and a bad economy, and that the skills I had carefully honed and the network I had cultivated for over 20 years of my career had (almost) been rendered irrelevant. This was a scary and expensive move, but I am confident that it will pay off over time….

It’s wise to devise your own “personal reinvention plan”, even if you are currently employed and happily doing your job. In this era of the “new economy” you must NOT be complacent or tied to old thinking, and processes. This trap can become the “concrete shoes” that will weigh you down and may eventually sink your career.

As a job seeker, what I am finding more and more, are that the larger companies are:

• Full of “Scared Managers” – terrified that they may loose their jobs. This fear leads to ineffective second guessing every move, and sticking to old tried and true ways.
• “Confused” because they don’t know how to define themselves in this new economy – lot’s of “analysis paralysis” happening.
• Companies are giving lots of “lip service” to “entrepreneurial spirit” and innovation” within their organizations – but not fostering this behavior or hiring the right kinds of people to develop this kind of culture. 

These are MAJOR ISSUES in today’s business environment, that will deeply affect organizations ability to survive and thrive in the long run. Be careful if you are currently employed in one of these organizations. Ask yourself, is my company really poised to thrive in this “New Normal”?

Where are the opportunities?

Now Apple is like the rest of the US – they have no Jobs

With an alarming ZERO NEW JOBS in August and with 14 million people (reported) currently unemployed, and the President’s announcement of the $447b Job Plan…. Where are the good jobs???? The fact is that most lost jobs are being replaced with lower paying jobs.  Still there are some industry sectors that are making gains in good paying jobs. 

• Green collar Jobs: According to, “Sizing the Green Economy” – “The clean economy, which employs some 2.7 million workers, encompasses a significant number of jobs in establishments spread across a diverse group of industries.”

• Consulting - Management and technical consulting services reached a record high in August.
• Health Care – Elderly Services, Therapy, Home Health Care, Mental Health Services, Outpatient Care, Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories, Physician’s Offices and Administration, Optometric and Dental Services, Chiropractors.
• Internet Hosting and Publishing.
• IT - Hardware and software.
• Retail - Brick and mortar retail stores and e-commerce.
• Administrative and Customer Services.
• Software Publishing.
• Education Support Services.
• Passenger Transportation (air and land).
• Daycare (juvenile and adult).
• Writers and Artists. 

Everyone here knows that small businesses are where most new jobs begin. And you know that while corporate profits have come roaring back, smaller companies haven’t. So for everyone who speaks so passionately about making life easier for “job creators”, this plan is for you.  ~ President Barack Obama, 9/8/11

The news today about jobs and employment picture is no doubt scary and daunting but there are some good stories to tell. Consider this - 28 million small businesses employ 57% of the country’s private workforce, and 60 to 80% of all new jobs come from small businesses. It is expected that job growth will continue to come from this healthy sector.

It’s a Brave New World

Business in the US and much of the world isn’t as “usual”, we will probably never go back to the pre-recession time and the reality is, we must adapt to the “new normal”. Today, we need more than ever to hone that good old fashioned American ingenuity, create new opportunities, because we can no longer rely on the comfort of the corporate giants.

Related posts:

1. Making Money in the Free Economy
2. What you can learn from Madonna about reinvention
3. YOUR personal image is part of YOUR personal brand