June | 2013 | New Media Expo Blog

Class in Session: Social Media Lessons from the Nation’s Best Schools

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Many of the nation’s best universities have discovered that social media is an excellent way to reach, impress and attract top-notch students. Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania are among the most active schools in this arena, turning to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, blogs and message boards to inform, entertain and recruit.

Can business owners, Internet entrepreneurs and job seekers learn from the example being set by these and other prestigious institutions of higher education? There’s little doubt that methods similar to those being used to attract the world’s best students can also work to get the attention of potential customers, employees and employers.

Stars, Presidents, and International Projects: Showing Off Your Assets

So what is Harvard doing to enhance its online presence? A recent visit to the school’s Facebook page provided a look at two diverse but equally interesting subjects: a relatively nearby system that is turning out new stars at a staggering rate and the 16th president of the United States.

If you spend a little time on the Harvard Facebook page, you’ll find out that the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics is a joint collaboration of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory. This information might not mean much to you if you plan to study Economics or Marketing, but, if you think your future will have something to do with what’s out there beyond planet Earth, glancing at the school’s Facebook page might convince you to take a closer look at Harvard.

Along the same lines, you might be impressed to know that in the school’s Houghton Library collection, you’ll find a piece of the earliest surviving work by Abraham Lincoln: math exercises he wrote in 1825, at the age of 16.

If you are considering a future in engineering, you may want to visit the University of Pennsylvania Facebook page. There you’ll find information about the Penn Engineers Without Borders program, complete with a photo of two Penn students working on a project in Cameroon.

Bottom line? Use social media to highlight your assets. Share information that your business has, even if it doesn’t directly rate to making a sale. Use your online presence to make your company a trusted authority.

Sharing Information

Here are some other ways universities across the country are tapping into the social media gold mine:

The job market – Using LinkedIn and other options, universities are putting their students in touch with employers and recruiters.
Sharing knowledge – Colleges and universities are sharing knowledge, experience and information online.
Seeking the best students – Many potential students use social media to connect with one another and learn about the world around them – and find out what specific universities have to offer.
Online learning – Online education gives students the option to learn on their own schedule.

These outreach efforts and opportunities make universities more valuable to students (their “customers”) and more visible to potential students.

Get Their Attention

Whether you are seeking a job or, as an entrepreneur, you’re looking for new business, it’s important to remember that you first must get the attention of your potential customers. Once you do that, here are a few tips to help you use social to keep them interested in the service or product you are offering.

Connect with your customers by posting on your Facebook page once a day, tweeting a few times daily and writing a regular post on LinkedIn.
Don’t use lingo or language that your customers might not understand. You should show them that you are interested in helping them, and you should try to develop a bond between you and the people who will be buying your products and services.
Offer special prices or services that are available only to the people you reach through social media to give your customers and potential customers a reason to follow you regularly on Facebook or Twitter.
Blogging will enhance your presence in the world of social media. You can establish a blog on your website and use it for Facebook and Twitter posts.
Join conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. This will help you establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Don’t ignore your competition. You might be able to copy some of the things they are doing in the world of social media. There’s nothing wrong with investigating what others in your industry have done, and it’s okay to copy* the things they have done right.

If your business depends on your ability to use social media to attract and retain customers, take the time to learn from some of the most prestigious schools in the United States.

(*Editor’s note: we’re talking about “copying” ideas here to make them work for your business, not plagiarism, which is NEVER okay. Be ethical in your business practices when reviewing your competitors.)

Can Guest Posts Make You a Better Blogger?

Author: elkecarvosso6

Over the past year, fewer blogs have been open to accepting guest posts. Kristi Hines talked about this shift in the blogging world early this year in her post entitled, “Guest Blogging in 2013: The End of Unsolicited Guest Posts?” and why it is happening. Bloggers can still guest post, but these opportunities are not as abundant as they once were, especially if you’re not well connected to others in your niche.

As someone who manages the guest post emails we get here on the NMX blog, I know how crazy some potential guest posters can be. Posts are poorly written with little to no “meat” on the bones. They’re fluff. Or they’re stuffed with keyword links and self-promotion. Or the grammar is so bad that I would have to rewrite the entire piece to prepare it for publishing.

I’ve even had potential guest posters be rude or downright nasty to me when I’ve asked for changes or decided not to publish. Word to the wise: if you want to have a guest post relationship with someone, don’t speculate on their mother’s weight.

But the silver lining is that working with guest posters has made me a better blogger. Here’s why:

I’m pushed to raise the bar on my own posts.

It isn’t fair for me to ask of guest posters what I don’t do myself. When someone is interested in guest posting, I typically send them a list of directions to follow, which include things like, “link back to relevant posts from the past” and “use headers or bullet points to make the text more readable.” Having this set of rules sets the bar for posts on the blog, my own included.

Editing makes you a better writer.

Like many people, I’m a horrible editor of my own work. But I think I do okay editing others’ posts, and practicing this skill makes me a better writer and self-editor for my own posts.

Guest posts give you a break.

Although I do subscribe to the notion that you should only blog when you have something to say, I also know that post frequency does affect your traffic. With guest posts, a weight is lifted because you’re not pressured to produce X number of posts per week. Editing and preparing a guest post is still a lot of work (sometimes even more work than writing a post yourself), but you don’t have to be wearing your creative writing hat when doing it. You’re less likely to burn out if you allow guest posts on your blog.

Guest posts can inspire future content.

I’m always inspired when I read other blogs, and the same is true of guest posts. Even when a post isn’t well-written and I ultimately say no to publishing it, the topic can help me brainstorm future ideas for my blog posts. And, if I do publish because the guest post is up to par, I can link back to it in my own post. One of the great things about blogging is that you can build off each post to tell a comprehensive story. I like to think of blog posts like stories in an anthology. They all work together on some level, despite being stand-alone.

Accepting guest posts isn’t for everyone. Some bloggers don’t want to make time to deal with the copious number of poor requests. Others worry that guest posts will lead to a weaker brand. But before you say a blanket “no” to guest posts, think about the advantages as well. I believe guest posting can make you a better blogger, despite the extra work you have to be willing to do if you accept them.

15 Tips to Make Your Podcast Guests Feel Special

Author: elkecarvosso6

I’ve been a guest on several podcasts. Sometimes, I feel like the red carpet is rolled out. Other times…not so much. It doesn’t matter if your guest is an a-lister celebrity or a total newbie. They’re giving up their valuable time to be on your podcast; they deserve special treatment. A guest who feels special will be a lifelong fan. One who feels like an afterthought is probably not going to help promote your podcast, and they might even speak to others about how they’ve been treated poorly.

So the next time you have a guest on your podcast, go the extra mile. Make them feel like a star! Here are 15 tips to help you make them feel special:

Do your research.

This one seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be amazed at how some bloggers don’t do it. I was once on a podcast where it was very clear that the podcaster didn’t know much about my blogs or what I do. I felt like I wasn’t important enough for this podcaster to research anything about me, and feeling unimportant stinks. So become James Lipton for a hot minute and be thorough when researching your guest.

Offer to meet via Skype first.

Not every guest has time to meet with you via Skype before you record, but you can at least offer it. This is especially great for guests who aren’t on podcasts often and are feeling nervous about recording.

Follow them on social media.

Nothing says, “I don’t care about you” more than not following your guests on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks.

Work on your intro skills.

How you introduce your guest makes all the difference, and a lot of podcasters get this wrong. Don’t say, “I’ll let so-and-so tell you more about him/herself.” Like doing no research, it makes your guest feel like you don’t care who they are. Think about what you’re going to say about your guest as an intro and even practice it a few times. Don’t wing it.

Compliment without blowing smoke.

To continue with the last point, during your intro and throughout the episode, compliment your guest. Don’t blow smoke (people know when you’re being insincere), but definitely let all of your guests know that you’re impressed by their skills or accomplishments.

Ask how you can help.

Before you start, ask your guest how you can best help them at the moment. When researching your guest, you should get to know their various projects, but some people (most people) have a lot going on. Would they rather you focus on the work they’re doing at their full time job? Are they trying to promote personal blogs or other projects? Do you wish you’d help them gain more social followers? What do they have coming up in the future that you can promote? Ask your guest what their goals are so you can help him/her accomplish them.

Don’t rush.

It is important to be considerate of your guests’ time. However, if you’re rushing the spot, it can make them feel unimportant. Once, I was on a podcast where episodes were typically 30-45 minutes, and some were even 60 minutes. My episode was only 20 minutes. It made me feel like the host didn’t think I was important enough for a full episode. So don’t rush it! When you ask someone to be your guest, talk about the time commitment so they are aware, and then use that time.

Ask for advice.

It’s flattering when someone values my opinion enough to ask for advice. So, when you have a guest on your podcast, ask for it!

Ask for future guest recommendations.

Along the same lines, you can also ask guests for recommendations for other guests. You’ll want to do this after you’re done recording, not on the show.

Share some “insider” information.

It always makes people feel important when they know something other people don’t know. What small piece of “insider information” can you share? Of course, you can’t trust every guest to keep his/her mouth shut, so be discerning in what you share, but even little things no one else knows yet, like who your next guest is, can make your current guest feel important.

Make time for your guests on their schedule.

It’s off-putting when someone invites me to be on their podcast and then tells me a time I need to be there. Unless it’s a live show, you should schedule recording at a time that is convenient for your guest, rather than demanding they work around your schedule.

Schedule content promotion.

Give the episode some special promotion, but also schedule some time to promote other things the guest is doing as well. DO they have their own podcast? Do they write a blog? Are they launching a book? Give your guest some social shout-outs outside of just promoting your own podcast.

Support your guests’ projects.

Along the same lines, take a little time to support your guests’ projects. Beyond social promotion, take time to attend a live webinar they’re doing, buy their product, etc.

Connect your guests with others.

Relationships are powerful. Think about who might help your guests reach their goals. Can you connect these people? Don’t be too pushy, but when relevant, make email introductions that are beneficial to both parties. It makes people feel very special that you think of them and want to help them.

Say thank you.

Lastly, say thank you. Not just after the podcast recording is done, either. Send a special email or even a $5 giftcard on Facebook with a note. If you have the person’s home address, a handwritten card is even better. A little thank you can go a long way.

How do you make your podcast guests feel special? Leave a comment with your tips!

Image Credit: Bigstock

Blogging - Business - Increasing Traffic - SEO - Small Business Blogging - Tips & Tricks
June 24, 2013

Small Business Blog Tune Up: Turbo Charge with SEO

Author: @deva9191 - telegram TINKOFF INVEST BAM 77 398 RUB dpt

Let’s face it: small businesses blog for one reason: to get noticed and eventually lead to some sort of sale. Whether demonstrating expertise on a topic, promoting your services or brand, or interviewing someone in the industry, you are encouraging people to come to your site, share your content, and ultimately do business with you. Paying attention to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can fuel your blog with more horsepower for relatively low effort.

Surprisingly, many small businesses have never heard of SEO or are intimidated by the acronym and what it means. But in reality, basic SEO takes little time and budget–you just need a little extra TLC every time you publish a post. I’m a big believer in the oft-repeated mantra, “The best SEO is good writing,” but imagine if you enlist the powerful combo of great content and some SEO tricks? Unstoppable.

Start Your Engines (Search Optimization that is)

Getting your site to rank high and often on search engines like Google and Bing is considered both an art and science, but still remains a mostly mysterious formula that mere mortals like us don’t control or understand (unlike Google). To make matters more confusing, search engines change and update their algorithms often, like the much-talked about Google Panda. But there are regular, basic steps you can take to increase the chances of your blog getting noticed early and often on search engines.

Get into Gear

If you have a WordPress.org site (that you pay to host the content), there are all-in-one SEO Plugins that will help guide and do the work for you out of the box. (Important and sometimes confusing distinction: Many small businesses use the free version of WordPress.com, which does not offer SEO plugins).

For the many small businesses on WordPress.com, the company stands behind its SEO in that “80 to 90%” of SEO mechanics is done automatically, which builds confidence, but we can can top 100% with just a little extra work.

Blogger.com is generally not considered particularly SEO-friendly (and ironically owned by Google) but has a page devoted to the practice. You can also find some tips here and other resources on the web about SEO on Blogger.

Move into the Fast Lane

For the majority of bloggers that are on WordPress.com, take these easy steps before publishing each post. The order you do them is a matter of personal preference: planning up-front versus optimizing at the end, just so long as you do it.

Use keywords for turn signals.

Once you have your topic and content nailed, think about potential keywords for your post. For instance, if you’re writing about mortgage trends in your local real estate market, include all associated words at least once and think about other ways to say them sprinkled in your blog, typically this will happen organically anyway. The Google keyword search tool offers a comprehensive view of how your chosen keywords will fare. Be aware that there are different schools of thought on keyword density and “formulas” for the best results,but I advocate authenticity above all, meaning your post should sound natural, like a human communicating, not a word-repeating robot. In fact, search engines have sophisticated tools that route out black hat seo practices like keyword stuffing and mark as spam.

Move the headline to front seat.

Sometimes in our quest to be clever or get attention (myself included) blog post titles can be obtuse for search. As with keywords, take the time to make your headline searchable. For instance I recently did a post on outdoor billboards and the headline was “Sex, Religion, Politics (and a Hitler teapot): Controversial Billboards Revisited”. Not exactly SEO-friendly. So I at least changed the “slug”, after the date, to “controversial-billboards-2012”. That earns me a more regular hits and I can still maintain my self-proclaimed witty headline.

Images ride shotgun.

As bloggers, we know the value of adding images and graphics to tell our story and it’s also a proven fact that content with images get more hits that those without. In a few easy steps, graphics can be a powerful SEO tool by reducing the file size (search engines dislike slow loading sites), renaming the file name to something specific and meaningful, and adding a title. There are other steps you can take.

Make Pit Stops for Categories and Tags.

Even if you’re pressed for time, “Categories” and “Tags” is worth the effort to do some of the SEO work for you, especially knowing the difference between the two: Think of “Categories” as the bucket of content type versus “Tags”, which are more detailed words and phrases about the post. For the outdoor billboard piece, the Categories might be “outdoor billboards” and “advertising.” Tags would be more specific, like “Hitler teapot” or “J.C. Penney”.

Create your own traffic.

As a standard practice, linking to your own related posts, other blogs, or external content add value and insight, and also work to boost your SEO. As with keywords, link strategically and where it makes sense. No stuffing allowed!

Honk Your Own Horn

Most bloggers use their social network to get the word out for each new post. This is just good old self-promotion, but a reminder you can also increase your SEO with every share and reaching your extended network. A quick way to do this each time is by using the WordPress publishing feature that automatically sends to all social media outlets, or you can manage this process yourself. I opt to share manually to target different messages to my audiences, but nice to know I can use publishing in a hurry.

… Never Hit the Cruise Button

Once you’ve taken these primary steps to SEO-ize your blog, keep the wheels in motion for long-term good habits and practice. And remember, it’s not just good content that helps build organic SEO, but posting on a regular basis is just as important. Last but not least, pay attention to your stats: what are people searching on to find your blog? Use that data to fine tune your content continually.

What SEO practices work best for your blog?

How Does Blogging Help You Boost Traffic and Generate Leads? [Infographic]

Author:

Whether your company blogs or not, it’s important to not disregard its significance. Blogging has three proven ways to help boost your brand and market your business. They are proven to generate traffic, leads and help spearhead your social media marketing efforts. Blogging takes effort, but as this infographic shows, time spent implementing a blog strategy can pay dividends. They key is to remain consistent and blog often!

Today’s the Last Day to Get NMX 2014 Tickets at Early Bird Rates!

Author: elkecarvosso6

Did you know that this is the last week to purchase an early bird ticket for NMX 2014? Register today so you don’t miss out!

I might be a little biased, but NMX is my favorite conference of the year. Here’s why I like to go to it:

A Mix of Speakers: At a lot of conference, you see only the same-old, same-old speaking every year. At other conferences, there are so many newbies that you don’t know what you’re going to get. NMX has a good mix of familiar faces and new speakers every year, so there are always a variety of choices when choosing what sessions to attend.
Great Tools on the Show Floor: At many conferences, you’ll find big brands who are great to approach about sponsorships or review products if you are blogging in their niche, but at NMX, you overwhelming find companies who have tools that help you becoming a better content creator. That means the show floor is universally relevant, no matter what your niche.
The People are Amazing: Every year, I am overwhelmed by the sheer amount of awesome people I meet at NMX. People are there to learn and to network, not to get drunk and party. That’s the kind of conference I want to attend. Last year, we held a networking reception in the conference center one night instead of having another networking party at a nightclub or bar and it was a HUGE success.

I could go on and on, but if I haven’t yet convinced you to register today, let me give you a little more concrete information about the event, including who you can expect to see speaking there!

NMX 2014 is shaping up to be a great conference! Earlier this week, we announced our first group of what will eventually be 300+ speakers:

Rob Barnett from My Damn Channel
Amanda Blain, the Queen of Google+
Rich Brooks from flyte new media
Mitch Canter from studionashvegas
Dave Delaney, author of New Business Networking
Dino Dogan from Triberr
Chris Ducker from Virtual Staff Finder
Kristi Hines from Kikolani
Aaron Hockley from Hockley Photography
Jessica Northey from CMChatLive
Cynthia Sanchez, an expert on Pinterest
Robert Scoble from Rackspace
Andrea Vahl, the edu-tainer behind Grandma Mary

You can read more about each of these speakers on our announcement post from Monday, which includes information about how to connect with each of them before the show. You can also check out our speakers page to see up-to-date information about speakers added in the future.

NMX 2014 will include not only sessions about blogging, podcasting, web TV, and social business, but also a full trade show floor, a speed networking event to help connect you with companies, networking receptions to help you meet other attendees and speakers, keynotes every day with some of the biggest names in the industry, and more! We’re working hard to make the NMX experience better than it has ever been before. Our goal is to always raise the bar.

TODAY is the last day you can pick up a ticket at early bird rates. They start at just $97, and learn more about all ticket types and register here.

Got questions? Let me know and I’ll be happy to answer them! Just leave a comment or ask on Twitter (@allison_boyer or @NewMediaExpo).

Blogging - Brilliant Bloggers - Business - Content Marketing - Exclusives - Increasing Traffic - Monetization - Podcasting - Podcasting & Radio - Social Media - Webinars
June 20, 2013

17 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Hosting Webinars

Author: elkecarvosso6

Brilliant Bloggers is a bi-weekly series here at NMX where we look at the best posts from around the web all surrounding a specific topic. Every other week, we’ll feature a brilliant blogger, along with a huge list of more resources where you can learn about the topic. You can see more Brilliant Blogger posts or learn how to submit your link for an upcoming edition here.

This Week’s Topic: Hosting Webinars

When people talk about content marketing, they typically mean blogging, podcasting, video, ebook publication, and social curation. However, content marketing is really any kind of free informational or entertaining resource you give away in order to highlight your own skills and products/services. It’s selling without really selling.

One often-overlooked form of content marketing is the free webinar. Webinars can be recorded or live, but in both cases, they are an online presentation or class given at a specific time, usually in order to capture leads (i.e. people have to give you their email address and other information to attend).

This week’s Brilliant Bloggers is all about the art of hosting a great webinar. They can be a lot of work if you do them well, but the reward is great, since they can attract thousands of attendees without you having to plan a live event. And lest you think webinars are only for business, you can also consider hosting one if your a blogger or podcaster, as they can drive traffic and help you become known as an expert in your field. You can even sell access to a webinar as a way of monetizing.

Brilliant Blogger of the Week:

7 Tips for Producing Winning Webinars by Aliza Sherman

Some webinars I attend are great, but I identify with this post by Aliza Sherman because most of the webinars I’ve attended are pretty horrible. What separates the good from the bad?

Aliza outlines several tips in this post that can help you ensure your posts are beneficial, not a chore for people to attend. If your webinars are good, they can solidify you as an expert, promote your products/services, and help you capture leads, so definitely check out her tips before you host your next webinar! (And don’t forget to follow Aliza on Twitter at @alizasherman.)

Even More Brilliant Advice:

6 Tips for Hosting a Successful Webinar by Sharon Dunigan
8 Ways To Boost Your Business With Webinars by Lewis Howes (@LewisHowes)
10 Steps for Planning a Successful Webinar by Chris Peters and Kami Griffiths (@TechSoup)
18 Tips on How To Conduct an Engaging Webinar by Olivia Mitchell (@OliviaMitchell)
A Five-Step Process for Hosting a Webinar That Generates Sales by Greg Digneo (@GregDigneo)
Be the Webinar Host with the Most – 4 Tips! by Jill Bastian (@jillieb3)
Hosting A Webinar – Equipment You’ll Need by David Crawford
How to Host a Great Webinar in 6 Easy Steps by Dan Taylor (@mountaindan)
How to Host a Successful Webinar by Kelly Noble (@Stellar247) and Paul Serwin (@LeverageSuccess)
How to Host a Webinar by Marketing Zone (@marketingzone_)
How to Setup and Promote Your First Webinar by Ellie Mirman (@ellieeille)
Public Speaking Tips for Webinars by Patricia Fripp (@pfripp)
Running a Successful Webinar: 10 Presentation Commandments by Deborah Sweeney (@deborahsweeney)
Seven Tips for Hosting Webinars that Rock by Carol Tice (@TiceWrites)
The Advantages of Hosting a Webinar by Marissa Buie (@marBuie)
Which is the One ‘Free Meeting Webinar Service’ to Rule Them All by Natalie Sisson (@suitcasepreneur)

Did I miss your post or a post by someone you know about hosting webinars? Unintentional! Help me out by leaving a comment below with the link.

Next Brilliant Blogger Topic: Video Podcasting

I’d love to include a link to your post in our next installment– and if you head to the Brilliant Bloggers Schedule, you can see even more upcoming posts. We all have something to learn from one another, so please don’t be shy! Head to the schedule today to learn how to submit your post so I won’t miss it.

How to Use the Scientific Method to Write Better Blog Posts

Author: elkecarvosso6

Despite science not being a strength for me in elementary school, lesson I do remember is the scientific method. I liked the step-by-step process of discovery, and even won the fourth-grade science fair because I was so good at executing this method of experimentation.

If you think elementary school science has no bearing in your life, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to use the scientific method to write blog posts. Not every blog posts lends itself well to the scientific method, but if you’re testing a theory or making an argument, it can help lend credibility to your post and explain your findings in a clear and concise way.

Need to brush up on your science skills? Let’s go through each step of the scientific method to explore how you can use it to write blog posts. In this post, I’m going to refer use “How Lying Can Vastly Improve Your Blog” as an example of a post I wrote using the scientific method, so you may want to open this link in a new tab/window to refer to it.

Step One: Ask a Question

The first part of the scientific method is to ask a question. This is what start the entire process. The question in my example blog post was: Can lying to myself help me improve my blog? You can leave it at that, but when writing my post, I prefer to take the route of explaining why I am asking whatever the question may be. We’re bloggers, after all. Telling the story is part of what helps draw people in.

Step Two: Do Background Research

This is a step that many bloggers skip over. However, adding some research to your posts makes it a much stronger final product. In the case of my example, I did some research on lying and what others say about self-deception. I included several links to my findings.

I find that in topics relating to blogging and social media, understanding the psychology behind our behaviors is extremely helpful. Depending on your topic, you may also want to find out what other bloggers have written about it before. If I were a scientist, opinion might not matter to me, but with this modified version of the scientific method for bloggers, opinions, especially of top bloggers in your field, matter very much. And if you confirm their opinion, you can reach out to them to let them know your results.

Step Three: Construct a Hypothesis

At this point, it’s time to narrow your focus and construct a hypothesis that you can test. This is a little more involved than step one, where you just ask a general question, and you want it to be a statement that you’re testing, not a question. In other words, what do you think your experiment will prove?

So, in my example, my hypothesis was: I will write better blog posts if I believe someone will be reading them as part of my portfolio.

It’s important to be honest about the concerns you have regarding your hypothesis. For example, I noted that because my lie was self-deception, I was aware that it was a lie. A lie told by someone else would be more powerful.

Step Four: Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment

This is the fun part: test your hypothesis. For kids, it means mixing baking soda and vinegar to watch a homemade volcano erupt. For you, it means writing blog posts or using social media or otherwise changing your behavior to see what happens.

Three things to keep in mind when doing an experiment:

Work in a controlled environment as much as possible.
Do your experiment several times.
Have a plan for measuring your results.

I’m sure some scientists out there are cringing at my idea of an experiment, but we’re not trying to cure cancer here. It’s okay to be a little more relaxed than you would in a laboratory setting. But you’ll get better results if your experiment is structured. So, in my example, I told myself that I was applying for a new job and someone would be looking at my blog posts as a factor in deciding whether or not to hire me. I even browsed some job boards to make the self-deception more “real.”

Having a controlled environment is important. Otherwise, your results could be reflecting factors other than what you are testing. For example, my blog posts will automatically be better if I am super passionate about a topic. So, for my tests I trying to choose topics that I am moderately passionate about, but not that I had some kind of deep burning desire in my soul to write about.

I also wrote about a myriad of topics, from Twitter to business values to web TV. Whenever you experiment with your blog, its important to look at your results over time. I always find it extremely frustrating when someone tries something new on their blog for one day and then proclaims it doesn’t work. You need to give experiments a chance.

Lastly, you have to be able to measure your results. If your hypothesis is “Tweeting out more links will bring me more traffic” but you don’t have Google Analytics or another such tool set up on your blog, how will you know if it works? It might seem like you have more traffic, but maybe you in fact have the same amount of traffic, but more comments.

Step Five: Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion

Next, you have to take an honest look at the data you’ve collected from your experiment. It’s easy to manipulate data to believe what you want to believe. Try to keep an open mind! For example, once tested whether or not pop-up ads increased my subscriber numbers. They did. Even though people complain about pop-ups, they work. It was something I didn’t want to believe, but the numbers proved me wrong.

During this step, it’s also important to look at data holistically. Data can easily be manipulated if your only look at one piece. So, if you are testing pop ups, you might say that they work because you saw a spike in subscriber numbers. However, what happened to your unsubscribe rates? Or your bounce rates? Or the number of complaints you received from your community?

In addition, I believe it is important to sometimes say, “I don’t care what the data says. This is not right for my readers.” Sometimes we get too caught up in what works that we forget what’s the right thing to do. I wrote about this problem here. Scientists may not consider their feelings about a result, but they would consider the ethics, practicality, and side effects behind their experiment’s conclusions.

Step Six: Communicate Your Results

The last part of the scientific method is to communicate your results. Scientists publish papers and report findings, often struggling with this step. As a blogger, you should have no problem communicating your results! As you write your blog post about your experiment, keep the entire scientific process in mind. Talk about your question and the research you did. Outline your hypothesis/experiment and analyze your data. Using this process to structure your blog post makes sense.

You blog post doesn’t have to read like a technical report. After all, this isn’t a lab. It’s a blog. Even though I used the term “experiment” in my example post about self-deception, I don’t think people read that post and though, “Oh, she’s using the scientific method to test a hypothesis.” Give your post some flavor.

Overall, I’ve found that using the scientific method has helped my up my game when writing blog posts. I encourage you to try it out yourself–and if you do, definitely come back to this post to leave a comment telling us about your results.

Special Announcement: Introducing Our First Group of Speakers for NMX 2014!

Author: elkecarvosso6

This year, we opened registration for NMX earlier than ever before. Today, we’re happy to announce our first group of speakers, which includes several NMX speaker alumni and a few new faces.

Early bird ticket prices expire this week, so if you haven’t yet picked up your ticket, register now to see sessions with the following speakers:

	Aaron Hockley Aaron is no stranger to the NMX stage. In addition to speaking at NMX, he has also written several posts here on the NMX blog. Check out his posts “Image Manipulation Tricks For Bloggers!” and “More Than Words: Better Blogging with Photos.” Learn More and Connect with Aaron >
	Amanda Blain Amanda is the queen of Google+ and if you missed her session at NMX 2013, now’s your chance to see her speak! Learn More and Connect with Amanda >
	Andrea Vahl One of my best memories of NMX 2013 is watching Andrea as Grandma Mary interview Scott Monty from Ford. Will Grandma make an appearance at NMX 2014? You’ll have to come to the show to find out! Learn More and Connect with Andrea >
	Chris Ducker Chris is one of the most passionate people you will ever meet. His energy is infectious, and his session at NMX 2014 is one you don’t want to miss. Learn More and Connect with Chris >
	Cynthia Sanchez Cynthia is brand new to the NMX stage, but not new to the NMX community. Her knowledge of Pinterest is unmatched, and we’re super excited to welcome her to our list of speakers. Learn More and Connect with Cynthia >
	Dave Delaney Dave is the the author of New Business Networking and was named must-follow digital expert on Twitter by Billboard Magazine. We can’t wait to have him speak at NMX 2014. Learn More and Connect with Dave >
	Dino Dogan Dino’s session at NMX 2013 had attendees buzzing with excitement, and we’re so glad he’s coming back for NMX 2014. Check out Dino’s interview with UFC’s Dana White from last year’s show. Learn More and Connect with Dino >
	Jessica Northey If you saw Jessica’s session at NMX 2013 or her pre-show “Twangout” with Guy Kawasaki, you know she’s a firecracker. Don’t miss her session at NMX 2014. Learn More and Connect with Jessica >
	Kristi Hines We can’t wait to have Kristi Hines speak at one of our events for the first time! Check out the guest post she wrote here on the NMX blog: “Guest Blogging in 2013: The End of Unsolicited Guest Posts?” Learn More and Connect with Kristi >
	Mitch Canter We always love having Mitch on the NMX stage. When it comes to design and WordPress, his knowledge is second to none. (And he’s also one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet!) Learn More and Connect with Mitch >
	Rich Brooks Who better to speak at NMX than the guy who has been to every single NMX/BlogWorld since it started? Rich’s sessions are always popular and packed with information, so make sure you get a seat early. Learn More and Connect with Rich >
	Rob Barnett With his company My Damn Channel, Rob has worked with people such as Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and Rolling Stones, as well as helped emerging talent build their audiences. We can’t wait to have him share his knowledge on the NMX stage. Learn More and Connect with Rob >
	Robert Scoble If you haven’t seen Robert Scoble speak, now’s your chance! He’s interviewed technology innovators, and we’re happy to welcome him back as an NMX speaker to share what he’s learned. Learn More and Connect with Robert >

This is just the first wave of speakers we’re announcing for our 2014 conference. If you’re interested in speaking, you can still submit your proposal here. Our deadline is September 2, but as you can see, we’re announcing speakers even sooner, so don’t wait to get your proposal in!

And remember, if you’re as excited about our speaker line-up as we are, pick up a ticket to NMX 2014 this week. Early bird pricing expires on Friday, June 21. You can register for NMX here; tickets start at just $97.

How Social Media is Changing the Face of Hiring

Author: www.we1af2.blogspot.com - 86254 RUB GAZPROM INVEST wqp

Social media has made a huge impact on recruitment and the recruitment process. Companies, head hunters, and recruitment agencies are turning to social media sites to promote available positions, research potential applicants, and make a decision on whether the applicant they have chosen is the best match for their business. On average, recruitment statistics show that around 89% will use social media at some point during the recruitment process to make a decision, with 80% of recruitment agencies using LinkedIn in particular to find potential applicants for positions they are working on.

Why Social Media?

Social media will simply tell you a lot about a person that might not be apparent on a CV or resume. A basic Facebook page can tell companies how the person conducts themselves and how they interact with other people online. It also tells recruiters about the person’s communication skills, whether they were truthful on their application, and whether there is any reason they shouldn’t be accepted for the position.

In fact, a large number of companies will now turn to social media before they even contact the applicant for the first time. This saves them time and energy and ensures that anyone they interview is the right fit for the company. Many times when I have been approached for a job myself, it is because I have been headhunted by a recruiter who has found me through Twitter, Facebook, or even Google+.

One Step Further in Recruitment

Interestingly, recruiters are taking social media one step further when hiring. For example, the Omnicom Group used Twitter to find five interns for summer work without every seeing their CV or resume.

The company took note how each applicant responded to five tweets which were posted over five days, and from this information they were able to make a decision on the best five interns for the job.

Other companies have also turned to new media instead of relying traditional hiring processes. Skype, for example, is used for interviewing potential candidates, allowing recruiters to cast a broader net instead of just looking at the local pool of candidates.

What Recruiters Look For

The majority of companies using social media for their recruitment process use this valuable social media tool to ensure that the applicant has been honest about who they say they are. Companies can match this against the CV they received. Photographs on Instagram, for example, can show talent, but poor language on tweets and bad communication skills on Facebook can reflect badly on how a future employee conducts themselves on the social media sites.

Social media pages are brimming with information on schools attended, places worked, communication skills, photographs, and so much more. Often, it’s not just about a person’s skills, but also about whether or not they will fit with the team. Social media can help companies determine this. It’s easier for recruiters to make a decision between two very qualified applicants once they have read through their social media profiles.

Digital, design, and web have also combined to bring innovation to recruiters and simple innovation like these when applying for a job speaks more to businesses these days. Infographic CVs and resumes, for example, demonstrates skills without much explanation needed.

Exactly what a company looks for when it comes to social media will vary, but one this is for sure: the social media world is forever expanding and will not be stopping in the new face of hiring.

Do you use social media to hire new employees? Or have you been hired based on your social skills, even for a non-social job?

Image Credits: mkhmarketing, spencereholtaway, qubodup

June 2013

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