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Get your Team Button- Walk Now for Autism

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Autism_Walk_Button

We are working locally with Autism Speaks for their annual Walk for Autism in Lincoln, NE.  The kick-off event will take place on Saturday, June 27th at the Lincoln Grand theater in downtown Lincoln.  Doors open for registration and information at 9am.  A complimentary showing of the award winning “Autism – the Musical” will begin immediately following the Kickoff Presentation.  They will be serving popcorn and a beverage to enhance your theater experience.

The Nebraska Walk for Autism takes place on August 29th, 2009 at the Saltdogs stadium in Lincoln.  Registration starts at 1pm and the walk begins at 2pm.  Walk Now for Autism is a FREE family-friendly event.  There are activities for the children, resources for families, light refreshments and entertainment.

Walk Now for Autism, the nation’s largest grassroots autism walk program, is Autism Speaks’ signature fundraising and awareness event, taking place in communities across the United States, as well as in Canada and the United Kingdom. Powered by volunteers and families with loved ones on the autism spectrum, this successful grassroots fundraising effort not only generates vital funds for autism research but also raises awareness about the increasing prevalence of autism and the need for increased research funding to combat this complex disorder.

We are giving away digital promo buttons to be placed on team’s websites.  One per team, please.  Interested?  Just fill out the form below.  {The button is pictured above and is 150px x 150px}

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Blogging 101 Class Recap

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

We held a Blogging 101 class last weekend at Scooter’s in Lincoln on 84th & Van Dorn.  We were able to cover a lot of information despite the fact that Scooter’s wireless wasn’t that reliable (their service wasn’t, either).  Looks like we’ll be having our classes somewhere else in the future.  It was a shame, too, because their room was perfect!  We were really digging that plasma tv.

We had a few of our registered participants not be able to make it so it was a smaller group.  This ended up being ideal considering our wireless situation.

In attendance:

Jill- http://catchmoons.blogspot.com (private blog)
Tracy- http://spackpeople.blogspot.com (brand new blog!)
Sofia- http://sofiaandjacob.blogspot.com (private blog)

Instructors:
Christy- http://craftyconservative.blogspot.comhttp://christynelson.net
Deb- http://mjumbo.blogspot.comhttp://freshnestdesign.com

Social Media Club of Lincoln

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

The Social Media Club of Lincoln had its first meeting last night at Old Chicago in the Haymarket.  We had a great group and it was a fun night of getting to know each other.  I didn’t come away with a complete list of all who attended but wanted to list contact information of those that did happen to sign in.  Please leave your info in the comments if you aren’t on the list and I’ll add you!

Feel free to add your contact information to the wiki found at socialmediaclub.org.  The Social Media Club of Lincoln Facebook Page will also be a good resource of meeting information and a way for us to get to know each other.  

Lisa Davis  @oobbles

Beckie Albee @beckiealbee

Ali Schwanke @alisonannes

Stephanie Scharf  @5t3ph

Megan Hunnicutt @meganhunnicutt

Chris Rikli @chrisrikli

Nia Nielsen @nianielsen

Brad Coughlin @bradcoughlin

Deb Averett @mjumbo

Christy Nelson @sra_nelson

Our next meeting will be held at Doc’s Place on July 15th from 7-9pm. As we work on a schedule for the year, we’d appreciate some input.  Who would you like to hear speak?  What kinds of things would you like to learn?  What do you want to get out of Social Media Club?

Let us know in the comments or on the facebook page.

all photos taken by Lisa Davis

Entrepreneurs Can Change the World

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

We are in an interesting business as we are entrepreneurs trying to help other entrepreneurs.  It can often be a lonely road.  This video is such a good example of why we do what we do.

Using Twitter to Connect with Potential Customers

Friday, June 12th, 2009
image via flickr, copyright keela84

image via flickr, copyright keela84

A couple of weeks ago I was pleased to see that the Cornhusker Red Cross had a  twitter account.  I was planning on enrolling my children in their swim program and but had a few questions that weren’t addressed on their website.  I thought I would use twitter to get in contact with them.

Over the course of a week, I sent multiple replies to their twitter feed.  I got no reply.  In the end, I signed my kids up for swim lessons elsewhere.  I’m not mad or upset at the Red Cross.  I just found an alternative where the owners communicated with me in a timely manner.

What does this mean for businesses?  I’m sure the Red Cross will survive without having my children in their swim lesson program.  Maybe they don’t feel the need to use their twitter feed to interact with the public.  But, will your small business survive if you aren’t attending to your potential customers?  The Red Cross twitter account is promoted on their website but they aren’t taking the time to monitor it.

Here is my free tip for the Cornhusker Red Cross.*

  • Check your twitter stream for conversations directed at you.  It only takes a few minutes a day.

*If they know how to monitor what people are saying about them online, they will see this post.  If they aren’t monitoring what people are saying about them online, they might need our services.

Five Reasons Blogging is Important for Businesses

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

Why are so many businesses turning to blogs and other social media outlets to get their messages across?  On the other hand, why aren’t more business following suit and staking a claim in this market?  A successful blog is able to combine the value of a website, community forum, and newsletter in one area.

Is your business ready for a blog?  Do you have one and don’t know how to use it effectively?  Here are some reasons to add blogging to your arsenal of business tools.

1.  Customer Interaction. A blog forms a community and allows you to interact with your customers and gives them a glimpse into your business.

  • Bonus:  Building this sense of community increases trust in your brand and familiarity.
  • Blog readers (customers) feel invested in your business and will become loyal patrons.

2.  Expert Information. Blogs are driven by content.  If you are passionate about your business and what you do, use that to fill your blog with meaningful information for your customers and potential customers.

  • Bonus: You can establish yourself as an expert in your field.

3.  Accessibility. Having a blog allows you to be accessible to your audience and gives a great opportunity to provide superior customer service.

  • Bonus: Tracking your reputation online is a great way to gauge consumer confidence.  You can address any concerns via your blog or other social media avenues.

4.  Provide Your Own Message. You can’t control what others are going to say about your company.  You can, however, use a blog to get your message across in your own way.

  • Bonus: Unlike a newspaper article that becomes tomorrow’s trash, a blog post is indexed and archived and ready to be viewed over and over.  Adding valuable content increases readership over time.

5.  If you don’t, someone else will. Business blogging takes a committment and a little faith to stick with it before you start to see a return on the investment.  But we can promise you that if your competitors don’t already have a blog or social media strategy, they will soon.

Blogging is not a cure-all by any means.  If anything, it is just one of many important tools that can be implemented in an overall business plan.  Through blogging you can turn a person from a potential customer to a brand advocate.  Can your business afford not to blog?

Blogging 101 class announced

Friday, June 5th, 2009

Interested in learning more about blogging?  We will be having a *FREE* blogging class June 20th from 1-2pm at Scooter’s located at 84th & VanDorn in Lincoln, NE.

We will be learning the basics of blogging such as how to add a hyperlink, photo, and videos to your posts.  We will also be talking about adding information to your sidebar (with links), and adding google analytics to your site.

**Class size is limited, please register if you’re interested**

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