March Madness

As a past Board Member of International Housewares Representative  Association Board (IHRA). Barbara Segal always attends The Housewares Show in Chicago. It was great meeting up with Manufacturer friends, watching celebrity Chef aka Paula Deen, Mario Batali, and Todd English. Social Media and Twitter were very much alive at the Housewares show, and they had a blogger room with Manufacturer Press Releases, Snacks and was equal to any Press Rooms. BSA twittered under three accounts the whole show, and Blogges were treated with respect  and interest from most large Manufactures. The Housewares Show was alive with tweetpics which honestly sent you and others to some of the amazing connection of Twitter.
  
Barbara then flew to NYC to attended The Architectural Digest Design Show . I attended as To The Trade.  As a supporter of DiFFA for years I also attended the  Diffa NYC Designing By Design.  Thanks to Twitter I won two tickets see post.  She invited a non trade friend to attend with the show with the winning tickets. Again Twitter was alive and they had a Blogger/Twitter Connect Booth Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  The women in these booths I had not met personally before but they felt like old friends, because we tweet.   

March has been a great busy month of Travel, meeting up with established Manufacturer relationships and meeting new potential clients. My long standing relationships were met face to face, at cocktails at Natuzzi Soho I saw an old business friend from years ago, and business dinners.  Barbara Segal is on Twitter daily, and has found it to be the most amazing powerful form of connected, branding, and making business happen.  On twitter BSA has made new business contacts, including Publishers, Editors, CEO, and Presidents.  Twitter helps you build a network then when you due meet,  the relationship is more relaxed and friendly. If you would like to know how Barbara Segal and Associates works follow @Babssegal.  Barbara Segal & Associates is a writer for several blogs, handles Social Media for several clients through the country.  Twitter is 100% branding, communicating, and responding to conversation. If you want to know about a brand look at their follows and followings and follow and review their Tweets, it is an open door and says alot about the quality of the person in the position.  Quality not quantity is most important on Twitter.

@Babssegal often twitter dismay at Companies who still do not get Twitter and Social Media. Barbara Segal's Facebook is filled with editors and close business connections/friends. Linkedin is not for my clients, but I am on there loud and clear.   

• Barbara Segal has been putting true efforts into helping the Nation Trust For Historical Preservation Save America's Treasures. Non-Profit Cause

• Babs believe Social Media serves well for a Non Profit cause.  BSA know how it can make things happen as I was personally thanked by the winner of the The Pepsi Refresh Challenge at SxSW this month as well. 

Thank you for your kind words. So happy you won PepsiRefresh #SxSW Challenge!!!! RT @hardlynormal: @BabsSegal thanks so much.

MY favorite saying is: Only you can make it happen.  March has been a great crazy mad month.   The BIG question?  Do I like foursquare?  No! I feel it is unsafe for many Mothers and ridiculous when you see everyone small town locations.  Who cares?  Next....

What A Year 2009

2009 has been a year of utilizing Wordpress, Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Delicious, Linkedin, and social platforms to generate and share content. Facebook alone has more then 350 Million Members and almost $1 billion  in annual sales. Setting up Facebook Fan pages became a cruicial part of branding and social media in 2009. Linkedin became one of the most popular social media web sites of 2009 with the down economy. Many professionals found networking with business relationships and groups online easy, efficient, and friendly thanks to Linkedin. Reconnecting with trusted business relationships became a great asset in 2009. At Barbara Segal and Associates we found 2009 to be a year of:

•  We fully immersing ourselves in the Net Etiquette culture, by starting a blog, twittering, and building relationships with key Etiquette players and bloggers to Be Polite on the Internet.

•      We grew new followings thru blogging, utilizing facebook, and twittering about recipes kids love. Our twitter communities were grown organically. Utilizing SEO, no apps that spam others twitter accounts, and deleting twitter accounts without profiles and or suspicous global locations.    
  

•     We acknowledged part of Public Relations is based on personal relationships as well as social.  Barbara Segal traveled to Washington DC, Chicago, New York, and Newport, RI in 2009. Recognizing being LA based, has great advantages in the PR area, Branding, and Social Media world with the Golden Globes, Emmy's, Oscars, and celebrity accessibility.
  

•     Barbara felt grateful in the recession of 2009 to have a part time job with a large Retailer which provided a health insurance plan (the hot topic of the Obama administration) for a self employed full time professional. I benefited in other ways as well by understanding first hand todays consumer, fashion, style, design, and customer service. Stay tune in 2010 Barbara Segal is writing a book ...."Hello Big Box Retailers". 
  

•     Enjoyed sharing the joy with clients when they received radio coverage, TV news coverage, magazine/print editorial or press, and top web-site mentions.  And of course the celebrity pictures they  posted on Facebook in 2009.
  
  
  
  

Who You Hire For Social Media, Public Relations, and Internet Marketing M@tters

At Barbara Segal & Associates we have been working on the Internet since 1995. One can claim to be an Internet Expert but make sure you see the proof. For the past year we have worked with a Non Profit where we helped revolutionize them into Web 2.0, Facebook, Twitter, and the New Social Media platform of business on the Internet. Our passion and knowledge of the web, is fueled by a Barbara Segals' visionary talents, design experience, and knowledge of technology. Our consulting business is backed with years of corporate experience.

Do not mistake cost for quality. Hiring web building company's who advertise low costs for building your 2.0 web world often turns out to be the most incredibly costly web sites. They charge higher fee's for any additional web work with small hidden cleaver verbiage in their contracts. You seldom build a relationship with one person and work with many different employee's which often runs up time which equals fees. These low cost firms hold your company hostage with access to all pass codes and platforms. It's a sad thing to meet with new clients and hear their stories of horror with con-men run web businesses.

At Barbara Segal & Associates when meeting new clients we point out that your decision to hire a Internet Marketing Expert involves trust, responsibility, and your Brands reputation. You the client should always control all your passwords by being the administrator to your Domains, Hosting Software, and any Technology involving your company. You then assign others to get into the sites by inviting them to be secondary administrators, where they then set up their own passwords. Thus being Administrator you are in control. After all you are entrusting all pass codes to your company domain website, and all your social media sites as well. Too often CEO and small business owners do not realize the importance of control until it is to late and they are held hostage by these web developer con men. They never had your company business at heart, they had the big money making scheme in place. Time and time again Barbara Segal & Associates meets with people who tell us they owe thousands of dollars to web building companies. One of the biggest scam going in business, is companies being taken for thousands and hundreds of dollar in fees, because they do not understand the technology and the web. Never hire someone to build a website, blog, or Facebook page where you have not checked their references thoroughly. If they have a fabulous portfolio fabulous, next speak with the potential candidates clients. Take the time to contact them and ask questions. Several years ago a General Manager called us in a panic as their IT person was holding their Music Business hostage. He had all the codes, all the power and wanted his employment demands met. Today he is no longer with the company and the Music Company learned a valuable lessen. Be in control and trust who you work with.

• Were they easily assessable
• Did they responded quickly to your needs
• Could be found by phone when needed during emergency situations
• Did they stay consistent with their fees over time
• Were they available throughout the contract for updates
• Was the quality of the work good
• How was their grammar and writing skills
  
• Did they grasp the Industry and come up with use full ideas?
  

With the unemployment rate at a all time high many unemployed people have recently taken to Blogging for Hire. Barbara Segal & Associates has been Blogging For Hire since the beginning of the blogs and has google proof. Our solid reputation, keen knowledge of industries, corporate, and professional topics is backed with over 20 years of experience. The younger generation all know computers, however think through their Net Etiquette before hiring them. Ask to see their: Facebook Twitter Accounts, and Linkedin references. This position is for one of the most important positions you will hire as they may be behind a computer but they represent your brand or company 24/7. Your Facebook page, Blog, and Tweets on Twitter are to represent your Brand, Business, Industry, or Non Profit and should not be mixed with late night Digital Parties pics gone wild.

• Does your candidate speak proper corporate language on the net or are they using abbreviated text slang that is their new vocabulary?
• How much experience have they had?
• Do they have knowledge of corporate procedures?
• Is their reputation a good one in the community.

Your relationship become invaluable, close, trusted, and power full with your Internet Marketing and Public Relations person. You should realize it is like any good relationship, it should last for centuries.

Why This Recession Is Not Going To Send Us Into Depression?

TIS THE SEASON

Early in December I was asked by a friend, if his son could interview me for a class report, on the economy. The friend who is a "Director"was quoted in the Financial Times this year in an article "That he is glad he saved his shekels." Myself a Blonde Heiress who is known to spend on Chanel, Prada, Gucci, and Travel answered"sure" I would be glad to do the interview for the kid.

Several weeks later on December 14, 2008 at 1:00pm I sat down for an interview with the 7th grader, DK let's call him, as he interviewed me. Upon my arrival it started out that the father was upset the Son was not going to write it down take notes like we did and have been trained to take notes. Being an Internet Marketing and Media leader since 1995 I watched the generation battle it out.

The 7th grader whining back, but DAD this is what we due "we do it on the computer." At 1:15pm privacy was given and the 12 year old who started asking the Questions while typing at his computer as only a 7th grader knows as his generation was weaned on Leapfrog. His questions were:

Has the economy effected you?

How has it changed your life?

Do you think we are in a Recession?

Do you think we will go into a Depression?

How long do you think it will last?

How can we change it? I ask we..he said the people....

Who do you think is the blame for our economy?
That one was easy, Bush I said.
But then I started to think, who's fault was it really?

How can we (the people help) went through my head all night? As a Internet Media and Marketing Consultant I feel blessed to be in the creative fueling forces of the Internet. The impact it has in my life makes me feel secure, informed and connected to the positive changes the Universe brings us.

Viral Marketing -makes me feel closer to my friends, family and business colleges. this year I joined Facebook, Linkedin and Myspace became boring but there. I was blessed to see new babies pictures within hours, girlfriends hot on the town, family, events, travels and thanks to Facebook. I became friends again with far away business contacts, cousins, nephews, my girl friends brother and mothers, my clients niece, people I just met and my ex husband 20 years later. You can say, Ignore (meaning-no go away) and hey you, the wall means "to the world" "graffetti on the 405."


Net-Ettique - In 2008 it became apparent that their was a reason for Net etiquette. This year brought..jokes, mistakes, and lessons of did the world need to know you party like "a slang word" or every move you made on twitter.

The instant access of the Internet makes my consulting business a necessary evil for many. Netiquette matters in business!


Blogging - Became more main stream and tool a significant financial platform on the iphone and Backberry. So we caught celebrities with client products, made People magazine to name a few, did Hollywood Premiere's, jumped on wordpress. Then viral marketed, social networking and Blackberry and iphoned it with the amazing speed of the new worlds fast reply and results.

Photography- Pictures tell a million stories. In 2008, Barbara Segal and Associates had the pleasure of meeting, working with and being phographed by the famous Patrick McMullan. Pictures, videos, podcasts all move through the Internet. This year moving photos faster (within 24 hours) to Editors, Publishers, on Blogs and via Facebook, iphone, and Blackberry.

Video - You Tube In 2008 uploaded Videos became common, necessity, business as usual. It became a Marketing Tool, an Educational, a main stream form of entertainment. President Elected Obama contributed his winning to his Internet Videos, Facebook, the Power of Oprah and started Change.gov with Videos keeping the Public informed.

What will I do during this economy? I for one will "Hang Tough" as my Uncle Richard Winters who commanded Company E during World War II always writes. Can I make a living as an Internet Media and Marketing Consultant, with out a Detroit Automobile or living outside of Illinois?

Absolutely!


How has the economy Affected You?


At this Holiday time of year, be thankful for your friends, for your family, for your health, and your job as I read in yesterdays "New York Times."

This Holiday we can all Skype, iphone, blackberry, text, and e-mail from afar and teach the children we recognize there is a recession.

What Is Your Blog Post Saying About Your Business?

With several years of Blogging for business clients under our belt at Barbara Segal and Associates we find it quite common to consult and motivate business owners on Blogging POSTS. A good mix of styles of posts can work well on a blog. Two styles of post we often warn and encourage business owners of are:

A Rant – in which a company or business get passionate, stirred up, and say what’s on their mind and tell it like it is. Rants are great for starting discussion and causing a little controversy and they can also be quite fun if you do it in the right spirit. However something we always remind our clients of is never get personal as in the heat of the moment we say things that we later regret and that can impact our reputation the most. Blogs posts stay forever! They can also be the beginnings of a flaming comment thread.

On the flip side to the angry rant (and not all rants have to be angry) a company can post an Inspirational and motivational post. People like to hear good news in their niche as it motivates others. Tell a story of success or paint a picture of what could be. Focus on area your business is looking for success in. Write about your own experience or that of others and spread the word.

Photos are a key part of attracting readers and a video is the piece de résistance in the blogging world today. Posts that mean something to a business, that are written with passion and that bring out some kind of emotional response in your readers will make the most impact upon people.

Is Your Business Blogging and Social Networking?

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own."
Benjamin Disraeli

With over 8 million businesses in the United States, each one needs to try to stand-out from the crowd and grow their market share. Current public social networks for business people might not seem like a gain today, but what you can learn by using them for practical gain tomorrow. That’s why claiming your space makes sense for you now. If you don't claim your corporate name or business now, who will?

Personalized business network are and will be the future once everyone of your customers and prospects knows how to social networking. The tools like building profiles, sharing video and connecting based on mutual interests, your job of building your own social business network around your own very specific community of niche will be the future of small and large business.

Market Like You Mean It

The Power of the Internet

No matter where you are the power of blogging is heard around the world.