Words to the Wise

I know I’ve talked to you about using Google Alerts to mine competitive data, keep on top of your online brand and even use it snag property deals before there’s even a sign on the front lawn. Those uses have always been no-brainers to me.

And to me, there’s still no fuzziness about using Google Alerts to gain info on people, including potential clients, bosses, employees, mothers-in-law, neighbors, local politicians and even former bosses who burn their house down or threaten you with cease and desist orders.

In fact, my thoughts on Google Alerts were recently used by Jonathan Fields in his blog post: Stalking Or Due Diligence: Google Alerts Gone Bad?

In case you couldn’t tell, I’m @JPJay411 on Twitter.

To add to my comments on Jonathan’s blog, I think it’s important to note that gathering information is one thing, but how you use it is where value rests. Getting a fresh piece of news about a friend, client, or potential client gives you an opportunity to connect, even if it’s just a brief email or note that keeps you on their radar and holds that proverbial door open for the next project or sale.

If you’re looking for a good way to see if your brand is being mentioned on Twitter, try search.twitter.com. You can even set up RSS feeds so you’ll know when people are mentioning your terms.

Please stalk responsibly.

Jason Pedley is a professional copywriter based near Raleigh, North Carolina. Contact Jason Pedley today - mail@jasonpedley.com or (860) 886-3455.

According to a report by Pew Internet & American Life Project, 49% of those who use the Internet also use search engines such as Google and Yahoo! on any given day. Sources with the project say this is an indicator of search engine users’ desire to be in the ‘driver’s seat’ and find what they want online as opposed to having it given to them passively.

I say it’s an indicator that someone’s lying to the researchers. 49%? For real?

The project began back in 2002 when, at the time, only 29% of Internet users said they used a search engine on an average day.

As for email, 60% of users claimed to use email on the average day.

I’m assuming the other 40% were lying or too busy checking email to respond the to the survey.

Also according to the report, search engine users tend to be “socially upscale” with at least some college under their belts and incomes of more than $50K a year. Younger users search more on a typical day and men are more likely to use a search engine than women…Don’t look at me. I don’t make this stuff up.

Jason Pedley is a professional SEO content copywriter based near Raleigh, North Carolina. Need SEO content that improves your online presence? Contact Jason Pedley today - mail@jasonpedley.com or (860) 886-3455.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

-Winston Churchill

What are you seeing in your business?

Does anybody really remember (or want to remember) life before things like email, the Internet and cable TV?

Here’s a list of five things that I use nearly everyday that I can’t imagine (or sometimes remember) living without:

1. My Olympus digital voice recorder. I’m a multi-tasker. And let’s face it, I have to be - I work alone. So when a client or potential client calls while I’m deep in the middle of writing content for a website, it’s great to have a tool that can capture all the details of a phone call so that I don’t look silly asking for the callers notes. The recorder is under $100 but worth every penny. It plugs directly into my USB port so I can save all the conversations I want. COST - under $100

2. Jott. Much like number 1 on this list, Jott is an audio program. Kind of. When I’m in the car and need to literally make a note of something, I call Jott. It’s an automated program that lets you dictate notes to yourself and have them sent to you via email. How cool is that. And while Jott only allows you to speak for about one minute at a time, I’ve actually dictated ebooks to myself this way - and then gone back and made corrections. Jott is not perfect - but it’s one of he best voice recognition services I’ve seen. You can integrate Jott with Twitter, WordPress and more. www.jott.com COST - Free (for now).

3. My Garmin GPS. I’m a big aviation enthusiast, so every time I read about the latest Garmin ‘glass cockpit’ I smile and chuckle to myself knowing that I have similar technology here on terra firma. My Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS isn’t just a cool map system, it’s an MP3 player, a currency converter, photo album, travel clock, currency converter, calculator and more. COST - $350

4. My laser printer. Ok, laser printers have been around for a while now. But for a home office freelance copywriter like me, they were less-than-affordable for a long time. Until now. My HP LaserJet P1006 prints quickly and flawlessly. Yes it’s only black and white printing but as a writer, my need for color is small. For color jobs, I outsource to my local Staples - since I have a membership. COST - $99

5. My iPod Shuffle. No on-screen display? No problem. With the ability to quickly load and arrange songs via iTunes, the Shuffle makes perfect sense for me. I can use it to listen to audiobooks, motivational MP3s and even lectures from universities that make their audio lectures available on iTunes. COST - $50

Part of the point is that I COULD live without all of these items - if I wanted to. But with the increased productivity I see from these items, why would I want to give them up?

Are you even recognizing it as a slowdown? Despite the media frenzy surrounding the credit crunch, mortgage crisis, food prices et al, I have clients and friends who are defying ‘logic’ and actually doing well in this economy. In fact, a few are even growing faster BECAUSE of the downturn.

If you’re like me, you’re taking the downturn as an opportunity to grow and profit in new areas you might not have thought of. One of my clients is doing this by taking their online real estate business into new countries. I’m taking my business global thanks to a couple of new clients on the other side of the world.

Here are some strategic ways to stay ahead, and even grow, despite the economic downturn:

1. Have a Plan

It’s one thing for you and your business to enter an economic downturn mentally prepared, but are you prepared on paper? Do you have a plan that trims unnecessary spending? It doesn’t matter if you’re a one-person operation or an 100,000+ employee organization, everything can be scrutinized and put into a plan. If you have your strategies and tactics in the form of a company plan, you and your employees will be more likely to follow it. Saving on items such as electricity, supplies, perks and more can free up vital dollars for core elements like marketing and customer service. Too often companies cut from the largest budgets (like marketing) without realizing they are the most important budget.

2. Speaking of Marketing…

Marketing can be broken down into channels. And while cutting marketing as a whole might not be advantageous to you, cutting some channels may be. It’s time to look carefully at your ROI for each channel. Find out what’s working and what’s not. You may be able to get away with shifting money within your marketing mix to maximize channel productivity. If your website isn’t producing how you want it to, hire a copywriter to look over the copy and make suggestions. See what you can do to boost your search engine rankings.

3. Improve Customer Service

In an age where customer service is declining, now is the time to stand out by offering the best customer service you’ve ever offered. Get with your team. Discuss the situation. Tell them their jobs depend on it…they’ll get the hint. Treat your customers as if your livelihood depends on it - because it does.

As for me, I’m using the downturn to beef up my web presence, turn some of my attention overseas, and capitalize of my current pool of clients by offering them the best service I can. I’m also offering partner services, including bog management, graphic design, web design and PR services through professionals I’ve worked with in the past.