A good cure for this problem is to be linked to and from by other sites – especially sites that rank well for your desired keywords.  For instance, if it would be important to you to be ranked highly under the keywords “Bellevue Business”, it would probably be very beneficial to you to be linked to the Eastside Business Directory at BellevueBusinessJournal.com (which is consistently the #1 organic ranked site on Google for the keywords mentioned).  Once you have a link from us (we’ll probably want to share you on Twitter and Facebook too), you might want to share the love with a link back to our site from yours – and you might even decide that you would like to write a regular (or semi-regular) column for us.

The price of this online marketing help is normally only $100 for an entire year!!!  For a very limited time and only the first 50 businesses, the price has been slashed in half to $50 for 12 full months!  Get your business listed in the Eastside Business Directory now – before your competitors do!

Here is some more information about the directory:

Who should list their business in Eastside Business Directory?
(there are 180 categories – if we don’t have yours, let us know and we’ll create it)

• Anyone who sells a product, whether it’s a physical product or a digital product like an e-book
• Anyone who provides a service, like graphic designers, web designers, nannies, cleaning services, and bookkeepers
• Anyone who owns a store, whether it’s a bricks & mortar store or an online store
• Anyone who has a blog, website or other online presence they want noticed
• Anyone who wants increased sales, more exposure, and improved SEO.

Why should you list your business in Eastside Business Directory?

Here are just a few good reasons I can think of:

• It’s an extremely affordable way to market your business – it’ll cost you just $100 per year or $0.27 per day.
• It offers maximum exposure – something you definitely need. Well, at least for your business.
• It will help you increase your sales all year round.
• It will boost your SEO by having your URL link on a Google Page Rank 4 site
• It will get you on the #1 Googled site for Keyword “Bellevue Business”
• It will support your new business, product launches, promotions, specials and more

What will my Eastside Business listing look like?

Your Bellevue Business Journal Listing will look awesome. No, really…check out our current Eastside Business Directory

“Use of social media sites by businesses to communicate with customers and the public has grown significantly,” Breard says.  “But there are all kinds of hot button issues in this area and it’s very important for everyone in the financial industry to understand their liability.”

Entitled Understanding the signals in today’s regulatory environment, the seminar will also focus on new fidelity bond rules, professional liability exposure, and RIA custody rules among several other subjects. The event will be held at the Paramount Hotel from 9 AM until Noon, with a continental breakfast beginning at 8 AM.

All communications must be monitored

Regarding communication around trading activity, “broker-dealers need to be monitoring their employees’ transmissions via everything from phone calls and email to IM and Facebook chats,” Breard explalins.”

“As a broker, you’re responsible for everything your agents do.  And that can be a whole range of communication formats – from phoning to texting to blogging.”

In fact, according to FINRA rules, firms are required to retain records of all communications related to the broker-dealer’s business that are made through social media sites.

“You can’t plead ignorance anymore — the SEC won’t listen to that,” Breard emphasizes.  “If you don’t get your policy on this in shape, the fines can be horrendous.”

At the seminar, Breard will explain how firms can develop policies and procedures to train employees on separating business and non-business communications, and to enable appropriate compliance.

On October 14, 2011 Social Media for Nonprofits conference series will be coming to the Microsoft Conference Center in Redmond, WA to help connect hundreds of nonprofit professionals and organizations with leading nonprofit social media experts and their peers. The event will provide practical tips and tools for fundraising, marketing, and advocacy, all delivered by dynamic experts in keynotes, workshops, roundtables, and panels. Several of the prominent keynote speakers that have volunteered their time and expertise for the event are Charles Porch, the head of nonprofit relations at Facebook, Claire Diaz Ortiz, VP Social Innovation and Philanthropy at Twitter and Bryan Breckenridge of LinkedIn.

The conference will be followed by a networking reception and launch party for the newly released book, Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals. Edited by Social Media for Nonprofits Co-Producer and MC Darian Rodriguez Heyman and featuring practical insights from 50 leading experts across 35 topics, the handbook is designed as a compass for the social sector.

Social Media for Nonprofits is a young organization started by former Executive Director of Craigslist Foundation, Darian Rodriguez Heyman, and events producer, Ritu Sharma. Since its inception in June 2011, the conferences have brought social media trainings to sold out crowds in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington DC.

This program is tailored for non profits, agencies, community organizations and small businesses, and anyone else who wants to understand this new form of media. One important goal of the program is to provide valuable information on how to work with these interactive media sources to increase visibility, publicize events and more effectively reach target audiences. Topics covered will include how to write an effective press release, how to submit content, elements of a good news story and how to be a community journalist.

Confirmed panelists include Travis Mayfield – Executive Producer, Fisher Interactive Network , KOMO Communities, http://www.KOMOCommunities.com; Venice Buhain, Editor of Bellevue Patch, http://www.BellevuePatch.com; a representative from 425 Magazine, http://www.425magazine.com;  and Joe Kennedy, Publisher, Bellevue Business Journal,  http://www.BellevueBusinessJournal.com. Event moderator will be Maya, radio host at WARM 106.9 FM- http://www.warm1069.com.

To RSVP, please contact volunteer@bellevuewa.gov. If you have questions about the event, contact Khenry@bellevuewa.gov. This program is sponsored by the City of Bellevue Volunteer and Cultural Diversity Programs of the City of Bellevue.

Community-Based Media Panel Discussion, June 9, 1-3:30 pm, North Bellevue Community Center, 4063 148th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA 98009, Phone: 425-452-7681. http://www.bellevuewa.gov/north_bellevue_community_center_programs.htm

Founded by Charles Merrin, a gaming industry veteran who previously held executive positions at RealNetworks and Smith & Tinker, and Anatoly Tikhman, a technology industry luminary who led multiple companies to acquisition such as Symantec and Microsoft, Playteau is designing games with today’s rapidly evolving social gamer in mind. Playteau’s flagship title, Fortune Stones, is the first in an expanding portfolio offering players a fun, content-rich gaming experience that is completely accessible from any social gaming platform.

In Fortune Stones, players match three or more stones to score points and advance to higher levels. Unlike other “match 3″ games, Fortune Stones features two distinct game modes: Frenzy and Strategy. While Frenzy mode expands upon the arcade-style play of “match 3″ games, Strategy mode offers a different challenge for those interested in a more puzzle-oriented experience. In either mode, players earn exclusive bonuses and collection items that can be used to expand game content. The more people play, the more items they collect and the more personalized each gaming experience becomes.

“Fortune Stones is just the first of a growing portfolio for Playteau,” said Charles Merrin, President & Co-founder of Playteau. “Being avid online gamers ourselves, it’s been our goal since day one to produce entertaining games with features never before seen in the social arena. Following this mindset, future Playteau games will be built around unique personalization elements, innovative game play, and original socially-oriented features.”

Playteau plans to release Fortune Stones on additional social sites and platforms, including the Apple® iPad™, iPhone® and iPod touch®, in mid 2011. Learn more about Fortune Stones at http://playteau.com/games/

About Playteau

Playteau is creating a multi-platform portfolio of innovative and entertaining games for today’s rapidly evolving social gamer. While their initial games are designed specifically for the popular social sites, Playteau is keenly aware that the social game phenomenon is expanding everywhere, and believes a number of new social channels hold great promise for the right games. More information is available at http://playteau.com

Would you rather deal with @Comcast or @ComcastBill?  I know I would always rather know the name of the person that I’m dealing with – how about you?

After a recent experience, I am going to start demanding it!

Not too long ago, a local company had contacted me about something I had written online and wanted to meet.  I was very happy to hear from them and schedule a meeting.  When I showed up on the designated day at the promised time, neither of the people I was supposed to be meeting were available.  It was like the meeting had never even been scheduled.  After waiting 15 minutes, I finally started to leave before an unfortunate underling was forced to wave me down before I exited the parking lot.  The person was very apologetic, but she had no idea what the meeting was supposed to be about at all.

It turns out that somehow this meeting was arranged by this company’s “social media consultants” who “do” their social media on sites like Facebook and Twitter.  It turns out that I know, like and thought I was friends with these consultants – but how could they be so deceitful?

The end result was time wasted for both of us.  I’m sure she had better things to do with her time and I sure could of been out selling some real estate rather than trying to give them help they obviously didn’t want.

The bottom line on this for me is that I will no longer deal with, “like” companies or organizations online unless I know exactly WHO I am dealing with.

What is YOUR policy?  Does your business or organization hide behind a DBA when using social media or are you about openness and transparency?  Why do you choose to take that direction?

Are you really making all those posts across the social media platforms?  Or are you having an assistant doing it?  If an assistant is making the posts, do you give them credit for them – or take the credit for yourself?  (Don’t you think your customers and potential customers deserve to kn0w?).  Just how honest do you need to be online ….?

I don’t enter contests very often, but in the course of trying to help and promote a local Seattle-based LBS or location based service, I competed for and “won” a nerf gun, an iTunes gift card and a free dinner at a local restaurant.  Unfortunately I never saw any of them …

If in the same situation, how would you feel?  Would you continue to support and sing the praises of this company and their products/services?  What would you say if/when this company came up in conversation?  Would you blog about it?  Would you tell your friends?

I personally don’t use location based services anymore (well, rarely) and this is one of the reasons ..

The other day I was checking out my wall on Facebook and noticed that a local restaurant had posted a question as a contest and promised an unspecified prize.  I did some quick research and happened to be the first person to answer the question.  They did promptly congratulate me for my “win” and asked me to send my contact information to a certain email address.  I did, but four days later, still have not heard back from them.

I happen to like the restaurant a lot – and they used to be one of my best advertisers before they became corporate owned.

I still have hope that they will indeed give me a prize.

UPDATE:  It’s a week later and I waited to post this in hopes that they would actually come through, but no go.

After some more thought on this subject, it definitely isn’t the prize that is important in any of these cases – what is important is that companies and brands that I do business with and support do what they say they are going to do – especially when promoting and attempting to build their brand.  I have a feeling this is pretty important with a lot of other people too.  What are YOUR thoughts?

I’m supposed to be out of town Wednesday night and Thursday morning when they are giving away tickets, but unless some super kind soul can help me, in the name of being a good dad and helping my daughter any way I can, I will be cancelling my trip and planning to spend Wednesday night at Bellevue Square waiting until 10 am Thursday morning when they are supposed to be giving out 2000 pairs of tickets.

PLEASE let me know if you might be able to help – this is VERY important to one very special girl … and her father.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

We all hear that social media tools can be a boon to our businesses, but it’s tough to take full advantage of them—both professionally and personally. What better way to learn social media strategies than to see first-hand how Puget Sound executives benefit from social media in their own marketing plans?

On Friday, October 15, the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce will launch their Executive Social Media Challenge, pairing local executives with leading social media experts for a three-part, hands-on series on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs and more.

WHO:  Our regional executives will include Seattle City Councilmember Tim Burgess, (@CouncilmanTim), Swedish Medical Center CEO Dr. Rod Hochman, (@RodHochmanMD), and Quadrant Homes President Peter Orser (@peterorser).

Our panelists will be paired with Social Media Club Seattle’s Shauna Causey (@shaunacausey), The Fearey Group’s Aaron Blank (@seattleblank), and Microsoft’s Brian Seitz (@brianseitz).

WHAT: At each session, our executives will be challenged to enhance their presence in the social media realm.

At the same time, attendees and local businesses will be charged to take on the challenges themselves. Each week, participants will be given three social media action items to complete before the next event and will be encouraged to tweet about their progress using the hashtag #SocialExec.

WHY: This event is part of the Chamber’s ongoing efforts to strengthen regional business by providing them with the tools and technology to work better, faster and cheaper. This series will provide real-life examples of how businesses can successfully integrate social media into their own marketing strategies.

WHEN:

Part 1: Fri, October 15, 2010, from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. (includes breakfast)

Part 2: Fri, November 19, 2010, from noon to 1:30 p.m. (includes lunch)

Part 3: Fri, January 21, 2011, from noon to 1:30 p.m. (includes lunch)

WHERE:

Part 1 will be held at City Hall in the Bertha Knight Landes Room

600 Fourth Ave., Seattle 98124

Please visit seattlechamber.com/events to view details for subsequent events

RSVP:

General registration at seattlechamber.com/events.

They have a really great list of favorite links, but curiously enough they have not included BellevueBusinessJournal.com or IamEastside.com …