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Hello Alaska,
Well, I did it. After harping on you for eons to try Twitter as a communication tool, I have set up my TweetDeck. The download time wasn't bad for the desktop version I chose (it is also available for your smart phone, or a pad), and the program's interactive commands help you do anything from shortening and translating Tweets to sorting and monitoring your varied media (you can post to various outlets simultaneously from here). Total set-up time was about 30 minutes and now I am lost in the world of Tweets and twitters. The program beeps at you every time a follower sends a tweet, so my monitor is a continuous beep party. After eliminating about 400 friends, whom we followed, some resemblance of order has been restored. I will report with more news about using this tool, but for now let me tell you that there is a ton of valuable information being shared via links through this medium. One such example is the research below, which I discovered through a Tweet by Kristen Lindsey with Apokrisis here in town, a virtual guru in all things, well,.......virtual! You too can pick up what she's putting down by following her @apokrisis (all twitter accounts are Twitter@yadayada, so in account listings all you see is the @yadayada part) In a guest blog for the Harvard Business Review, David Aaker, recently discussed some findings from research conducted by Ernest Dichter, who reported the identification of four motivations for a person to share something - 1) (about 33% of the cases) Is because of product-involvement. The experience is so novel and pleasurable that it must be shared. 2) (about 24%) Is self-involvement. Sharing knowledge or opinions is a way to gain attention, show connoisseurship, feel like a pioneer, have inside information, seek confirmation of a person's own judgment, or assert superiority. 3) (around 20%) Is other-involvement. The speaker wants to reach out and help to express neighborliness, caring, and friendship. 4) (around 20%) Is message-involvement. The message is so humorous or informative that it deserves sharing. Additional findings discussed the interaction between the speaker (or sharer) and the listeners as it relates to providing information about products: · The speaker needs to be credible with experience and background that is convincing. A person does not need to be an expert although that can help, people that have an intense interest in a subject resulting in relevant experience and access to relevant people and information will qualify as well. · Listeners are skeptical of the speaker's motivation. They want the speaker to be interested in the listener and his or her well being without a bias. · Firms should promote a dialogue because a listener will be more likely to accept judgments from someone with whom there is an interaction going on. With a dialogue, it is much easier to communicate expertise, interest in the subject matter, and the right motivation because there is a chance to build up a relationship and use reassuring cues. In contrast, a one time, one-way communication will have a harder time demonstrating credibility and motivation. · Recommenders had a massive 80% average impact on purchases for some products. So, what was the topic of this study? Blogging? Facebook engagement? Effective use of social media? Actually, the survey specifically addresses word-of-mouth persuasion and was conducted in 1966. Turns out, almost 50 years later, that's all social media really is; Word of mouth on steroids!! ------------------------------------------------------- Dale from the Denise Lake Lodge (http://www.deniselakelodge.com) shared this potential scam with me: We recently received a bill from a company we are not familiar with. They said something about verbal agreement on the phone - something we don't do. I maintain files and contracts on all forms of advertising. There are a number of similar complaints on Google. The gal I spoke with said that they were online at www.yps.com, but I could only find them under www.yellowpagesolution.com. Thought you might want to alert your businesses and friends as they may be receiving one of these as well. Will do, thank you Dale and I'll see you all next week. Until then, enjoy a very safe 4th of July!!
What's cooking at the Anchorage SBDC?
Visit the SBDC Facebook page to find an event, or class in your area.
Do you do business with rural Alaska? If so, check out http://bush907.com, Nome's online network to find local contacts and events. Notice the strategically placed Buy Alaska section on your right hand side, something Winnie lined up during a visit a few weeks ago. Good work Ms. Cichosz!! ------------------------------------------------------- Didn't celebrate enough over the 4th of July? Then visit the: Eagle River Bear Paw Festival - Operation Bear Paw!! July 6-11 Sponsored by the Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce Visit http://www.bearpawfestival.org for event information and vendor entry forms. ------------------------------------------------------- Saturday July 9th AppleTree Books & Gifts is hosting the All Alaska Authors 12212 Old Glenn Highway, Suite A in Eagle River across from Alaska USA 10 am to 3 pm. Authors scheduled for book signings are; Barbara Lavalle, Barb Mee, Anne Canterbury, Carol Roper and Mary Ann Poll. Also scheduled to be at the store that day are many of the local vendors that sell their handcrafted items at AppleTree. Call 622-7323 for more information. ------------------------------------------------------- How is this for a sweet hotel promotion? CLOCK OUT, KISS WORK GOODBYE and GRAB YOUR VACATION PAY"!! Stay a consecutive two-night weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) at the Crowne Plaza Anchorage Hotel or any IHG hotel and get a $75.00 Vacation Pay Prepaid MasterCard to use toward anything you want! Follow these simple steps. Step 1: Register for the promotion here: www.crowneplaza.com/vacationpay Step 2: Book a weekend stay at the Crowne Plaza Anchorage Hotel or any IHG hotel. You must be a U.S. resident and stay must be completed by August 31, 2011. Step 3: Submit rebate via mail to receive $75.00 Vacation Pay Prepaid MasterCard Step 4: Offer to take me out for dinner (just seeing if you're paying attention) ------------------------------------------------------- Never Sets Film Festival (NSFF) is looking for community partners throughout Urban and Rural Alaska who can help host festival screenings in their own respective communities this coming August and September. Every borough across the state is welcome to participate in this great opportunity to give a voice to the visual storytellers of Alaska. Participation includes finding a functional venue and digital projector in the interested community, promoting the event to the community as a whole, and helping providing volunteers in that community who are willing to help out. For more information, visit online @ www.NeverSets.Org | 
