Disqus - Latest Comments for Chad

Re: Twitter And Magpie: Point And Counterpoint

Chad — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:22:56 -0000

I am only following around 100 people right now and it is still a challenge to keep up as thoroughly as I would like. I don't think I have seen any MagPie ads from anyone I follow yet, but it seems like that is just more noise I would have to learn to filter.

Re: Five billion iTunes songs sold. One looming problem: AmazonMP3 is better

Chad — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:39:57 -0000

Agreed. I didn't know anything about Amazon Mp3 until I looked for an obscure album on its release date -- I checked iTunes, major music retailers, and even small niche indie stores all to no avail. I ended up finding it on Amazon for an incredible price. You would think I would keep coming back (which I know I should) but it hasn't been in the forefront of my mind when thinking about music (Is retention their problem?). Maybe it is the ease or maybe it is habit, but iTunes is at my fingertips when I get one of those spur-of-the-moment album cravings. Great post, nonetheless!

Re: Industry-Speak: Are You Guilty?

Chad — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:30:34 -0000

I seem to hear "let's touch base about that offline" at least twice during every meeting (glad it was included in the BBC article). It has never really bothered me, but I can't help but to chuckle when I hear it. I need to look in the mirror though, I have been catching myself saying "I'm trying to wrap my head around it." Is there an office-speak anonymous?

Re: Do You Have a 30-second Intro?

Chad — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:30:37 -0000

Great post -- I definitely need to look into the LinkedIn Q&A.

Our CEO has one of the most unique and interesting intros I've ever ran across. "We focus on creating platforms and environments that help stars shine - and in our view, small businesses are the stars of America. If small businesses thrive, our world is a better place - more jobs are created, the economy improves and more people become empowered." It may be a different approach, and it doesn't really explain the industry, but it certainly opens up dialogue.

Re: The Press Release Triple Threat

Chad — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:45:53 -0000

PRLog has definitely been a great tool for me. I seem to get a pretty good response from Press Method as well.

Re: Blog and Ping Facebook Style

Chad — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:35:38 -0000

Excellent ideas!

I wonder how Visa's new Small Business Network on Facebook is going to contribute. Note and tag is definitely a great way to get everyone involved.

Re: The Best City for Entrepreneurs

Chad — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:58:36 -0000

I work in downtown Denver, and although everyone complains about how expensive it is, we are surrounded by start-ups everywhere. I think the laid back lifestyle might counter inflated costs. CNN ranked it the 7th best places to "live and launch" so there have to be some factors other than just personal preference.

Re: Cheap Gas Makes You Lazy

Chad — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:05:49 -0000

Those are great tips, especially beginning the 2nd half of the year.

Re: Perspective Gives Meaning

Chad — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:10:35 -0000

Excellent! Last night I read "The Back of the Napkin" by Dan Roam (in one sitting), and it definitely helped by giving me a different perspective of bringing creativity into every aspect of business(or everyday problems, for that matter). This book wasn't off-topic, but I can see how it directly relates with your approach. Taking a different approach to something "routine" always seems to spark something in me.

Re: Alltop is Great Listening Device

Chad — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:41:54 -0000

Guy is probably top in the game of listening and being proactive to what users are asking for. Frienderati? Utterati? Nice work. Duct Tape-rati?

Re: A Practical Use for Twitter

Chad — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:56:24 -0000

Oh man, I use it for business purposes (or I try), but before I know it I am like a kid in a playground.

Re: A Rank Checking Tool

Chad — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:44:38 -0000

Great tool. Rank Checker's logo always makes me laugh a little -- we refer to it as "Ronk Checker" around here.

Re: Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

Chad — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:09:58 -0000

Peter makes all of his emails so personable even if I don't find a topic in a related category, I still really enjoy reading what he is doing.

Re: Using Craigslist for Outsourcing and Hiring

Chad — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:00:25 -0000

I have found my two previous jobs (which happen to be my favorite) on Craigslist. Both jobs I applied for didn't list the company name, which had me a little hesitant to go forward, but everything worked out for the best.

If you haven't read anything about Jim Buckmaster, you should definitely find some articles -- he is a rather interesting guy.

Re: Twitter for Business

Chad — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:45:32 -0000

Thanks for the guide! The rest of my marketing team seems to be dumbfounded by Twitter so I just passed your guide around to them. There isn't too much of a buzz about electronic payment processing (other than PayPal), but by creating the RSS feeds (that you mentioned in the guide), I feel like I am having the "big picture" fed to me. Thanks, again!

Re: Amazon Trots Out More eCommerce Tools

Chad — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:50:11 -0000

Amazon Payments may have only been released a week or so ago, but there is certainly a buzz around our office about it. They provide both merchants and consumers with more alternatives and have very similar rates than PayPal and Google Checkout, including volume discounts.

In regards to Daniel's comment about Amazon being synonymous with online bookstore, I completely disagree. Simply search for "PayPal Alternatives" -- there has been a lot of negative PayPal feedback which opens the doors for competitors, especially with a trusted name.

Re: Content as a Referral Source

Chad — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:59:54 -0000

I was reading an article about houseofjerky.net's success using HARO when I got the RSS feed for this post -- Peter Shankman is everywhere!

Re: If You’re Not Participating in Social Media

Chad — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:46:56 -0000

I certainly think more positively about companies that have a personal touch to their blog, not just companies that have a blog for the sake of having one.

Re: Maybe the Best $100 You Ever Spent

Chad — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:53:17 -0000

Oh, the relevancy! We are in the process of doing usability testing right now. Because we are looking for small business owners to actually come into our office, I have been locally searching on Facebook's Visa Small Business. This is definitely another avenue I am going to bring to everyone's attentions. Thanks again, John!

Re: I Don’t Have Time for Marketing

Chad — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:14:57 -0000

I like your idea of themes. If one of the themes works especially well, it is something to incorporate on a daily basis. If not, at least I had the chance to test the waters and learn from it.

Re: Yes But Would You Pay For It?

Chad — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:26:08 -0000

In response to the "if there is someone in today’s web 2.0 world that has something they can give to me for a price, there will be someone else willing to offer it free of charge!" -- I completely agree. But if I find myself using a free service or program on a daily basis I am at least willing to donate something to their cause. If it is useful enough to me, then the creators probably put a lot of time and thought into it.

I really like Peter Shankman's approach:
"So a few things about this list: First off, yes, it's free. It takes me a few minutes each day to do this, and the good Karma is immeasurable. So I'm not charging. If you really feel like sending me a donation or something, why not just send a few bucks to an animal hospital or animal rescue society somewhere. Some good places are Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, or The National Search Dog Foundation. That'll keep the good Karma flowing."

Now there is a service(and a philosophy) I would like to contribute to.

Re: Always Be Testing

Chad — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:25:57 -0000

I have had a chance to use the Google tools, but they were limiting. We have recently moved to Omniture, and although we have had bumps in the road installing it, it has definitely been worth breaking things down granular.

Great podcast!

Re: Are You Too Online?

Chad — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:29:54 -0000

Great advice. We've seen some great results having our online presence mirror our offline, especially in an industry in which many businesses ignore online tools -- I think that has helped us stand out in the crowd. Loved the simile, too.

Re: Go to Your Edge and Push Past It

Chad — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:55:08 -0000

Love the idea to ask an industry rockstar for an interview for a blog. I have been thinking about that for weeks, but maybe I just needed to be...pushed over the edge. Thanks for the encouragement, John!

Re: Small Business is the Economic Bailout

Chad — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:19:04 -0000

I have found a variety of articles about this survey today and you are the first one to take a level-headed approach. Like always, you do a great job of showing a different perspective.

Re: Your Marketing Organized

Chad — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:23:21 -0000

Being a part of a very small Marketing department, this is a great visual. Thanks!

Re: Think Search When Considering a Blog

Chad — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:19:58 -0000

I would say 75% of the people in our small business still don't understand the value that a blog brings -- I'll certainly pass this on to them so they finally hear it from someone other than me. Ha!

Those that are new to blogs and think they are too time consuming need to find an aggregator for their favorite feeds. Google Reader has cut down a lot of the time I find myself reading "random musings".

Re: Talking Social Media with Chris Brogan

Chad — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:35:14 -0000

Finally got around to listening to this podcast and I'm glad I did. It's nice to hear a conversation from the authors of the two blogs I read most frequently.

Re: LinkedIn Joins the Application Craze

Chad — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:16:45 -0000

This is certainly a great idea -- I only wish it would have worked for me. I tried to add the WordPress application to no avail. It will be interesting to see what they add in the rounds to come.

Re: Get Your Google Alerts via RSS

Chad — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:58:35 -0000

I've never seen the Feedheads application before. This is a great addition to Google Alerts, which always comes in handy on a daily basis. Ah, Google, you hurt so good.
Thanks, John.

Re: Do Social Network Profiles Help Your Business?

Chad — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:07:36 -0000

I think I share a pretty common name, but with the more content I submit, the more I have seen my name rise in the rankings. I still need to get over the hurdle of the chad.com/nets, but it is only a matter of time.

Re: Free Social Media for Business ebook

Chad — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:09:38 -0000

Like Jacqueline mentioned, this was another terrible experience trying to log in/create an account with Microsoft -- I'm still trying to get another one resolved.

On a positive (and more on-topic) note, this is a great resource that I'll certainly pass on to beginners/non-users.

Re: Kiva Gives Entrepreneurs Some Wonderful Perspective

Chad — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:38:36 -0000

Great idea to use this as part of a Christmas present! And John, just thought I would let you know there is a typo in your link to get to your podcast page. Definitely going to listen right now, thanks.

Re: Great SEO Tool on Sale Today Only

Chad — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:48:43 -0000

I am giving this software a shot. I really like how everything is listed out, but I am not too impressed with the information or tasks provided yet. I'll give it some more time before I give up on it.

Re: Natural Advantages of Small Business in a Down Market

Chad — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:38:37 -0000

I always hear so many great things about Seth's blog, but I have never really gotten too into it. This is a great change to get a taste -- I'm sure I'll realize that I have been missing come Monday.
Thanks, John

Re: Now’s the Time to Repackage Your Offerings

Chad — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:23:43 -0000

Great tips to consider. We have recently removed our setup fees to make sure there are no barriers between whether or not customers try out our SaaS. As you mentioned, this created a great reason to act now.

Re: Seth Godin Thinks You’re Boring

Chad — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:07:40 -0000

Was there a problem with the sound when the interview started? I wasn't getting anything, but I will certainly download the session now.

Re: Who Holds You Accountable?

Chad — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:10:47 -0000

I agree with Paul on this one. When I see CEOs using social media, I am blown away with how they are able to create enough time in their day to keep up.

Re: Pepsi Reaches out to Digital People in Analog

Chad — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:13:55 -0000

Can't say I am a huge fan. To be honest, when I first saw this I thought Obama and Pepsi were getting together to share logos. Maybe I am just being fed too much political noise? Either way, it is good they are making the effort to get bloggers involved. If it wasn't for this blog, I wouldn't have known about the new design.

Re: How You Can Help End the Problem of Blogs With Great Content and No Readers

Chad — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:05:12 -0000

Let the discovering begin! #4

Re: The Paperless Home

Chad — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:28:05 -0000

Unfortunately I see phone books and newspapers sitting outside my building daily. People aren't even picking them up, so there is no way they could possibly be using them. I have been trying to get paperless billing for the longest time.I go to their sites, sign up for it, and then I get a bill in the mail. It's nice they have the options on their sites, now it is about execution (at least in my case).