FridayFavourites

FridayFavourites
Friday is here and so is Mick Sharpe's roundup of talks and thoughts on Google+ this week.

#fridayfavourites   #googleplus  

Originally shared by Mick Sharpe

Ain’ters gonna ain’t

Another week of spinning around at a dizzying rate - I’m not sure it will ever end but I’m enjoying the ride. Hopefully I’ve not overlooked too much.

I’ve mentioned my admiration for the team behind EagleCO Vail2015 as they worked together to put a town on the map. Catch up with the project prior to the release of the Case Study in: Socializing of The EagleCO Project : The Experiment… (http://goo.gl/itdo06) put together by Sanjiv Manifest. Sanjiv gives a very detailed report of the process of connecting and engaging with pertinent individuals and related entities undertaken by the team, including the deviations from the initial plan (time and priorities as ever!) The Case Study is promised for next week - I can’t wait!

The Marketers are not in control

I wish I had attended this event live as it generated quite a conversation in the comments (including the ain’ters gonna ain’t phrase from Danny Brown, unashamedly borrowed for the title here). "Keeping it Real" in a Social Media World (http://goo.gl/6cCba0) is the latest Social Media Today Power Talk where David Amerland and Alexandra Riecke-Gonzales talked with Vincent Messina about being true to yourself online. Vincent has a very healthy approach to Social Media, never afraid to ask questions, and this shines through this HOA. A great conversation looking at the value in welcoming all views on any subject, getting to grips with our own biases and truly understanding ourselves at any point in time. I was particularly interested in the answer to the question of how do you measure the effectiveness of Social Media when Vincent states that he has gained new clients armed with the knowledge garnered from his conversations here on Google+. For me, this knowledge bank, the freely shared information, is the biggest reason to be online. Excellent show.

If you needed any confirmation of the value and power of asking questions David Kutcher has you covered in We always want to be perceived as the smartest and most competent, but asking for help benefits this more (http://goo.gl/ybGBSD). It’s all about drawing from as many diverse sources as possible to achieve the best solution but it also makes those being asked feel more valued. A win-win as people who feel valued inevitably contribute much more.

Put your imagery in order in this week’s #RayLunchBunch What's in an Image? (http://goo.gl/83ACNU) with special guest Dustin W. Stout providing the technical expertise and the encouragement to get out there and do it. Some excellent real life image use examples and tips from Ray Hiltz, Scott Scowcroft, Randy Bowden, Jessica Dewell and B.L. Ochman round out this always useful show. Particularly interesting was the need for consistency (in style, framing, etc) while being varied enough to grab attention and inspire thought. It’s all about context, though, and that above all else should guide your imagery. As always some great resources shared in the takeout section at the end.

New Webmaster Tools Report

A couple of posts giving a preview of the forthcoming updates to Google’s Webmaster Tools. Enjoying The New Search Analytics (alpha) in Webmaster Tools (http://goo.gl/misrWH) from Joshua Berg and Comparing your search analytics between Desktop and Mobile in the new Google Webmaster Tools (http://goo.gl/HBNCxI) from David Kutcher. It looks like the new report will be very useful for comparing your visitors, informing your next steps for your website development and content strategy. Never too much data ;-)

If raw data is a little too techy for you then do take a look at Midweek Zap - Non-Tech NOD3x: Nodes (http://goo.gl/oy9kV8). A second instalment with kara wood, Lee Smallwood and Zara Altair looking at the relationship graph in NOD3x (you are using NOD3x aren’t you?). If you know your question this will help you find the answer.

It’s The Mid Week Marketing Mix week (http://goo.gl/dYicGa) - my fornightly catch up with all things marketing. James Dearsley introduces Nick Rink in Section One talking about Local Search including the Twitter/Foursquare partnership, Amazon Home Services and Google’s Let's Put Our Cities on the Map. Matt Britton leads Section Two introducing his book YouthNation: Building Remarkable Brands in a Youth-Driven Culture looking at the fast-paced, mobile-only world of the Millennial. Mike Allton wraps up with all things social in Section Three looking at the latest in the live-streaming applications (Meerkat and Periscope). The always useful #timestamp post from The Digital Marketing Bureau can be found here (http://goo.gl/xSlgjP)

Learn from the inspirational story of Alison Prince in this week’s PYB Show (http://goo.gl/C1TLtQ) as martin shervington and Travis Taylor talk with the founder of Pick Your Plum, an ecommerce business built on the strength of community. Kudos to Alison for the commitment and hard work undertaken to get to where she’s at now. And a nod to Travis who is undoubtedly influencing Martin to try out some facial hair!

Thinkers corner

Jay Baer warns that we may be on the slippery slope in Episode 110 of the #JayToday Are We Crossing the Line Between Usefulness and Wisdom? (http://goo.gl/TRcSth). Jay demonstrates the capabilities of the Amazon Echo and there can be no doubt that it is useful. Jay then raises the concern that we may be giving away too much information. Certainly we’re all aware that allowing our information to be collected and stored is the price we have to pay for certain things we enjoy online but Jay rightly asks where should we draw the line?

And finally…

Mr Potato Head likes to punch me. Another excellent Bad Lip Reading surfaced by Mark Vang (http://goo.gl/kk32Jp). In this episode they have The Walking Dead in the cross hairs - you’ll never look at another zombie in the same light again!


Have a great weekend wherever you are

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Created by Mick Sharpe of Bitingedge