Google+: It Ain't Facebook, and That's a Good Thing

It's been about 9 months since Google+ launched.  The initial response (and much of what continues) is to try and compare the service to Facebook.  But in all honesty trying to simply compare it as just another social networking service is a real miss.  It is actually very different with it's own benefits that are often getting missed.

I'm not here to say that I don't like Facebook, because I do.  Facebook has done, and continues to do, a great job of connecting people.  It's been a great platform for businesses and organizations to connect with their customers in ways never before possible.

So what does Google+ offer that Facebook doesn't?  To truly get a sense of Google+ and it's benefits you have to look at what Google has been about with a majority of it's products . . . collaboration.  That's where the real power in this service lies.  And it's the same thing that makes it a real game-changer in communication going forward.  The service is blended in very nicely within all of Google products allowing for some very nice new functionality.  Here's a look at just some of those new features and capabilities:

1. Organizing in circles.  Circles were one of my immediate likes because it provided a very easy way to organize contacts and choosing who I want to share certain items with.  This just makes sense and is how we normally want to share things socially.  I can also share a circle out to others.  For businesses and or teams this is a great feature because you can easily create a circle for your company, department, and teams for organizations you are involved with.  Adding a new person and keeping everyone on board with the same set of contacts is as simple as sharing the circle.  
2. Hangouts.  This feature allows for video chatting with up to 10 people at once.  Use the "Hangouts with Extras" and you can even share and collaborate on documents shared within Google Docs, or share screens to easily walk others through something.  The other great thing about hangouts is they can be started at anytime.  So if you're in the middle of something and need to speak to a team member or colleague, you can start a hangout which they can access on their PC or smartphone and you can have a short meeting even sharing documents you may need to share.  So if I see that Ky just added a post about something we need to speak further on, I can simply click the Hangout icon and we can begin chatting.  Or I can schedule a hangout for a meeting with people that are in different geographic places which would have typically been a barrier to getting together.  
3. Tie-in with other great Google Products.  Google+ shows up in all of Google products such as Docs (which is an amazing suite of products if you haven't checked it out already), YouTube, Search, etc.  I can use that '+1' button to share out relevant items with people.  I can start a hangout for a video I am watching on YouTube.  I can share out a document I need others to contribute to and have added them in to work on.  
4. Sharing individually.  Rather than send someone an email or share something out into a stream, I can simply share to one person or a few people individually.  This takes messaging to a whole new level because typically we do this through email or a separate messenger program.  Now I can use the same platform and simply send that message out from there.  
5. Organization Pages.  Like Facebook, you can create separate pages for you company or organization to connect with people.  What's nice about this in comparison to Facebook pages is that it functions a lot like the personal accounts in terms of Circles and whatnot.  So you may have certain sets of customers (i.e. VIP's) in one circle and your employees in another.  This way you can choose who you want getting what.  Maybe you want to send out an exclusive discount to your VIP customers.  Again, one platform for multiple internal and external uses.  

There's quite a bit more great features that goes beyond what Facebook was and is designed for.  Have you checked out Google+ yet?  What are your thoughts?  Make sure to check out some great local people and companies on Google+

• Ky Ekinci, Owner of Office Divvy
• Social Smidge - Local social media marketing company
• Carmen Bongiovanni - Current President of the Flagler County Association of Realtors
• Kathleen West - Realtor at Trademark Realty Group
• The City of Palm Coast
• Palm Coast Auto Repair
• Daytona Food Examiner by Connie Rice
• Me
• Plus more.  Simply search 'Palm Coast' on the Google+ page to find local people and pages.  

3 Ways Google+ will affect search and your business

1. Making Google Smarter 
      As a result of Google+, Google will be able to improve its search engine results pages. This will happen because they are going to gather a tremendous amount of usage intelligence by getting a peak at the behavior of your social circle. Google+ will allow Google to understand trends and what people are interested faster than ever before.

2. More Relevance
      ...and better results:   Another benefit that Google+ brings to search is that results become much harder to cheat. Google will now be able to easily monitor who has a real profile and who is a spammer. By watching how they try to influence search results Google will have actionable intel and will be policing violators.

3. Changing How You Get Traffic 
      The +1 button which is like the share or tweet button appears in Google’s search results and can be embedded on other websites as well. It is worth noting that they are tied to a destination page address, just like shares or tweets are. I would like to point out that it’s important to be aware of every time you move a page or change the address of something, you’ll be resetting the +1 count for that page.


Like this article?  +1 it below!   :)

Jason Johnson, Chief Marlin, started Marlin Consulting Solutions -- a marketing consulting and search engine optimization firm -- in March 2009 focusing on the Flagler County area with a recent expansion to the Orlando market. With roots in the Caribbean and work experiences that took him to many different parts of the world, he is able to easily identify with people from all walks of life. He has worked as a CTO for a multi-billion dollar service organization in Costa Rica, owned a successful tour company in St. Maarten and held various positions with prestigious organizations including, among others, Chief of Automation for Korps Politie Nederlandse Antillen (the St. Maarten police and immigration departments), Lead Engineer Critical Systems for Global Services International and Director of Systems for the St. Maarten Lottery. He attended University of St Martin, St. Maarten Academy and Milton Peters College. He stands ready to help you “get hooked in to your success!”

Everything You Wanted Know About Email Marketing: A Star is Coming to Palm Coast

When it comes to email marketing there are many choices, platforms, and service providers.  Certainly Constant Contact is a household-brand-name among the small business owners, where the company's name is synonymous with email marketing.

One of the rising stars at Constant Contact is Pamela Starr. As Regional Development Director for Constant Contact, Pamela speaks to groups of Florida Business Owners about Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing and Engagement Marketing.  Pamela's seminars help people learn now to maximize the power of Relationship Marketing.

And now, Pamela Starr is coming to Flagler County...

Constant Contact's Pamela Starr will present two back to back sessions at the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, October 19th:

The Power of Email Marketing (2:00 - 3:30 pm)

• How email marketing can help your business grow
• How to target prospects and customers
• How to avoid being seen as a “spammer”
• The best ways to build your email list
• How to come up with effective content for your emails
• How to help ensure your emails are opened and forwarded
• How to incorporate Social Media into your Email Marketing Campaign

...bonus session!
Getting Started with Constant Contact (3:30 - 5:00 pm)

• How to find the best email template for your needs
• How to include links, pictures and logos into your emails
• How to include video in your newsletters 
• How customize your emails in accordance to your company brand
• How to integrate links to your Social Media platforms (Facebook, etc.)
• How to use the newest Constant Contact features including “text to join our mailing list”

The cost is $10 for Flagler County Chamber of Commerce members; and $15 for non members.  The back-to-back sessions will take place at the Flagler Room located at the Flagler Chamber of Commerce. 

Space is limited.
Please call 386.437.0106 to reserve your space.

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Additional Bonus Sessions: 

Office Divvy ™ as a Constant Contact Business Partner in Flagler County, is also offering two action-oriented FREE Clinics following week to help you get started with Constant Contact.  They will at no cost setup your account, help you import your database, design your template, and send out your first email free of charge along with a FREE 60-Day subscription depending on the size of your database.

The FREE CLINICs will take place at Office Divvy on Thursday, October 27th (5:30-7PM); and Saturday, October 29th (1 - 2:30PM).  To reserve your space in bonus free clinics, call 386.445.4153

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Generation Challenges With Tech In Business & Organizations

As I get older and get involved with different groups, I began noticing barriers that seemed to be coming up with different generations when approaching various issues or projects. When they were questioning 'why?' I seemed to always be asking 'why not?' Or when direction is given, asking "Why are we doing that?"

I've found is not always a question that is very welcomed from older generations. The response is usually, "Just do it." None of what I discuss here is meant to be negative either, but there are notable differences in attitudes and approaches from varying generations and many others are noticing this as well. In particular, the 'Baby Boomers' and Generation X'ers. This can often result in 'butting of heads', slow progress, and can cause real missed opportunities for businesses and organizations.

The Generations

1. Baby Boomers - This group is comprised of people born primarily between 1946 and 1964. This group grew up in a time of dramatic social change (but slow growth in technological and information innovation) and a time where questioning authority was not always very acceptable.
   
2. Generation X - This group is where I fall in, and are primarily those born between 1965 to 1970'ish. We tend to question everything and we like to 'explore' things. We grew up with a great deal of technological advancements and tend to welcome new technologies and change.

The Issues That Result

It might not seem like much between the two generations in terms of differing perspectives, but when it comes to advancements you'll often find the the Boomers wanting to stick to 'the way it's always been' and the 'X'ers' proposing 'That doesn't make sense anymore. Why not try this?' This is where the dialogue often just crumbles to the floor and things go no where. If you don't believe me, try proposing the use of FourSquare to promote your business to your boss who is a 'Baby Boomer' and see how that goes over. You'll most likely get the response of "People aren't going to announce where they are at."  Or try suggesting the use of a Facebook Page in addition to your existing Call Center.  The response will most likely be something like, "Well, we have the Call Center and it works just fine."  

The problem in both scenarios above is that real opportunities to improve and save are being missed.  Both are low-cost opportunities that can provide real payoffs.  Not trying is simply a missed opportunity with little or no risk.  The proverbial "Nothing to lose" scenarios.  Unfortunately, the conversations usually end and nothing happens.

How To Overcome The Differing Views

• Be empathetic.  Often times when you 'boil it down', the issue is empathy on both sides.  There is value from both perspectives. "What has always been" can have real weight to it, and just because it's 'traditional' doesn't mean it should be dismissed.  For example, abandoning print advertising that is still generating business and continues to be an investment for online only advertising would be pointless but many insist on this route.  Rather than proposing to 'fix what isn't broken', propose enhancing your ad efforts and adding an online effort that would open new channels and reach a wider customer base. 
  
• Propose items in ways people already understand.  Everything that is done through technology is an enhancement to the way in which we have always done things.  Social networking efforts for a business are essentially like setting up a permanent booth in the largest 24/7 'convention center' ever imagined.
  
• Get the facts and show the data.  Presenting Facebook Pages, use of FourSquare, Twitter, etc. just because others saw success or 'everyone's doing it' (sound familiar from school days?) will probably get you no where.  Show the value in data, the manner in which it would enhance your efforts, and the revenue opportunities.  Real world tests beforehand and showing the results are definitely worthwhile.
  
• Know the barriers that presently exist and present the technology as the solution that it is. 
  
• Be willing to compromise and willing to wait.  Some ideas with the use of tech can be so overwhelming that a 'wall' immediately goes up and the idea goes no where in terms of approval.  It doesn't mean it's 'dead'.  The solutions that the tech provides to the barriers that exist will continue which means as those barriers surface later it will provide an opportunity to revisit your original idea.

What generation barriers have you encountered and how do you overcome them?

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by Brad West: Originally from Southern NJ and Central PA, Brad moved to Palm Coast in 2004 with his family. He has over 15 years of retail management and is currently a manager with Barnes & Noble in St. Augustine. He also assists his wife Kathleen (Realtor with Trademark Realty Group of PC) with her Real Estate business performing a variety of duties such as website design and maintenance for PalmCoastHomeShow.com, as well as marketing and advertising, and operations.   You can find Brad on twitter: @bwest2

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PalmCoast.biz Has Been Sold!

PalmCoast.biz, the flagship Business Search Engine, Directory, and Rating-Portal serving Palm Coast and Flagler County now has a new owner: Palm Coast Media Online, LLC.

Jason taking the baton from Jason

The former owner, known to the community by his first name “Jason,” started PalmCoast.biz some 10 years ago.  Jason later spun off the forum capability to FlaglerChat. As an online marketing professional, Jason continues to own FlaglerChat.com and works on multiple online initiatives and engagements.

The new PalmCoast.Biz ownership team is comprised of local professionals with backgrounds spanning management, marketing, design, technology, law, and human resources.

The new management team expressed that they are committed to excellence in customer service, database integrity and, most importantly, in further increasing the website’s traffic.

Visibility through added distribution channels on Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, and other network partners, will be a game-changer for area businesses.


Ky Ekinci, Co-Founder of Palm Coast Media Online says:

" It is pretty rewarding to see a Palm Coast Business return top Google search results because of their listing on PalmCoast.Biz. As seen in the popularity of Yelp and Angie’s List, consumers want to provide feedback about the companies and professionals they work with. PalmCoast.biz’s platform provides those much needed tools.

Combine PalmCoast.Biz, this successful online entity, with our business and technology backgrounds and focus, and you’ve got a winning formula. "

For the homeowner who is typing ‘Landscaper, Attorney, or Realtor in Palm Coast’ while sitting in their Ohio, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania office, the benefit of consumer insight and the ability to provide a review when the work is done is immeasurable.


Jason Johnson, Co-Founder of Palm Coast Media Online says:

" With over a quarter million website visits annually, businesses can get their offering in front of local Palm Coast and Flagler County residents instantly! There is no other exclusive business directory in the area that can commit to and deliver on that promise today. PalmCoast.Biz is a mature online entity, a local icon. The possibility for even greater reach is exciting."

With the onslaught of home-based businesses, the changing economic landscape, and Flagler County’s population pushing a new high of 100,000, the exact number of Flagler County businesses is a moving target.

The Chamber of Commerce estimates over 2,000 businesses are active in Flagler County, with about 1,000 already as Chamber members.

The new PalmCoast.Biz will provide a free business listing for every Flagler County Business in the directory thereby helping businesses in Palm Coast and Flagler County to be found online, be noticed for excellence, and rise to the top of their category.

The power of the group, the PalmCoast.Biz collective, will be what catapults local businesses to new visibility and growth.


New owners say that powerful upgraded listing options start from as low as $9.95 a month.

As part of the new management, PalmCoast.Biz has announced a limited time offer of up to 50% OFF listings with annual prepayment options.

The community overall welcomed the new management with enthusiasm and support.  Here's a sample of dozens of good wishes received:

" Congratulations! PalmCoast.biz is a valuable resource for our community, I wish you the best for the future! "

" Great people!  And I'm sure the business will flourish. Congrats to all involved. "

" Congratulations on your purchase!  Looking forward to doing business with you! "

" Congrats to both the seller and the buyer. I use the site a lot and will continue to in the future. I know that you have just purchased the site, But would like to see what your plans are for deleting any double listings or the businesses that are no longer in business. Unfortunately this had been a problem that never got taken care of in the past. I am a firm believer in businesses helping other businesses within the community. So like I said, if there's anything I could help with, let me know. "

"Scrub it Clean!"

Ky and Jason say that the database clean up effort has already started,  New listings are being added, as the closed businesses are being marked and deleted.

On that note, as a part of the database cleanup effort, the new management team is asking the community's help to point out listings that are no longer in business or have moved out of Flagler County.

* * *

For more information e-mail support@PalmCoast.biz or visit the company website at www.PalmCoast.biz

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Who's Talking about "Flagler Beach" on Twitter?

Are you on twitter?  If so, you know where to go to search for what people are saying on a particular subject or phrase.

But if you're not on twitter, here's a little widget we included on this page that will help you to keep an eye on who's saying what about "Flagler Beach."

Without further ado, here's all the chatter about Flagler Beach on twitter:



Did you know?
Here are some of the contributors to this Flagler County Blog who are on twitter:

Ky Ekinci
twitter handle: @KyEkinci 
twitter bio: Management Consultant. Strategic Marketing Consultant Entrepreneur. World Traveler.

Lisa Schenone Ekinci
twitter handle: @LisaFLA
twitter bio: Digital media producer; rotarian, entrepreneur, alfalfa-seeds.com lover

David Royall 
twitter handle: @royalld 
twitter bio: Writer - Photographer - Sailboat wanderer - Retired: Air traffic control

Brad West
twitter handle: @bwest2 
twitter bio: n/a

Lauren Mack
twitter handle: @heylaurenmack 
twitter bio: As bad for you as anyone you ever knew

Harriet Lewis, PhD
Harriet Lewis, PhD is the Co-Founder/President of Konesens Research, a Palm Coast, FL based international market research firm specializing in online data collection and panel development, and studies of social and economic interest.  You can connect with Harriet on twitter at @Konesens

...and the last but not the least, Palm Coast Blog's own Spokesperson on Twitter:

Ask Palm Coast -
twitter handle: @AskPalmCoast 
twitter bio: Professional and Business life, events and tips in Palm Coast, Bunnell, Flagler Beach and Flagler County, Florida.

Note: List of contributors is shown in the order of when they became a blog contributor.   Full bios of contributors available here.    If you have an article, event, or news you'd like to submit, please do that here.

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Twitter?  How About Facebook?

Fair question!  You can stay in touch with the Flagler Beach folks Flagler Beach Facebook Page at facebook.com/FlaglerBeach.FL

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