Now you tell me how anyone in business who is fairly intelligent can ignore this or not see the significance of what is going on here? Honestly, it does not take a PhD to see this in not just a trend! No this is the END of business as usual forever. This is a new age, a new business era, and huge shift in our culture.

This is so significant that anyone in business whether it be the local cleaners to the hair stylist…would be foolish not to embrace what is going on and partner up with professionals who can help them bring their business practices into the 21^st century way of doing business.

If you need referrals to fine folks who do this contact me. I will be glad to refer you.

Facebook Company Timeline

2010

• February

Facebook reaches over 400 million active users

2009

• December

Facebook reaches over 350 million active users

• September

Facebook reaches over 300 million active users

• August

Facebook acquires FriendFeed

• July

Facebook reaches over 250 million active users

• June

Facebook launches Facebook Usernames

• May

Digital Sky Technologies makes a $200 million investment for preferred stock at a $10 billion valuation

• April

Facebook reaches over 200 million active users

• February

Facebook reaches over 175 million active users
Facebook joins OpenID board
“Like” feature added

• January

Facebook reaches over 150 million active users
CNN Live/Facebook integration

2008

• December

Facebook Connect becomes generally available

• August

Facebook reaches over 100 million active users

• April

Facebook launches Facebook Chat
Facebook releases Translation application to 21 additional languages

• March

Facebook updates privacy controls to include Friend List privacy
Facebook launches in German

• February

Facebook launches in Spanish and French

• January

Facebook co-sponsors Presidential Debates with ABC News

2007

• November

Facebook launches Facebook Ads

• October

Facebook reaches over 50 million active users
Facebook launches Facebook Platform for Mobile
Facebook and Microsoft expand advertising deal to cover international markets; Microsoft takes a $240 million equity stake in Facebook

• July

Facebook acquires startup Parakey

• May

Facebook launches Marketplace application for classified listings
Facebook hosts F8 event to launch Facebook Platform
Facebook Platform launches with 65 developer partners and over 85 applications

• April

Facebook reaches 20 million active users
Facebook updates site design and adds network portals

• March

Facebook reaches over 2 million active Canadian users and 1 million active UK users

• February

Virtual gift shop launches as a feature

2006

• December

Facebook reaches more than 12 million active users

• November

Share feature added on Facebook, simultaneously launched on over 20 partner sites

• September

News Feed and Mini-Feed are introduced with additional privacy controls
Facebook expands registration so anyone can join

• August

Facebook development platform launches
Notes application is introduced
Facebook and Microsoft form strategic relationship for banner ad syndication

• May

Facebook expands to add work networks

• April

Facebook raises $27.5 million from Greylock Partners, Meritech Capital Partners and others
Facebook Mobile feature launches

2005

• December

Facebook reaches more than 5.5 million active users

• October

Photos is added as an application
Facebook begins to add international school networks

• September

Facebook expands to add high school networks

• August

The company officially changes its name to Facebook from thefacebook.com

• May

Facebook raises $12.7 million in venture capital from Accel Partners;
Facebook grows to support more than 800 college networks

2004

• December

Facebook reaches nearly 1 million active users

• September

Groups application is added; the Wall is added as a Profile feature

• June

Facebook moves its base of operations to Palo Alto, Calif.

• March

Facebook expands from Harvard to Stanford, Columbia and Yale

• February

Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin launch Facebook from their Harvard dorm room

Source http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?timeline

Here in part two, I will address The Arrogance Mentality Mindset. This mentality is not as easy to put your finger on at first glance. Rather, it has the ability to rear its ugly head in many disguised forms.

For instance, I had the unpleasant encounter with this mentality during a business cold call activity I was engaged in recently. I had emailed the business owner (whose business I frequent) because I felt for sure I could help him increase his website marketing results. I introduced myself and let him know I would like to take him for coffee and get to know him a bit better and talk to him about some possible ways I could help them increase their business revenue. After a few days I got no response which is not an uncommon thing since anything could have happened to the email from SPAM filters to him actually deleting it.

I strategically took note of their least busy time during the day and paid him a visit. When he came out, he had this unfriendly look on his face but I proceeded to introduce myself and refer to my email, etc., but before I could finish my sentence he abruptly told me he was not interested and had no time to talk to me then turn and walked away from me! Needless to say, he not only was rude to me, he also talked very loud so others around could hear us and he embarrassed me.

Now, if you have ever done a cold call of any sorts you know they are not very fun in the first place and they are not for the faint at heart. With that said though, I find there is no reason to be ugly to people trying to connect with you.

Do you think I am going to spend my money there again? You think I am not going to tell my circle of friends about my experience? You bet I will. I certainly see his business in a whole different light after that incident.

As I said previously this is only one example of how arrogance can show itself to your customers, vendors, potential strategic partners, service providers, etc. It does not matter how arrogance is displayed…it’s a deadly mindset for a business to practice in today’s marketplace.

Why?

Well for starters, your brand does not belong to you. You have to get this if you want to participate in the new business era we are in.

Your brand (that is not just a logo, it’s everything that identifies your business, you product, your service) is now subject like never before to the conversations. Conversations that are going on everyday about your business…by someone.

Those conversations are being conducted by the people that interact with you and your business at many levels. From the board room, to the guy ordering at your drive-thru. And with the FREE and easy tools social media has given us all…those conversations can reach further and faster than ever thought and it can pick up passengers along the way that can and will be persuaded by the conversations concerning your brand even though they may have not had any firsthand experience with your brand. Crazy huh?

This is so powerful it must not be ignored. So powerful that you’re misbehaving, your lack of integrity, your “I don’t care about you” attitude and behavior can have deadly consequences for your business.

The dictionary describes arrogance as…

ar⋅ro⋅gance
-noun
offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride.

With all the competition in the marketplace both online and offline, the social empowered new consumer, and the demand for integrity and transparency in business today…surely it’s clear why The Arrogance Mentality is such a bad business practice and mindset to have.

You never know who it is you’re dealing with these days you know. It could be a nationally syndicated blogger in your shop, or she may be the president of the company you have wanted to sell your widget too, or the son of your son’s boss.

Comon people, if you’re in business its an unspoken rule you never treat people rudely or unfriendly. What happened to professionalism and courtesy? Heck we should not be treating people badly anyway…period. But for businesses to engage in this practice…it’s flat out unacceptable.

One last thing…If you have employees doing this…fire them! If the leadership practices this…fire them! If it’s you…get a complacency check or fire yourself. If you don’t, your customers will do it for you eventually.

Stay tuned for Business Suicide Mentality #3: The Opposition Mentality.

]]> http://www.strategicbusinessdesigner.com/2009/06/business-suicide-mindsets-to-avoid-in-2009-part-2/feed/ 9 http://www.strategicbusinessdesigner.com/2009/04/small-businesses-are-big-players-on-the-web/ http://www.strategicbusinessdesigner.com/2009/04/small-businesses-are-big-players-on-the-web/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:19:55 +0000 Hazel http://www.strategicbusinessdesigner.com/?p=206 A recent research report which was aimed at determining the state of small business website and online advertising spending points out…

America’s 14.6 million small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) were responsible for more than $6.7 billion in locally generated, locally targeted interactive advertising in 2008 – more than half of the US total, according to a recently released report from Borrell Associates, which predicts these numbers will grow significantly as activities continue to shift online.

Here is the kicker, many Marketers don’t understand about small businesses though. The report also indicated more than two-thirds…

A recent research report which was aimed at determining the state of small business website and online advertising spending points out…

America’s 14.6 million small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) were responsible for more than $6.7 billion in locally generated, locally targeted interactive advertising in 2008 – more than half of the US total, according to a recently released report from Borrell Associates, which predicts these numbers will grow significantly as activities continue to shift online.

Here is the kicker, many Marketers don’t understand about small businesses though. The report also indicated more than two-thirds of them were allocating their online advertising expenditures on advancing their own websites rather than online ads per say.

Being a web professional for many years now I say this is a smart business move on the part of small businesses. Your web presence is one of the most valuable assets you have in business today no matter what size your business is.

The concern here is…you really need to understand what are the most advantageous strategies you should be using for your business presence online and the why and how to be in control of this most precious business asset and investment. Gone are the days of leaving your website in the hands of your “web people”.

I see time and time again web clients who do not understand the value of their web presence, how to strategically position themselves online, how to guide web professionals to build web media that works for your objective and the importance of being in control of your web destiny.

It is for that reason I will begin to write a series on why today’s businesses (entrepreneurs, SMB’s, freelancers, mid & large, B2C, B2B, etc.)  must take a fresh look at one of the most powerful tools they have at their disposal…their website and web presence. Stay turned!

]]> http://www.strategicbusinessdesigner.com/2009/04/small-businesses-are-big-players-on-the-web/feed/ 0 http://www.strategicbusinessdesigner.com/2009/04/customer%e2%80%99s-wanna-talk-back/ http://www.strategicbusinessdesigner.com/2009/04/customer%e2%80%99s-wanna-talk-back/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:02:42 +0000 Hazel http://www.strategicbusinessdesigner.com/?p=189 Ever wished you could contact someone at the companies you do business with to complain, resolve problem or just give them the props for something they did you liked without dealing with those aggravating automated phone systems!?

I have and so have many, many consumers for that matter!

It’s so hard to find direct access via the “old model” of doing business but now that social media has provided the tools to voice the consumers experience with millions online…you can now reach some companies and businesses who ‘get’ the power of the people in this digital economy.

If you want…

]]> Ever wished you could contact someone at the companies you do business with to complain, resolve problem or just give them the props for something they did you liked without dealing with those aggravating automated phone systems!?

I have and so have many, many consumers for that matter!

It’s so hard to find direct access via the “old model” of doing business but now that social media has provided the tools to voice the consumers experience with millions online…you can now reach some companies and businesses who ‘get’ the power of the people in this digital economy.

If you want to position your business (this is for Entrepreneurs and Small business too) for success put a plan of action in place to monitor the conversations going on about you and your business…but better yet put a proactive plan in place that provides your customers easier access to you so your customers experience just how valuable they are to you.

If you don’t…you risk a negative firestorm started by an unhappy customer or client that can spread far and wide very quickly in cyberspace.

I am starting a list of the “new model” business contact approaches for your convenience and as proof this is a smart marketing move you need to do to position your business for the 21st century.

Need some help with creating your personal proactive ‘Digital Customer Care Sevice’ plan? I offer a 4 step process that takes the guess work out of how to get your Digital Customer Care service up and running ASAP.

FIND DIGITAL CUSTOMER CARE:

You can look up any business that has a Twitter access and link on Twitter Yellowpages.

Check out businesses on Friendfeed. Here is a great tutorial on how to do searches.

A user powered Twitter Directory, WeFollow.com

Here are a few digital care company contacts:

Strategic Business Designer
Hazel Nieves
Contact: http://twitter.com/HazelNieves

Comcast
Frank Eliason
Contact: http://twitter.com/comcastcares

Charter Communications
Contact: http://twitter.com/CharterCom

Pizza Hut
Contact: http://twitter.com/tuscanipastas

Please add any you come across.

]]> http://www.strategicbusinessdesigner.com/2009/04/customer%e2%80%99s-wanna-talk-back/feed/ 0

Dictionary.com describes a tribe as any aggregate of people united by ties of descent from a common ancestor, community of customs and traditions, adherence to the same leaders, etc. A class or set of persons, esp. one with strong common traits or interests.

In today’s digital society…tribes or clans or peeps, etc. are forming associations based on similar interests, views, experiences, likes, dislikes, dreams, values and wants. This is one reason social networks are so attractive. You can find people “like YOU” all over the world! How cool is that?

What does this mean to those of us in business? Well…it means we better start learning the new models for marketing such as social marketing and shake loose the old models of doing business. I realize this can seems a bit scary or uncomfortable to venture down this new dimension of doing business but the harsh truth is if you don’t, you will become irrelevant and most likely your competitors will do it.

But take heart. These are some of the things I will coach in my blog so you can become ‘Tribe-savvy’. Deal?

Social Media Branding

Word gets around

Old-school branding is based on seduction.
Social media branding is based on conversation.

Old-school branding sits and waits for the crowds to come.
Social media branding steps out and engages with individuals and communities.

Old-school branding avoids offending anyone.
Social media branding is assertive, opinionated, and disruptive.

Old-school branding keeps repeating the same message.
Social media branding keeps adapting to a changing world.

Old-school branding is driven by appearances.
Social media branding is driven by ideas.

Old-school branding needs no social conscience.
Social media branding must have a social conscience.

Old-school branding feels like work.
Social media branding feels like fun.