A book left my site this month

I started using tynt.com to track information that is being found and is leaving my site every week. It is a great tool, but is limited to keywords and number of words that are leaving my blog. So, I don't know who is copying or where it is going.

Don't get me wrong. I love the fact that people are finding things on this blog they believe is worthy enough to repeat. That means that God is working through this blog, and is the "deal" we made together back in 2005. I knew this would be a huge responsibility and could make a difference in that God would use it to shine His light in a dark world. I wanted to be that reflection to others.

This is why I have kept this blog free of advertisements, and why I work so hard at it. According to Google Analytics, I get thousands of hits/page views every month which is great--that is part of what this blog is for, so that means it is working.

Last month a couple of friends used a paper I wrote for a class assignment on their blogs. I was so happy they let me know and even asked permission to use it. My site is protected by Creative Commons, meaning that the posts here are protected by copyright, and that whoever uses the information from here must give the author credit. I don't intend to charge for it. That's why I wrote my book :)

However, I would very much like to know where everything is going. That is one reason I put tynt publishing tool on my blog. Another reason is that last month more than 50,000 words left my blog and I am very curious to know where it is being posted or used. I'd also like to know if I can help anyone who is using posts from here by explaining or clarifying points. I would very much like to visit blogs that use these bits and pieces of posts to encourage comment and discussion. It is how God uses His children to spread the Gospel.

So, you are welcome to use any and all information you find here. You are welcome to challenge my thought processes. I would just ask that you please post a comment note telling me you've taken a post or part of one and where you are using it. I hope that is not too much to ask.

Just pondering some scientific problem

I have always known that God created the laws of physics.

Take a look at this article and see if you see the same thing I saw:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20025807

No, really. At least look at the three paragraphs.

Now... Here is a point to ponder. When the Bible tells us in Genesis that the flood waters came from below, and that there was great upheaval within the earth doesn't this article explain why there was great upheaval? God designed it to work that way. It just struck me when I read through this news article that sometimes we have to way centuries to understand why something happens, then other times God explains it in a flash of supernatural intuition.

The universe is an astounding creation. I am bumfuzzled at how scientists can remain atheists when proof of truth such of this rises to the surface every day. That's one of those things that make you go hmmmm.

Things haven't changed

October 7, 1984. First presidential debate

I'll tell you what I think has been the most outrageous thing in political dialog, both in this campaign and the one in '82. And that is the continued discussion and claim that somehow I am the villain who is going to pull the Social Security checks out from those people who are dependent on them.

And why I think it is outrageous -- first of all, it isn't true. But why it is outrageous is because, for political advantage, every time they do that, they scare millions of senior citizens who are totally dependent on Social Security, have no place else to turn. And they have to live and go to bed at night thinking, "Is this true? Is someone going to take our check away from us and leave us destitute?'' And I don't think that that should be a part of political dialog.  Ronald Reagan, 1984

 It looks like after almost 30 years that tactics would have changed, that things would be better, that our politicians would have learned a thing or two about what works and what doesn't. 

Things haven't changed.

Biden, Cranky old man vs. Ryan, debonair

If you watched the debate last night, then you were either disgusted or delighted, but regardless you were entertained. #LaughingJoe had more than 7,000 followers on Twitter within an hour.

I was in the disgusted bunch. Someone asked, "Would you really be comfortable with that man as president?" A resounding, Heck No came out of my mouth. As rude as he was, he did make some good points. Too bad, I couldn't see past his smirk to actually listen to what he had to say. However, I am really glad that Joe Biden has not gone overseas anymore than he has because if he acts that way in front of millions of people on a split screen, to an opponent who treated him with great respect, then how bloody awful would he treat world leaders in private?

He acted like a cranky, old man who had not matured since he was 17, even after 35 years of political service. It looks like someone who was able to treat another VP candidate, Sarah Palin, with proper respect, he could do the same this time around. Apparently, he was trying to outshine Obama, more's the pity. He completely over did it.

Paul Ryan spoke well, made some excellent points, and stated that life begins at conception. While Joe Biden hemmed and hawed about his Catholic faith and said that they were not making the Catholic priests do anything against their faith. Ryan shot back, "Then why are they suing the federal government?"

Excellent point, but Martha and Joe walked all over him.

Last night proved to me that Paul Ryan is excellent material for our next to highest office, and if something horrible happened, I would be proud for him to be our president.

How does social media relate to businesses?

I just found this buried in some files on my computer. I wrote this 6 years ago. I didn't know I was that smart 6 years ago :D

 

Is it real, or is it… Perception is reality

By Gina Burgess

Remember the pink tie craze, and before that it was the red tie? It was a statement of power and of authority and pretty much a subtle message that you are talking to The Guy that makes things move and shake. Did you know that before you were told what it meant? Most likely not. Once that “message” was planted, everyone jumped in the pool and then we had more red ties than June bugs in June.

Wearing a red tie did not create authority, it only suggested it. So actually trusting a person with a red tie on is not an automatic thing. In sales, a person is more likely to trust the judgment of a friend or relative because the source of the message is much more reliable than a red tie.

Fair enough. But, where did the friend or relative get their information?  If it was through experience, that is powerful. If it was through an advertising message… hmmm. Shel Holtz, a veteran communications expert says on his blog, that influence is not relative to trust. He says, “after all the friend must get his information from somewhere.”

A recent study says that 80% of 1,100 adults surveyed would consider using a product recommended by a friend rather than one by an influential blogger or found on line. But, where do people go to get the most up to date information? The Internet, of course.

This brings up another term called “Social Media”. This is a medium which is all opinion which may or may not include cold, hard facts. Bloggers are a form of social media. FaceBook and Twitter qualify as well. Talk show hosts, such as Oprah, are social media stars. But, still it is mostly opinion.

There is where the rubber meets the road. Opinion is that slippery relative factor that drives the “Word of Mouth” advertising which is generally the absolute most effective advertising. “The food is good,” is opinion. What if I don’t like so much garlic in my sauce?  But, “They give you a rental when servicing your car,” is a cold, hard fact that can be tried and found to be true. However, many people shuffle off to a restaurant because their friend, brother, cousin said, “The food is really good.”

A Chilton study years ago found customers will relate a good experience about 5-6 times, but will expound upon a bad experience 20+ times. Which is why making sure your customers have good experiences, or at least fixing the bad experience is crucial. What is scary is that you may never know about a bad experience. Some customers will quit doing business with you before initiating a conflict or just telling you they didn’t like the color of your tie.

What’s a business do about that?

Talk about it. Ask them. Show them you value their opinion, and then ask them to talk about you.

Paul Rand, president of a major marketing firm in Chicago, has gone out on a limb and said, “Word of mouth is the fastest growing sector in all of advertising.” According to MEDILL Reports, expenditures on Word of Mouth advertising will exceed the $1 billion mark this year. Companies are not looking for cheaper advertising, they are looking for effective.

We’ve become a tune-out society because of all the background noises we’re bombarded with every day. People decide where they’ll put their concentration and block out all the other “noise.” Al Munez, associate professor of marketing at DePaul University stated consumers are exposed to “roughly 3,000 commercial messages a day...effective marketing will cut through that clutter and word of mouth is the best at it.”

Does it replace traditional advertising? No. You cannot reach 1,000 people with Word of Mouth in a reasonable length of time. People are not wired that way. So the message you send won’t be about a Spring Sale, or about your daily specials. It will be more about you and what you do. Is that scary? Sure it is. But, you are marketing by word of mouth every time you serve a customer or speak with a client. It is the experience that sells. The experience will determine if you’ll do business with that customer again… and with her mother, his sister, her cousin, his uncle. It really is a family thing. 

 ©Copyright 2008, all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.

 What do you think? How much does reality play into our perceptions?