Geek It Up With GoogleCL

GoogleCL is a tool that lets you access Google Apps directly via command line interface. You can find it by searching for GoogleCL on, of course, Google. It can be a bit tricky to install and get running, so it is truely for those that speak fluent Geekenese.


To prove its usefulness, I'm uploading this blog post using GoogleCL! Although it may not be too useful for some things, I think it can streamline some more time consuming tasks like entering multiple events into Google Caledar. It can also be used as a tool for making quick changes.

The Storm on September 16, 2010

For such a destructive storm, it was beautiful from my perspective in Fairview, WV. It's towering clouds painted gold by the setting sun, and highlighted by streaks of blue lightning. As a photographer who loves to photograph sunsets and lightning, despite the danger, this was to beautiful to miss.

Crowd Accelerated Innovation

TED's Chris Anderson says the rise of web video is driving a worldwide phenomenon he calls Crowd Accelerated Innovation -- a self-fueling cycle of learning that could be as significant as the invention of print. But to tap into its power, organizations will need to embrace radical openness.

UPDATED: And The Monkey Flips The Switch

    I was flipping through channels a few nights ago and came across the 1998 movie "Lost in Space".  Remakes of TV shows into movies are always cheesy, but "Lost in Space" was just soooo poorly made!  Its over the top special effects and flamboyant classical score could do little to overcome its feeble dialog and convoluted plot.  However, one of those cheesy lines sticks out in my mind.  As they embark on their mission Matt LeBlanc's character, Major Don West, only has one job to do as the "pilot", flipping a switch to start the fully automated launch sequence.  As he does this he tells mission control "And the monkey flips the switch".  With the automated posting tools available today, many are tempted to put their online marketing presence on autopilot, but that can easily backfire.  Here's a few tips to use these tools effectively.


Link Your Accounts
    Linking your Facebook Page, Twitter account, and even LinkedIn can save some time, but it has the potential to create some problems.  Linking your Facebook Page to Twitter so post on Facebook are tweeted is a great idea, especially if you're using Facebook to keep your brand's fans up to date.  Just make sure that each post has a comment of some sort with it because Facebook pairs the comment with a shortened link to the post when they tweet it.  Without a comment it would appear as just a tweeted link which many Twitter users consider spammy.  Also, deleting that particular post on Facebook would cause that particular link on Twitter to became a dead link, so post wisely.
    I would advise against linking in the opposite direction so tweets are posted to your Facebook Page.  This is because everything, including @replies, hastags, etc. would now appear on your Facebook Page.  This can be confusing for those on Facebook that don't use Twitter, and if you tweet constantly, it can quickly overwhelm you fans on Facebook.


Timing is Everything
    Timing your online presence can be important, but not too important.  For example, using a program like TweetDeck to time tweets and post on Facebook can be good if you're going on vacation for a weekend, but timing everything so you don't have to interact can be a problem.  Many large corporations have entire marketing teams designing their tweets and time exactly when to tweet them.  However, a key component of Social Media is being, well -- Social!  Your followers on Twitter, Facebook, etc. expect you to be a part of the conversation.
    On the other hand, timing something like an e-newsletter send is perfectly acceptable.  Research shows that the butter zone for send out e-newsletters is around 1:00 pm on Thursdays.  That way you can catch folks at home before the weekend, and also the TGIF time killers.  On the flip side of things, scheduling expiration dates for some advertising is very important, whether it's ads on Google, special offers on Foursquare, or simply e-coupons.


Monitor Everything
    Google Analytics was once the only quality tool for monitoring your effectiveness as an online advertiser, but now many companies are offering similar tools for their patrons.  For example, Blogger, the platform that I'm using to write this blog recently added Google-style analytics (in part because Blogger is a Google platform), but Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp, and many others offer similar tools.
    Next to Google analytics, I think Facebook Pages offer the best analytics, and because Facebook has inbuilt demographic data, it lets you peer a bit deeper into the types of people that follow your brand.  For example, you can see what age groups are the most active on your Facebook Page and then adjust your message accordingly.  Also, if you're lucky enough to snag 10,000 fans on your Facebook Page, you will be able to access per post analytics! (UPDATE: This is now available to everyone. YAY!)


    In closing, remember to put the "social" in Social Media and not set it entirely on autopilot, but automating some things can make your job easier, and make your followers experience richer.  The most important thing is making what you have to say as a brand easily accessible, and also being an active participant with your customers.  Small businesses have the advantage when it comes to interacting with customers online, and many large corporations are now adopting the personal, friendly feel of small businesses by switching off their corporate autopilot and giving a personal face to their companies.