What Do You Expect I’ll Say When Folks Ask Where To Host Their Blog?

Seven Days without My Blog

It’s been seven days since Successful-Blog.com went down. And it still doesn’t work now.

If you visit you’ll see what appears to be a working blog, but it’s not.

The issue isn’t nearly so much the code or the database as it is that folks reading the messages that explain what’s going on. The system they’re using is based in support tickets meant to keep conversation focused and to a minimum. Unfortunately, some things are not well explained in writing.

The fastservers.net team hosting my blog seems to have decided that because I opted for a managed account that I have minimal credibility. No one listened long enough to find out.

Instead they told me:

• fill out a support ticket (I already had)
• you can’t have access
• we don’t service applications

As a result, attempts to locate and fix the issue have been more difficult because the support team draws lines around their job.

SEVEN DAYS and No action that says they want to be sure they’re not part of the reason my blog is still down.

Some folks go ballistic when a site is down for 7 minutes.
I’ve remained calm. Perhaps they’ve misinterpreted that to mean I don’t care. Hopefully this might correct that wrong assumption.

What do you expect I’ll say when folks ask me where they should host their blog?

Liz Strauss

Find out about working with Liz.

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Experts and Gurus Aren’t Necessarily the Best Social Media Teachers

The People to People Connection

Social media attracts literate, intelligent, curious people — people who like to explore new ideas. Though some brand themselves as experts or gurus. In a industry barely defined, we’re all Social Media Explorers still learning the whys, hows, and ROIs. Folks new to the territory might find that the traits of the most qualified teachers aren’t what they would be in an older, more concrete type of enterprise.

Here’s what to look for in a social media teacher or guide.

• Count Internet years. 3 years experience is entry level in the concrete world. It can be extensive experience within Internet time.
• Check for depth. A deep understanding will show itself in the ways a person can describe the culture of the Internet, how it shifts, and how the values of social media worth within and against the values of ecommerce. Look for understanding how how social media as a piece of a comprehensive marketing / customer plan.
• Check for skill set. Even though the teacher may not be the person who’ll be executing the plan, he or she should be well versed in using the tools.
• Check the breadth, particularly the individual’s networks. Social media is business based in influence, relationships, and connections. Discuss how the networks match up to your business and its goals.
• Get the facts. Ask for cases and social media initiatives this person actively led.

The field, the metrics, and the best practices are still forming. Some folks have worked with the tools, but never applied them in actual P&L situations. Some have studied the theory. Some have built a narrow niche of expertise. While others understand how to move people all over the web, but can’t articulate it yet.

Many great minds and great practitioners are available to help. Know your goals and listen actively, the best match won’t be hard to find.

Let me know if I can help.

Liz Strauss

Want an hour of Liz’s personal consulting time? See the About Liz page.

Liz Strauss

Find out about working with Liz.

Buy the Insider’s Guide and Get your best voice in the conversation.

Social Media: It’s about People

Connecting on a Human Level

When I meet with a new clients, it’s becoming easier to determine who’s going to be successful by the questions they ask and their approach to moving onto the web. People who understand the new social climate realize that it’s no longer about finding customers for their products, but about using their products to connect people to other people.

A great example is I Can Localize, a human and technology translation service for online businesses. Amir Helzer has built his business with people connections in mind. He understands that the single act of putting together a web presence in another language isn’t much more than a billboard. So, he offers personal translators — native speakers who know the culture — they translate any website incremental updates and provide time-sensitive responses to comments and contacts from customers. That allows his clients to stay connected to the people they serve in ways that are both time and cost efficient.

People talking to people . . . that’s real connection.

Social media is meant to be social. Are you connecting people to people?

Liz Strauss

Find out about working with Liz.

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Social Media: Can’t Do That! I Don’t Have Time!

No Time Like the Present

Time.
Who’s got any extra? Could you send some over?
I haven’t had any since 1990-something.
Most folks I know are feeling the same way.
Yet, somehow, we all manage to get things done in the time we have allotted. We even pick up a few new things as move forward in our careers.

Time.
“I can’t do that! I don’t have time for it!”
Truth is, I have time for things I find important, useful, and better not to avoid.
What that response means is “I don’t want to — learn something new.”

The minute I see value or realize that people are getting ahead of me.
I have the time I need to learn what I thought I didn’t need to know.

Start by learning the vocabulary. . . . you have time for a few words.

Liz Strauss

Find out about working with Liz.

Buy the Insider’s Guide and Get your best voice in the conversation.