Who is the most influential person online? Whoever might get that title will have a heavy burden. Let's face it, as rapidly as things change in the Online Universe, being recognized as the most influential online person is probably less than fifteen minutes of fame.

Or maybe not. But I do find a certain amount of humor in Fast Company creating a project to give us the opportunity to name the most influential online person of 2010 (rapid change...fast company). It's called the Influence Project .
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It's human nature to want what we want...and to want it right now! I know, I've fallen victim to this temptation more than once. And even so, I can still be swayed. Sometimes good marketing copy is that persuasive.

But over time I've learned that things are always what they are cracked up to be. Most lasting results come from a good plan, a good product or service and perseverance.

Seven years ago I invested in Site Built It! I'd already tried some other web building and ... << MORE >>

The greed of America (or other places in the world, for that matter) has impacted us on so many levels. Remember when Michael Douglas' character in Wall Street leered, "Greed is good"? Somehow many of us took that to heart, even if we disguised it as building wealth. Rationalization can be a funny thing.

What we eventually (hopefully?) discover is that meaningful work has more to do with helping others, a sense of purpose and doing what you are really good at - what you were born to - what the Creator built into you!

The unemployment level is still 10% (more depending on your ethnicity, education or where you live). And a lot of us over the past year or two have re-evaluated what we want to do "when we grow up". Since November 2008, when corporate radio eliminated my position, I've been spending time writing, reflecting, considering what really matters and what I'm good at. I know I can communicate. I know I can write. I care about helping others. So, I'm on track to become a school teacher.

But while I substitute teach, and other odd jobs to pay the bills, I also find that in the midst of the struggle and frustrations that I've become less self-absorbed (at least I hope so!), less greedy and more compassionate. And I'm trying hard to follow my bliss.

So - whatever your business or occupation, consider how the economic downturn, painful as it may be, can "right size" us and get us focused on doing for others...and doing for yourself what you were born to do.

        

So it is the last day of 2009. It's been an interesting ride. Maybe you struggled with the economy - I sure did. But life rolls on and the important thing is what you are doing with your life, your business, your endeavors...your mission.

Typically at the end of each year I spend some time journaling and looking back over past journal and blog posts. I believe in making some plans and goals, but as far as New Year's resolutions I find it works best for me to have value mission statements and ... << MORE >>

Have you considered the power of communicating your corporate story? I'm speaking of the story of your business - how it came about, the history and the values. It is the biography of your business and this can be a great way for others to find out more about the reason for your business and what you stand for.

It is a marketing approach that can be very persuasive to clients and potential clients.

You can do this with a book. I do this kind of writing for others ... << MORE >>

"Bah, bah....Monday, Monday - so good to me" - the Mamas & the Papas had a big hit in the 1960's with "Monday, Monday". Online retailers hope to have a big hit with Cyber Monday - November 30.

Black Friday has come and gone and the stores did their usual discounting and early opening to woo shoppers in the day after Thanksgiving. Reports so far are that it was a bit softer than hoped for. I don't think we should be surprised given the shape of the economy.

However, online sales should continue to grow. I remember 10-12 years ago when we were touting the growth and potential of online retailing that it was hoped eventually transacting online would be commonplace. Today it certainly is.

Cyber Monday is the Black Friday equivalent of online selling. There are lots of deals and the major e-tailers are heavily promoting it. Check out some of the deals from Amazon.com

If you are conducting a Cyber Monday promotion be sure to do more than just deep discounts. This is an opportunity to establish more relationships with customers and clients. Show them you care more about them than just a one day shopping blitz.

        

You are surely aware of how many companies utilize cause marketing as part of their overall marketing plan.

The reasons to do it should include:

1 - That you actually care about the cause
2 - The cause is a real and worthwhile one (watch out for scams)
3 - That you understand what you are trying to achieve.

Let's look at that third one. What are your expectations if you join with a specific cause and market it? Is it an event that you will have visibility at, such as a run or cycling event? Are you part of a mailer and thus getting targeted brand exposure? Maybe you are putting th cause on your website to generate goodwill and also because of point #1.

A place to perhaps investigate more is Bidding For Good. They represent various charity auctions and it is powered by cMarket. The month of October they are focusing on supporting breast cancer research.

For the past five months I've been vigorously training for a half marathon with Team in Training. They are a charity endurance training organization that supports the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. A great organization and I've been involved with them before (running another half marathon and also a full - yes, all 26.2 miles). I believe in the cause and have personal experience with family members and friends who've lost the battle with Leukemia. My run is this Sunday (October 18) in Albuquerque and I'm very grateful for those who've supported me in my fundraising. I've been able to raise almost $2,000 (you can still give if you are so moved).

Think about adding a cause marketing aspect to your marketing approach. It is good for you and for others and it can also show your customers that you care about more than just your "bottom line".

        

We all ultimately want to have some success in life. Since so much of our time and energy are focused on earning a living that means we want some business success. But at what price?

Yes, we need to work hard. Be smart. Innovative. Give great customer service.  Hopefully whatever work you do provides a needed service and is ethical. I'm not here to judge...I'm just stating what I think is important.

Nevertheless, the lessons of the past few years and our current state of the economy should, nay must, make us look at how we conduct ourselves in relation to commerce, finance and interaction with each other.

To be successful we need loyal customers who want what you have. So, have a good product or service. Find the need. Market effectively. And do good to others. The Golden Rule is still a proper way to live. Real customer service means doing for others.

I was inspired (as I usually am) by the latest Kenny Moore article.

Everything I Know about Business I Learned in the Monastery

"Kenny  the Monk" was once a monastic priest. For 20 years after that "life" he's worked in the corporate world. This guy has some great insight that you should consider.

        

Implementing a successful Internet Marketing plan can be complex. There's no secret formula or magic bullet.

But there are certain things that go into your plan that can improve your chances.

Know your goals. What are you trying to accomplish? Higher search engine placement? Social media presence? Generating leads? Or dispensing advice?  You can easily add more.

I find it is an ongoing learning process and once you begin you have to maintain your process. That means blogging and social media entries. New articles. Email communication. Fine tuning your services and products. There are valid points made here by Phyllis Zimbler Miller, Internet Business Examiner for examiner.com.

If you don't have the desire to figure out a lot of the technical aspects, but you are willing to do some work and build the long tail you should find resources that do a lot of the "heavy lifting" for you.

SBI (Site Build It!) continues to impress me as a proper set of tools. For the money you can't beat it. Even if you don't do a lot of work over time you will get results. And the more you use it the better your site traffic and results. They keep improving it (new brainstorming application for key words is the latest big upgrade).

Have you taken a tour? A few minutes will give you a valuable overview.

        

Site Build It! is really great for those who don't want to have to figure out all the technical backend stuff of web sites while still taking advantage of new trends and tools. The Socialize It! module makes it easy to add social networking buttons to your site.

It should be obvious to just about anyone that social media has truly come of age. The current protests in Iran over their election results and how Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social sites have made it possible for the world to see what is happening in real time demonstrates this power. This has been widely reported in various media channels.

Site Build It! remains one of the best values of any type of web-building tools/services. $299 is a steal when you see all that you get for that, and you truly appreciate it once you build a site using their action guide strategies and watch your traffic grow and your site rank high on search engines. The key is that regardless of all the continually evolving widgets and tools the secret to traffic is great content. Using SBI you learn how to create it. Even is you aren't a great writer you can figure out the kind of content you need for your site and then hire a writer. Plus, the SBI community of users provides a wide fellowship of help through the SBI Forum, newsletters, videos and other means of sharing.

It is amazing how often Sitesell (the parent company of SBI) holds specials. There is a summer special currently under way - do check it out.